How to get cheap textbooks?

[ultimatelel]

Hey guys! Was just wondering what the best way is to get cheap textbooks (specifically, biomed ones and some for french proficient level)

Is there a second hand book sell day? Should I just keep scrolling through the sellyourspace page until i find textbooks?

[keltingmeith]

The biomed society might host a secondhand book sale (MSS do, but I don't know about the other big 4. :S)

I use fishpond.com.au for my textbooks (when I get them - remember, waiting a week before buying books is highly recommended~), in one instance getting a ~$120 book for $50 BRAND NEW. It did take a week and a half to get to me, though, because fishpond outsource to the lowest seller, so I think it was coming from Korea or something?

[ultimatelel]

The biomed society might host a secondhand book sale (MSS do, but I don't know about the other big 4. :S)

I use fishpond.com.au for my textbooks (when I get them - remember, waiting a week before buying books is highly recommended~), in one instance getting a ~$120 book for $50 BRAND NEW. It did take a week and a half to get to me, though, because fishpond outsource to the lowest seller, so I think it was coming from Korea or something?

Oh yeah, i used to buy most of my school textbooks from fishpond because they were so cheap!!
By waiting a week before buying books, do you mean a week into lectures? Are they important for the first week? I don't want to be missing out on any valuable learning because I don't have a textbook  !

How would I find out if biomed society has a second hand textbook sale?

[keltingmeith]

Oh yeah, i used to buy most of my school textbooks from fishpond because they were so cheap!!
By waiting a week before buying books, do you mean a week into lectures? Are they important for the first week? I don't want to be missing out on any valuable learning because I don't have a textbook  !

How would I find out if biomed society has a second hand textbook sale?

Yes, into lectures. Trust me, you won't be disadvantaged at all, this is a common practice for most people. Hell, even more just don't buy textbooks at all, they're often optional (even if they're "prescribed").

Go to their stall during o-week and ask.

[alondouek]

I put the ISBN of the book I'm after into booko.com.au which gives me a comparison of textbook prices from various sites. Saved me a few hundred dollars over the past couple of years haha

[Rohmer]

There should be a link to the 'Monash Marketplace' on your student portal somewhere. Just go on that around the time the semester starts/during the first semester. Usually you'll find people selling textbooks in pretty good condition for around half the retail price. Just search the unit code on there (e.g. LAW4169 or BFC2000) and some listings should show up. I think sometimes the MSA or whatever setup a 2nd hand book stall, but this is kinda ad hoc, there's unfortunately no actual 2nd hand bookshop as far as I know.

[keltingmeith]

I put the ISBN of the book I'm after into booko.com.au which gives me a comparison of textbook prices from various sites. Saved me a few hundred dollars over the past couple of years haha

Turns out that booko have matched or beaten fishpond for every one of my textbooks... Thankfully, it didn't beat the one book I bought off of fishpond (but did match. >.<)

Still, I'm not going through fishpond anymore. 

[alondouek]

There should be a link to the 'Monash Marketplace' on your student portal somewhere. Just go on that around the time the semester starts/during the first semester. Usually you'll find people selling textbooks in pretty good condition for around half the retail price. Just search the unit code on there (e.g. LAW4169 or BFC2000) and some listings should show up. I think sometimes the MSA or whatever setup a 2nd hand book stall, but this is kinda ad hoc, there's unfortunately no actual 2nd hand bookshop as far as I know.

Turns out that booko have matched or beaten fishpond for every one of my textbooks... Thankfully, it didn't beat the one book I bought off of fishpond (but did match. >.<)

Still, I'm not going through fishpond anymore. 

By a long way the two most useful things I've come across while at uni have been booko and your mate's timetabling website (even if it doesn't like biomed units hahahaha). Both are utter lifesavers imo

[ultimatelel]

Awesome thanks so much for all your help guys!

Just one more question quickly... I see a lot of people selling textbooks that are like an edition old or something. Does this matter?

[SE_JM]

If you live near Mont Albert area, go to recycled textbooks shop.
The editions probably don't matter. Most of them change some pictures around (there is only little difference, from my experience) and tada- it's a new edition

[alondouek]

Awesome thanks so much for all your help guys!

Just one more question quickly... I see a lot of people selling textbooks that are like an edition old or something. Does this matter?

Usually it's entirely fine to get the previous edition of a textbook (and in doing so save yourself a lot of money), but it's never a bad idea to check with your unit coordinator just in case.

Also, if you can't get a good deal on a textbook then don't bother buying it - one of the libraries at Monash will likely have one or more copy for you to read over as needed (and if they don't, you can request that they order one and they'll do so).

[McFleurry]

StudentVIP is great for buying textbooks-- it's the largest student-student textbook exchange w/ no middle man
Link is here: https://studentvip.com.au/monash/textbooks

[Passi]

"By a long way the two most useful things I've come across while at uni have been booko and your mate's TIMETABLING website (even if it doesn't like biomed units hahahaha). Both are utter lifesavers imo".

What is this timetabling website? Can you please post the address of this website. Thanks.

[keltingmeith]

"By a long way the two most useful things I've come across while at uni have been booko and your mate's TIMETABLING website (even if it doesn't like biomed units hahahaha). Both are utter lifesavers imo".

What is this timetabling website? Can you please post the address of this website. Thanks.

will.io/timetables/

[slothpomba]

Use http://www.booko.com.au for new books. If you use bookdepository, if you pay in pounds, it's cheaper. You may also like to use a cash-back website. These actually cover many other things like make up and game websites too.

For used books, i would recommend Monash marketplace in the student portal and textsbooksexchange.