As a junior at UNCW, I’ve managed to get quite a few classes under my belt. I’ve sat in a lot of lecture halls, taken pages of notes, turned in numerous assignments and been subjected to rigorous exams for the past two years. Needless to say, my brain has been filled with a large amount of information since I was a freshman. However, there is one lesson I’ve learned that I wish to impart upon my fellow students, especially those who are just starting their college career-a lesson that few professors will likely lecture about. Despite conventional wisdom, textbooks are-at least in part-a myth.

I’ll say it again, textbooks are a myth. What I mean is that college is entirely different than high school, and the nature of college courses doesn’t necessarily require textbooks. Contrary to what teachers advise, what syllabi explain and what parents demand, you do not have to buy textbooks. Not all the time, at least. I’m amazed every year when I hear how much people spend on textbooks. More often than not, freshmen are the worst offenders, with expenses reaching upwards of $500 for books that, to be quite honest, they will hardly use. This is not all their fault, however, as parents suffering from the preliminary stages of empty-nest syndrome will go to any lengths to make sure their children have everything they could possibly need for their first year of college. Although it may seem comforting to have every textbook before class even starts, a few days spent in the course may reveal whether the book is required at all, and the professors themselves are the most important clue.

College courses vary significantly depending on who is teaching them, and professors definitely have varying approaches to how textbooks are used; some are more emphatic about their importance than others. Some demand that students have textbooks within the first week and outline in the syllabus exactly how much reading will be done. For these classes, not much can be done; occasionally, you simply have to admit defeat and get the textbook, knowing that you will at least be using it the whole time. Other professors, however, are much more ambiguous on the subject, and may ask you to get one or several of the listed textbooks but don’t really explain when or how they will be used. I have been in several classes where this was the case and learned the hard way that, for the majority of the classes I’ve taken, textbooks haven’t been used that much at all. Out of the twenty or so classes I’ve taken, perhaps three of them have used the textbook extensively. Rather than using the textbook, most of the other courses I’ve taken simply reference the textbook, looking at maybe three or four chapters throughout the whole year.

Indeed, the price of textbooks is often ludicrous and certainly doesn’t justify the small amount of use they traditionally get. One professor I had during my freshman year, however, explicitly told us to not buy the textbook and instead to look to alternative sources online, rentals, used bookstores and, most importantly, the library. He was right; although the UNCW bookstore is conveniently close and allows students to get their textbooks in a timely manner, there are so many other resources out there that should be noted. Amazon and Chegg are great online places to look for used books, rentals, and electronic versions. Pomegranate Books on Park Avenue is a good independent bookstore to check for discounted prices. Also, some sites will sell individual chapters of a book, which is especially useful for classes that use multiple texts. The internet is a great resource, and you should always do some research before you shell out your hard-earned money for books.

Lastly, I urge students to take advantage of the library. In high school, we often don’t give the library a second glance, and why should we? All of our books were provided for us, and we never had to consider paying for them. However, in college, you’re very much on your own. Professors aren’t going to hold your hand, and they typically don’t care how you go about acquiring the book. Go to Randall Library before you do anything else. Randall can be your best friend here at UNCW. Not only does Randall have many of the required texts for classes (although some of them may be older editions), they are completely and absolutely free. If you simply have to get the book for a class, even just for peace of mind, do yourself a favor and check Randall first; your wallet will thank you later. Although the necessity of textbooks in some college courses is questionable, Randall’s ability to save you money isn’t mythical by any stretch of the imagination.