I graduated from college in 2007, and I graduated again in 2010. After completing seven years of college and two degrees, I have very little interest in actually going back to school again. However, I also believe that it is important to be constantly learning.
Branching out and learning is how I ended up starting a technology business: I have always enjoyed tinkering with software, but I thought hardware was too difficult until I set out to build a computer. Now, with the increasing complexity of software, I would much rather tear a laptop or tablet down to replace a part than fix a software issue.
Thanks to the internet, you no longer have to travel, live in a dorm, and take out thousands in student loans in order to take classes at some of our most prestigious universities. Many colleges offer classes online for free. Last year, I took a class on technology from an internationally-known expert who teaches part-time at Harvard.
Very few of these classes offer credit or any type of certificate, but if you are simply looking to expand your horizons and possibly pick up a new skill, then these classes are the perfect option. To browse the available classes, check out the links below:
Free Online Courses - Open Culture
Red Hoop
Coursera
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Save Money on Textbooks
The month of August brings us back to school. For college students, one of the biggest surprises can be the cost of textbooks. I remember some books costing $40-50 or more when I was in college, and I am sure that number has risen substantially in the seven years since I graduated. I recently heard one story of someone who went to purchase a textbook for a introductory history class and had to pay $160 for the one book.
Obviously, buying used textbooks has been a solution to combat high book prices for many years. If you don't want to buy a used textbook, you can check online for the book. Below, I will list four sites to check out if you are considering buying online.
First, when looking for a textbook, I always recommend searching by the ISBN. This is a code that is unique to the individual book. There are many textbooks that may share the same title, especially if it is a generic title like "Modern Mathematics". Even when the author name is a match, there may be two, three, or even more editions of the book. All of this is a lot to check when shopping. However, if you simply get the ISBN of the book you need (you can even go to your campus bookstore to get it from the book), you can make sure that you are purchasing the correct book for your class without having to check each item carefully.
Amazon.com - Amazon is a leader in textbooks, too! Plus, their marketplace makes it easy for stores to sell used books in addition to the new books available through Amazon.
Half.com - Half.com is an Ebay-owned company that allows people to sell their used textbooks to the next year's students.
Chegg.com - Chegg.com allows you to sell your used books and to purchase used books at reduced prices. It also has a tutoring section and a internship/job search section.
Abebooks.com - Abebooks is my preferred site. While it tends to focus on older and out-of-print books, there are plenty of newer titles available, as well. Plus, if you need a book simply for research (not as a textbook for your class), the previous edition might be available here at a greatly reduced price.
Obviously, buying used textbooks has been a solution to combat high book prices for many years. If you don't want to buy a used textbook, you can check online for the book. Below, I will list four sites to check out if you are considering buying online.
First, when looking for a textbook, I always recommend searching by the ISBN. This is a code that is unique to the individual book. There are many textbooks that may share the same title, especially if it is a generic title like "Modern Mathematics". Even when the author name is a match, there may be two, three, or even more editions of the book. All of this is a lot to check when shopping. However, if you simply get the ISBN of the book you need (you can even go to your campus bookstore to get it from the book), you can make sure that you are purchasing the correct book for your class without having to check each item carefully.
Amazon.com - Amazon is a leader in textbooks, too! Plus, their marketplace makes it easy for stores to sell used books in addition to the new books available through Amazon.
Half.com - Half.com is an Ebay-owned company that allows people to sell their used textbooks to the next year's students.
Chegg.com - Chegg.com allows you to sell your used books and to purchase used books at reduced prices. It also has a tutoring section and a internship/job search section.
Abebooks.com - Abebooks is my preferred site. While it tends to focus on older and out-of-print books, there are plenty of newer titles available, as well. Plus, if you need a book simply for research (not as a textbook for your class), the previous edition might be available here at a greatly reduced price.
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