At medical school there’s a great deal of pressure on students to buy a plethora of expensive books they can ill afford. Then of course there’s the unhealthy culture of panic-buying sweeping the streets around exam time! With their strategic placement near or even within universitiy campuses, high street bookshops make a killing from students paying through the nose for full-price books. Here are some tips to help you beat the system!
Tip 1: do you really need the book?
It’s easy to convince yourself you “have to have” the book because it’s on the reading list or your friend has it – but books are actually very subjective things. What your medschool thinks is great or what works for your friend may be as dry as Gandhi’s flip-flop for you. Check out the book at a high street shop and look at the alternatives before deciding what’s best. You could also ask people in the years above which books they found actually helped with exams.
Tip 2: buying alternatives
We all know it’s difficult to get a popular book out of the library, especially when exams are looming. Consider just photocopying the pages you need. You could also team up with a friend and each buy a different book to share with each other.
Tip 3: use the discounts you’re entitled to
Being a member of medical organisations isn’t just about the riveting monthly journal. It’s about the discounts! If you’re set on buying a book, make sure you know how much you can save. (See related sites)
Tip 4: find the best price
Even with a discount from one of the above, you can sometimes find a better deal by using a comparison site. There are lots of these; www.moneysupermarket.com and www.pricerunner.co.uk are two of the biggest, but you might like to check book-specific ones too: www.bookbutler.co.uk, www.books.co.uk and www.bookkoob.co.uk are worth a look. Remember to look at total price – the best deals are usually the ones with free delivery.
Tip 5: think about buying second-hand
Whilst owning a shiny new book is undeniably great, if you really want to save, go for used books. This might mean looking for second-hand copies on eBay or Amazon; checking out high street bookshops for items they’ve bought back from customers; or asking friends in years above if they want to flog you some unwanted books on the cheap (they’ll probably be glad to get rid of them!).
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