The OU Bookstore is the default place students go to rent or buy their textbooks. Starting this year, the OU Bookstore is offering an option for students who pre-order their books online to pick them up at Walker-Adams Mall during Sooner Orientation Weekend.

A popular and cheaper alternative to buying your textbooks is renting.

“Not all of our titles are rentable,” says Sean Nadole, Accounting Senior and OU Bookstore employee. “But, if books are eligible for rent I would say it’s better to rent them because you end up saving that 50% up front instead of buying the books and hoping that we buy them back at the end of the semester.”

If you’re concerned about renting because you think you won’t be able to write in it, don’t fret. The OU Bookstore allows students to mark in textbooks, as long as the books remain in useable condition. As far as returning the books, you get a receipt and you simply have to return it by the date on the receipt.

“Usually the Monday after finals,” Nadole said. But not always.

There’s a three-day grace period for returning books past the due date. If a student over-extends the grace period, he or she will pay full price and keep the book.

Don’t worry if a local bookstore doesn’t have some books for rent.Chegg.com sells and rents books. An added bonus, Chegg.com plants a tree for every rented book and gives back to various communities with funding from their profit. More places: Amazon.com or Half.com. And don’t forget shipping. If you have an Amazon student account, you can receive special discounts.

Despite the ease of renting, some students still choose to purchase their own books.

“I prefer to buy used books simply because they are cheaper,” says Robby Hare, geography sophomore. “I have not rented a textbook yet. It just doesn’t seem necessary to me. If you buy a textbook, you can sometimes make a profit for it …”

In most cases, look for a book at another seller before visiting the bookstore.

“I bought some [books] from the OU bookstore, but quickly realized how expensive it is to buy new books,” says Corey Fisher, music education senior. “Since my sophomore year, I’ve always purchased textbooks online at eBay, Amazon, or Half.com, and that’s where I will buy them this year. It’s cheap and easy.”

Be careful, book condition and selling price don’t always match up in terms of quality. Sometimes the expensive books are in poor condition, but the cheap ones are in tip-top shape. Carefully read the book descriptions to make sure the book does not have too many markings, water damage and other issues.