Campus News

Students rent books to save money and time

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Renting textbooks from online stores has become a new revolution in the world of college students. Not only is it a way for them to save money at bookstores, but it is also extremely convenient for the busy lives that they lead. From classes to practices, and the hours upon hours of studying, time is of the essence and precious for students. “I don’t even have to drive anywhere to see if a bookstore might have what I am looking for,” said  senior Kristen Hicks. “I can’t believe that the past three years I have been wasting my time and money when the choice of renting was right there under my nose.” Here at Bethel students can now rent books at the bookstore. Bethel started offering the option of rentals just this year during the fall semester, to further service the needs of the college student body. Bookstore Manager Bonnie Moore said  they have continued  the process into the spring semester. Although not all of the books in the store are for rent, the ones that are have been marked with blue stickers to distinguish from the “purchase only” textbooks. As of right now students can only use debit or credit cards to rent these books, instead of placing the charge on their accounts. “There have been very good results so far,” said Moore. Some students think bookstores can be a hassle when they are looking for a quick find and purchase. They say walking up and down, aisle after aisle, just to find that the store doesn’t carry what you are looking for causes unneeded stress. Many students are looking for alternatives. There are several sites online now that offer this accommodation of renting and many other stores as well. Students all over campus are excited about the amount of savings and time that renting has opened up in their busy schedules. “The first time I went online and to local bookstores I couldn’t believe the prices that I had to pay for one semester of books.” said  freshman Aaron Mckenzie. “After calling my mom and complaining to her I decided to find other options for finding my books for cheaper. That is when I came across renting and boy am I glad I did.” The process of renting comes in three very simple steps. The first step would merely be finding and renting your books online. The second step would be receiving them in the mail, and the third step returning them with no cost in the same box that they came in. The return label is also included to convenience you further. Within a week you will have your books delivered right to your doorstep and with only the click of a button. Two of the most well-known sites for students to rent from with confidence in their timely and reliable delivery are “Chegg.com” and “campusbookrentals.com,” both of which offer a free return policy and packaging. These sites are easy to maneuver on and create a welcoming helpful aura that make you almost enjoy shopping for your books. There are some concerns, however, on the safety of using online websites to rent your books. Just like any other online purchase, there are risks that come when giving out your information through something as open as the internet. People can avoid this by using secure websites that have good recommendations from others and not just purchasing merchandise from random sites. As long as you are wise in your choice of website, this concern should not intimidate you. “Although I have never been ripped off online and nothing has ever been stolen from me, I am still very weary of giving out my information so freely,” said junior Katherine Stuppy. “I have heard enough stories to make me think twice before typing in those numbers to just any site.”
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