Photo by Sultry

攝影： Sultry

You can always save money on textbooks by buying online, going ebook, or renting what you need. But there are riskier ways to save a buck that just may yield even greater payoff, such as getting the international or earlier edition of the text, or avoiding the purchase altogether.

您總是可以通過在線購買，購買電子書或租用所需的東西來節省教科書上的錢。 但是，有一些風險更高的方法可以節省開支，而這可能會帶來更大的回報，例如獲取該文本的國際版或更早版本，或者完全避免購買。

You already know that the textbook system is a scam. Publishers often crank out new editions without making substantial changes. Schools follow standard procedure over saving students money. And sometimes a class hardly uses the textbook at all.

您已經知道教科書系統是一個騙局。 發行商通常會在不進行實質性更改的情況下推出新版本。 學校遵循節省學生錢的標準程序。 有時，一個班級幾乎根本不使用教科書。

If getting that perfect A is what you’re aiming for, it’s safer to play by the rules and buy your the required edition. However, if you just need to pass, are taking the class for fun, or are really that stripped for cash, consider the alternatives. And keep in mind that none of these alternatives come without some risk involved.

如果您想要獲得完美的A，那么遵守規則并購買所需的版本會更安全。 但是，如果您只需要通過考試，為了好玩而上課，或者真的被剝奪了現金，請考慮選擇其他方法。 并且請記住，所有這些選擇都不會有任何風險。

獲取教科書的冒險之路 (The Risky Route to Obtaining Your Textbooks)

Before you invest time or money in any alternative to buying straight from the school bookstore, you need to know:

除了直接從學校書店購買以外，在投入時間或金錢之前，您需要了解以下信息：

• The ISBN of the required book
  所需書籍的ISBN
• If the book comes with any CDs or DVDs — and if you’ll need them for class
  如果這本書隨附CD或DVD，并且上課時需要使用它們
• If the book comes with any online access codes — and if you’ll need them for class (and if you may be able to purchase them separately from the text)
  如果這本書帶有任何在線訪問代碼-并且您在課堂上需要它們(并且您可能可以與文字分開購買)
• Roughly how much you need the text and/or supplementary materials to succeed in the class — so check up on your instructor early on, find out how they run the class, and talk to past students about how important the textbook was in their experience
  要在課堂上取得成功，大約需要多少教科書和/或補充材料-因此，請盡早與您的老師聯系，了解他們如何開展課程，并與過去的學生討論教科書在他們的經歷中的重要性

Once you’re familiar with each of these, you can weigh the costs and benefits of each of the alternatives listed below. Determine what route to take given your own academic goals and what it takes to reach them.

熟悉其中的每一種方法之后，就可以權衡下面列出的每種方法的成本和收益。 根據您自己的學術目標，確定應采取的路線以及達到目標所需要的條件。

獲取國際版 (Get the International Edition)

What students in the U.S. don’t realize is that other countries manufacture textbooks much cheaper than the U.S. This means is that you can buy essentially the same book for less.

在美國的學生沒有意識到的是，其他國家/地區生產的教科書要比美國便宜得多，這意味著您可以花更少的錢購買同一本書。

The international version will be different in that it:

國際版本的不同之處在于：

• Will likely be softcover
  可能是平裝書
• May be printed in black and white in instead of color
  可能以黑白打印，而不是彩色打印
• May have different cover art
  可能有不同的封面
• May have the title page in another language
  可能有另一種語言的標題頁
• Will have a different ISBN
  將具有不同的ISBN

For some texts, you can find the international version with the same content as the U.S. version — those are the books you can use with no risk. But you won’t know that the content is the same until you can compare it with the officially required version (at your school bookstore). So be sure the return policy covers you in case you find that the content doesn’t match up as you need it to. And if the product description doesn’t ensure the exact same content, don’t hesitate to ask the seller about it directly.

對于某些文本，您可以找到內容與美國版本相同的國際版本-這些是您可以毫無風險使用的書。 但是您不會知道內容是相同的，直到您可以將其與官方要求的版本(在您的學校書店)進行比較。 因此，請確保退貨政策對您有所幫助，以防萬一您發現內容與所需不符。 如果產品說明不能確保內容完全相同，請不要猶豫，直接向賣家詢問。

Risks involved with getting the international edition:

獲得國際版涉及的風險：

• You may end up with slightly different content, and have to return it. Which means shelling out more cash to get the official version.
  您最終可能會得到稍微不同的內容，并且必須將其返回。 這意味著要花更多的錢來獲得正式版本。
• It may be harder to sell after the course, if buyers aren’t aware that they can use an international copy with no problems. So make sure to advertise this in any listings.
  如果買家不知道他們可以毫無問題地使用國際復制品，那么在課程結束后可能很難出售。 因此，請確保在任何列表中刊登廣告。

取得舊版 (Get an Older Edition)

Photo by Wyoming_Jackrabbit

圖片由Wyoming_Jackrabbit

Sometimes you don’t need the exact edition for a particular class, because:

有時您不需要特定課程的確切版本，因為：

• You’re taking a course on a topic you’re already familiar with, and just need to the book to refresh on topics
  您正在上一個已經熟悉的主題的課程，只需要對本書進行主題更新
• The course is particularly easy and/or the instructor will provide most of the materials through supplements such as lecture slides and handouts
  該課程特別容易，并且/或者講師將通過講義和講義之類的補充內容提供大部分資料
• The course doesn’t rely so much on the actual text, but refers to it in a more conceptual way
  該課程并不太依賴實際的課本，而是以更具概念性的方式進行引用

• In these cases, it’s a good idea to search for older, as in earlier editions, of the text. So if your class requires the 7th edition, you may be fine with the 6th or even the 5th edition. With each older edition, prices drop significantly.

  在這些情況下，最好搜索較早版本的文本，例如早期版本的文本。 因此，如果您的班級要求使用第7版，那么使用第6版甚至第5版可能會很好。 對于每個較舊的版本，價格都會大幅下降。

  Risks involved with getting an older version:

  取得較舊版本的風險：

  • Review questions, activities, or other sections required for assignments can be slightly different or shuffled around. So you might need to reference the current edition from a classmate or compare the tables of contents online in order to locate certain sections.
    復習問題，活動或作業所需的其他部分可能略有不同或亂序。 因此，您可能需要參考同班同學的最新版本或在線比較目錄，以查找某些部分。
  • You might find out you do need the current edition halfway through the class. So be sure to ask your instructor what specific coursework requires the text (or refer to the syllabus) to be prepared.
    您可能會發現在課程中途確實需要當前版本。 因此，一定要問您的老師，哪些特殊的課程需要準備課本(或參考教學大綱)。

  其實不買書 (Don’t Actually Buy the Book)

  

  Photo by abrinsky

  圖片由abrinsky

  Another option is to avoid buying the book altogether. You can do so by:

  另一種選擇是避免完全購買這本書。 您可以這樣做：

  • Using a textbook exchange service at your school — swapping one of your old books with another student for the one you need
    在您的學校使用教科書交換服務-將您的一本舊書與另一名學生交換為您需要的一本
  • Borrowing from a friend, or even sharing a copy with another classmate (you might end up buying half of the book)
    從朋友那里借錢，甚至與另一位同學分享一份副本(您可能最終會購買本書的一半)
  • Photocopying or scanning only the sections you’ll actually need for the class — based on the syllabus and/or what you instructor says you’ll need
    僅根據課程大綱和/或您的指導老師所說的內容，僅影印或掃描您實際需要的課程部分
  • Using a school, city, or county library copy, even if it’s a reference book and you have to visit the library to do your reading
    使用學校，城市或縣圖書館的副本，即使它是參考書，您也必須訪問圖書館進行閱讀
  • Completing your reading and book assignments in a couple of sittings at your local bookstore, which actually puts you ahead of schedule
    在您當地書店的幾次座談會中完成閱讀和讀書作業，這實際上使您提前完成了計劃

  Risks involved when avoiding the purchase:

  避免購買時涉及的風險：

  • Depending on the situation, you may not have as much time with the text to absorb the material at your own pace, which could compromise grades. So plan wisely and stay updated on the class schedule.
    根據情況的不同，您可能沒有足夠的時間按照自己的節奏來吸收材料，這可能會影響成績。 因此，請明智地計劃并及時掌握上課時間表。

  制定備份計劃 (Have a Backup Plan in Place)

  Anytime you choose one of these risky ways to obtain your school textbook, have a backup plan in place. Be ready to buy the officially required version in a tight spot, if the course changes midway, or something else renders your method impractical or insufficient for meeting your academic goals. This is the ultimate risk of obtaining your text in nontraditional ways: you risk having to buy from the school bookstore — and on top of your first purchase if that’s the case.

  只要您選擇以下有風險的方式之一來獲取學校教科書，就應制定備份計劃。 如果路線途中發生變化，或者其他原因使您的方法不切實際或不足以達到您的學術目標，請準備在緊迫的地方購買正式需要的版本。 這是以非傳統方式獲取文本的最終風險：您冒著必須從學校書店購買的風險，如果是這種情況，則是首次購買的風險。

  It’s up to you what risks you take, as well as how much money you save.

  由您自己承擔什么風險以及您節省多少錢，由您自己決定。

  翻譯自: https://www.howtogeek.com/54864/three-potentially-risky-ways-to-save-a-lot-on-textbooks/