New students have enough to fret about without having to worry about buying textbooks. Fortunately, there are some tips to follow to make the book-buying process a bit easier.

“Go early and get used books,” said Robin Schinnow, junior in child and family services. Schinnow said she usually buys her textbooks about a week in advance to avoid waiting in long lines.

Buying early is best, unless you like a “carnival atmosphere,” said Lynette Seymour, general manager of University Book Store, located in the Memorial Union. However, students should not come too early because not all books will be in stock, she said.

“[Buying books] a week before classes is ideal,” Seymour said.

Another reason to beat the crowds to the bookstores is that reduced prices make used books a hot commodity.

“Used books go first and fastest,” said Floyd Ballein, manager of Campus Book Store, 2300 Lincoln Way. At Campus Book Store, used books are 25 percent cheaper than new ones, he said.

But if making an early trip to the bookstores is not a possibility, students may want to reserve their books.

University Book Store reserves books for freshman and transfer students in their first semester.

Campus Book Store reserves for anyone, and there is no limit to the books that can be reserved, said Terri Jennings, textbook manager at Campus Book Store.

Reading the shelf cards carefully can also save money and time, Seymour said. Shelf cards list whether a book is required or optional.

“If a book is optional, consider it, but don’t buy it right away,” Seymour said.

Some cards may also say “go to class first.”

“If it says go to class first, go to class first,” said Kara Kerr, junior in political science and a Campus Book Store employee. Kerr said once she bought the wrong English books because she did not follow the directions.

To keep from losing money, if the book is not appropriate for the class, students should keep their receipts. It also is important to keep the receipt in case a professor changes the required text, Ballein said.

Ballein also suggested that students should know the last day they can return books for a full refund. Some students do not bring books back within the return time, she said. One student tried to get a full refund at the end of the semester, Ballein recalled.

A student should not mark in a book, unless he or she is certain it is necessary, Seymour said. If a student tries to return the marked book for a full refund, he or she will only get used value for it, she said.

Even if a student buys books early, his or her trips to the bookstore may not be over.

“Save a lot of money, because teachers will often tell you to buy more books,” Schinnow said.