When calculating the expenses of a higher education, most of us think of tuition, housing and food. Textbooks are often just an afterthought. If you are like most people, when you make your first trip to the college bookstore, you may be in for quite a shock. Textbooks are expensive.
Some books cost upwards of one hundred dollars. If you are carrying a full schedule, you may be looking at a very large outlay of cash for required books.
The good news is that you don’t have to buy your books from the college bookstore. It is in fact probably the most expensive place to purchase your required books. Once you have a list of the books you need, complete with title, author, edition, and international standard book number (ISBN), you will be ready to shop. And, when armed with this information, the entire world suddenly becomes your bookstore.
Most textbooks are sold worldwide, and each book price is based on the economic conditions in the country for which it is destined. This is good news for you. Textbooks sold abroad are categorized as “cheap editions” or “international editions.” The content of international edition textbooks is generally exactly the same as the books sold in the United States.
You may find that the quality of the paper is somewhat lower, the cover is paperback rather than hardcover, and the print is only in black and white. When it comes to content, however, you will find that the books are the same. These minor differences will not affect your learning while you enjoy a significantly lower price.
An international book may have a different ISBN from its US counterpart, which can make it a bit more difficult to locate the book. In most cases, however, the number will be the same.It is completely safe and legal to purchase international textbooks for your education.
You may find that publishers label international editions with warnings such as “Not for sale within the USA” or after listing the countries for distribution will state, “Distribution outside these areas is unauthorized.” These statements were created by the publishers in order to encourage students in North America to purchase textbooks that were produced specifically to be sold in North America. It is not illegal, however, to buy the international editions and save money.
When purchasing international textbooks, check carefully to make sure the CDs and DVDs that may be part of the American edition are included if you think you will need to use them for your class.
Also, be sure to allow extra time for delivery due to delays in customs processing. Saving money by purchasing international textbooks may be the first valuable lesson you learn from your higher education experience.