By Alexandra Ciardella
College is expensive. . Most of us don’t have full-time jobs and by the time we leave for the real world, we might be in debt from student loans. Especially in the economic climate today, most of our futures are uncertain. As students, we try to make and save as much money as we can. That is why I try to get all my course textbooks for free.
Most students think there’s a stigma surrounding the idea of free textbooks, so let me clear the air. I think a lot of students are wary because when you say ‘free textbook’ the first thing to come to mind is ‘free online textbook’. There are dangers in downloading text for free on the internet:– viruses, spyware, and malicious data to harm your computer. While I am aware that students should be cautious, I think if you’re careful enough, and the source you’re using is trustworthy, using free online textbooks can work in your favor.
The reason I’m so adamant about using free sources for textbooks is because we’ll only need them for so long. There are many courses that students take where they have to buy books that won’t be relevant to their future career. Not to mention the novels we need to read; in just a few weeks we’ll be done with the story and moving on. Reselling or renting the books might make some money back, but there’s only so much you can make back off of textbooks.
Free textbooks aren’t the evil crime you might think they are. I’m not one for stealing stuff online, but if there is a safe way to view the text, I’m all for it. In my academic career, I’ve found a handful of websites that I trust for novels and textbooks. The library is also a helpful place since they might link sources to use for free or low prices. There are other alternatives to spending half of your tuition on textbooks. In the end, it will add up, so finding free textbook sources is a good way to save some money.