Yep, it’s that time of year again. It’s the time when students flock back to Ames to start a new semester of classes. I may seem a bit bitter about all of this since I was here over the summer, but I’ve had a few issues with some things.

Traffic is terrible, parking spots are impossible to find and I wish you luck finding a decent notebook in Target – but the worst part of a new semester is buying textbooks again.

I know that this subject has been discussed to death, but nothing really seems to change. Every year I walk into the book stores thinking that I’ll be able to walk out with my head held high and bags full of good used books. I pick up my first “required” text and have to catch my breath from my case of sticker shock.

That is when I realize that I am just a na‹ve blonde who wants to live in an ideal world but does not.

So I bend over and pay the price they demand for it.

I say, enough is enough. This year, I’m going to the competition. Free economy and business competition is one of the great things this country is founded on and I feel that the bookstores need to realize it. This summer I started looking into what textbooks I needed for my classes and I hopped on to my computer.

It seems as if everyone is jumping on the textbook bandwagon and I for one don’t blame them a bit.

If I can find a textbook cheaper somewhere else, I’m there. Who doesn’t want to save a little money, especially when a little money is all you have? Maybe more companies will jump on the textbook bandwagon and there will be a textbook price war.

It would be nice if students paid more for a pizza than a textbook, but there I go being all idealistic again.

Two of the online Web sites I found helpful were www.bigwords. com and www.barnesandnoble.com. Even www.wal-mart.com has joined in the textbook game. It may take a bit longer to get the books shipped to you, but I’d be willing to wait a few days and save some money.

Call me stingy, but I don’t mind waiting. Most professors I’ve had don’t mind either. In fact, they understand.

If you tell them that you’ve got your books ordered and you can’t do the assignment, most of them understand because they’ve gone through the same thing we have.

Granted, you can’t flip through the used textbooks when you order online and see if someone was “highlighter happy,” but if the price is right, one can’t complain.

The best Web site to get good and cheap textbooks from is www.cheggpost.com. For those of you who are new students or those of you who have never heard of it, Cheggpost is an online site created by Iowa State students for Iowa State students.

I bought a textbook using it last semester, and let me tell you, it was wonderful. I paid five dollars for a book that the book store wanted thirteen dollars for. I knew I needed the book, went to Cheggpost, saw someone was selling it and sent him an e-mail. We arranged a time and place to meet and he told me that he was only going to get 50 cents for it at the end of last semester.

He gained four dollars and fifty cents, and I saved eight dollars. It was a win-win situation.

I also felt good that I was helping out a fellow Iowa State student. The best part is if you meet with the person and see that the book you’re buying was left out in the rain and run over a few times, you don’t have to buy it. Besides, you know their name and e-mail address.

Why would they want to sell you something that was in terrible shape? So, if you buy through Cheggpost, you know you’re getting a quality book at a great price. They may even lower the price for you.

Who doesn’t love free economy?

I know that my little article isn’t going to change the world, but if I can convince a few people to shop the competition, it’s worth it. If it’s too late for some of you and you’ve already bought your books at the bookstores, check out the competition next semester. What could it hurt?

Sarah Bolton

is a senior in English from Glidden.