The price: $455. The purchase: five textbooks. The place: the Brandeis bookstore. With the semester's book-buying spree over, I'm sure that this is a familiar situation for most of us.And we are not alone. The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance has stated that between 1986 and 2004, the price of textbooks rose by nearly 200 percent and that the average cost of textbooks for college students is $900 per year. Across the country, college students are forced to bear this taxing financial burden in addition to increasing tuition bills.

So, how can we avoid paying this much? What are some cheaper alternatives to consider for the future?

Many of the individuals that I have spoken to concerning this topic have resorted to a variety of different online sources, and for good reason. As Jeremy Asch '12 noted, "The bookstore is overpriced, and it drives students to find other ways to buy books." Chemistry: A Molecular Approach, for example, costs a whopping $229 at the bookstore. However, a little Internet research reveals that Amazon.com offers it for $150, and one bid on eBay has it for $120. Half.com has it for $85, and Barnes and Noble is selling it for $140.

Students have also looked to the international circuit for better deals on their academic materials. Publishers from nations such as India have agreements with Western publishers to redistribute books for lower prices to students who aren't able to afford such expensive materials in their own countries. Through the aforementioned Web sites, American students have collectively become some of their biggest clients.

However, such a strategy has its restrictions. Purchasers of international textbooks are forbidden by copyright law to resell the books to anyone outside of the country in which they live.

Despite all of these other options, some students (myself included) still favor the bookstore, as Mark Trilling '12 puts it, "just for convenience." Also, especially with the beginning-of-semester mailroom backlog, shipped books may arrive after we would ideally need them, and the bookstore has organized the materials so that we can buy them in a quick and efficient manner. Plus, it's always good to feel that little loyalty you get from supporting your school.

Furthermore, there's hope yet for those with a tight budget who prefer the campus shop. Over this past summer, Congress passed a law requiring textbook publishers to provide pricing information to professors, who can then make a more informed decision on which books to require for students. And, with the increasing abundance of online e-books and reliance on LATTE, those huge bills may become a thing of the past. Also, I do believe that professors should realize how expensive some of the materials they choose for us are.

Personally, I feel people should just use common sense when purchasing a required reading. If you need something tomorrow, go to the store, and look for used books if possible. If you know what books to buy and have time in advance, look elsewhere.

After all, we are just poor college students.