The Great Textbook Sellback

CU Students -- are you dreaming of summer?

In this last month of the semester, perhaps you're already wondering what to do with your textbooks. After all, you probably want to sell them back and get the best price for them, right?

Cue the CU Book Store's Great Textbook Sellback... See the poster to the left or this link for full details!

Starting on April 25th and running through May 11 at a variety of convenient locations including the CU Book Store, Coors Event Center, Sterns Central, and Folsom Field (dates and times for these locations vary, please see poster or website for full details).

You can visit our website, CUBookStore.com, to check what your book is worth. We guarantee that we'll match or beat any competing price!*

We also encourage you to watch the video below for the full scoop on what determines what your book is worth and what it costs!





* For any store physically within a 1mile radius.

Fun textbooks - not an oxymoron

I count myself lucky this semester to have been assigned more than just the usual type of textbook. Many of my classes have assigned actual books (books which someone might pick up outside of college). I was enjoying reading these today, so I thought I'd tell you a bit about my thoughts on the future of textbooks...

I never pass on an opportunity to recommend a book I've enjoyed, or ask people about opinions on books I want to read. Here's the unorthodox textbooks I've been assigned this semester:

All the Shah's Men by Stephen Kinzer, about the United State's involvement in overthrowing Prime Minister Mossadegh in Iran, and the consequences of this action.

The Fifties by David Halberstam, a rather unique collection of stories about what made the fifties the way they were... From TV to the Beats to Elvis, Halberstam's got it all.

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, not one I've actually read yet (we're doing it in class in a week or so), but I believe it's about how our food is grown, what we choose to eat, etc.

The Looming Tower, by Lawrence Wright, also one I haven't read yet, this is about Al-Qaeda and 9-11.

If you've read any of these, please share you thoughts with me in the comments!

My point in discussing this is that, aside from the usual gigantic, expensive glossy-paged "everything you need to know about Astronomy" (which I do have) -type book, one thing that makes college awesome is the opportunity to study other well-written non-fiction books. Of course, in high school, you'll be bound to get a few books for an English class, but outside of that, it's textbooks and teachers. College steps outside the sphere of the typical textbook.

This brings me to something else I've been thinking about. This Saturday, Apple releases the iPad. I don't know if I've mentioned that I'm an epic Apple fan, but I am very excited to see and use this new technology. Although, I don't currently have any plans to buy one. Perhaps a future model.

I bring this up because I have long wondered when devices like the Kindle and the iPad will start thinking smart and create an e-reader partnership with colleges. It makes so much sense for a college freshman to buy an e-reader device (though they're expensive, the student will use it over all four-years of college, and thus, it's a reasonable purchase), and then each semester, buy reasonably-priced e-copies of their textbooks. No carrying around multiple books, buying and selling used copies, etc. There ya have it, all your books, on one device.

I won't go on and on about the technological aspects of this plan, but I'm sure I'm not the first to think of it. I hope someone out there who holds sway in Apple or Amazon, or some other company, has had the same idea, and is working on it right now. Above all, I hope to benefit from this before I leave college.

That's it from me for now. I can't believe there are only four weeks left in the semester after this week wraps up. Wow, time is flying!

Cheers :)

Ready for second semester?

Well, we're heading into the final stretch of Winter Break. I know some people are probably back in Boulder or back in the dorms... I hope travel plans haven't been too thwarted by Boulder's latest bout of winter weather. I must admit I'm getting ready to be back in the swing of things. Vacation is nice, but at a certain point, I miss the routine, pace, and purpose that comes from school being in session.

As you may notice, I'm trying out a new look here on this blog... the New Year always brings the desire for change, so I'm working on a format that I like a little better, one that's a bit more simplified and a little more formal looking. If you have any feedback, please feel free to share.

I've been working on assembling my textbooks for the semester. It's always hard to face buying $50 or even $100 books... Of course, they're necessary, but it's a lot for any student to face. If you shop smart, using the CU Book Store's used or rental options, you may be able to save some nice amounts of money. And then, of course, there's buyback at the end of the semester to get some of the money back. I didn't end up taking advantage of this myself in the fall because I was so interested in the subjects of my classes that I actually wanted to keep the books... But perhaps I'll be able to use this great opportunity this spring. So far I think I've spent a little over $250, which is not awful compared to some students I've talked to, who claim they've spent up to $600 for one semester!

I'm currently working on a small project for the bookstore that will explain some FAQ's when it comes to textbook purchasing and buyback. So, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them and/or include them in the video. Just leave them in the comments!

Anyway, I hope this first week of 2010 is treating you well. Cheers :)

This blog is sponsored by the CU Book Store.