Category: Life Lessons

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Ten Ways to Save Money on College Textbooks

Whether you are a seasoned student in college or a freshman just starting out in college the one thing besides tuition that may leave you gasping for air is the price of college textbooks. Years ago I learned to do research before diving in and purchasing my required textbooks from the college bookstore.

Before starting research you do need to make sure you have the name of the textbook(s), the authors names, what editions and the ISBN numbers.

Just a note too: Even though some classes may have “custom” textbooks does not mean you cannot find them.

 

1. Before your classes begin, locate your professors email address and email them asking if it is possible to use the previous edition of the required textbook. Some professors will give you the ok, sometimes recommending during specific chapters to have some pages copied that may not be in the older edition(s). Other professors may say no possibly due to significant changes to the textbook. It never hurts to ask!

2. Visit directtextbooks.com. Type in your ISBN number and you will see the picture as well as info on your textbook. You will also see that just about every website and store that has that book in stock will appear with the price ranging from lowest to highest. This is a great way to price your textbook. BTW: sometimes Walmart.com will have your textbook so if you are a recent graduate and received a walmart gift card that can be a great way to save some $$!

3. Consider renting your textbook. Now before you run over to your local college book store that now rents books please make sure you do your research on pricing the textbooks. I discovered my local college bookstore now rents textbooks, BUT you rent them for the same price as purchasing them. So you are not saving money at all. Websites like Chegg.com and textbookrenter.com are great, reliable websites. Their shipping is fast and at the end of the semester or quarter you simply login to your account on their website and print out the return shipping label.

4. Look at your local college bulletin boards. Towards the end of the semester students will post their textbooks for sale typically at lower cost that used prices.

5. Towards the end of the semester also ask your classmates what classes they will be taking the next semester. One semester I got to sell as well as trade some of my textbooks. Other classmates want to save money just as much as you!

6. Check local used book stores, especially if you receive a reply from your professor that you can use a previous edition of the required textbook. My second semester of college I needed a handbook for my Composition II course. Brand new I would have paid $40. I found one, exact edition at a popular used book store for $7.  It was great since some of the other classmates had to order it from the book store which was on back order.

7. Ebay.com. This is one of my favorite places to find my textbooks. It is also another great way to find previous editions at much lower prices. Just make sure you use the option lowest to highest to ensure you get the best price. I have found and purchased textbooks with great prices, in fact I found some I was able to resell after the semester was over with. *This is also a great way to find unused codes for online/lab requirements. If for some reason your class does not require it, check on Ebay to see how much that particular code sells for because you may be able to make some $$$.

I was able to help a friend save $35 by purchasing a cheap textbook that included the math lab code she needed for her math class. Our college uses Pearson educational materials so I knew to look for math books that are published by Pearson. Do your research and save money!

8. Consider the eBook option. A lot of textbooks are now also available through their publisher online as an eBook. Coursesmart.com for example will give you 120 days to view the eBook textbook and also will allow you to print your textbook out and then some.  Most of the textbooks I’ve been able to get as an eBook cost at least half of what a new book would have cost me. The ones I purchased cost anywhere from $50-$80.  Also, Kindle offers this option although their prices are at or slightly below buying one brand new.

9. Amazon.com. I mentioned Kindle offering the eBook option earlier although their prices will probably not save you much money. If you don’t like Ebay but like Amazon they are just as good at selling or locating a book you can rent.

10. See if your college has a book sale day organized by fraternities or other organizations. More colleges are getting into this savvy way to trade textbooks or sell them at a great price.

 

Even though you may not find your textbook or necessary lab manuals, CD’s in one place don’t give up especially if you still have plenty of time before school begins. Another place to ask about textbooks and other required items is through Facebook. You never know if any of your friends or family may have that particular book you need.

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My PDD-NOS Child

It hasn’t been too long ago that my oldest son Caleb was finally diagnosed with something that made sense. A year and a half ago we were given the diagnosis of PDD-NOS, high functioning Autism. PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.

Basically, Caleb is borderline Autistic. If one were to hang out a few days to a week with him you might otherwise disagree. He is the sweetest, loving, caring boy at times. Other times no one wants to be around him or deal with him. You “ruin” his day and he’ll ruin yours.

I am learning to build a routine with Caleb because if I don’t then some days are like hell for me. If he asks me to wake him up with one of his stuffed puppy dogs then I need to do that. I have to make sure he has his backpack, shoes and glasses or at least remind him a few times to get them as he walks out the door. On the days he needs to carry his blanket I have to help him.

If someone else has to pick him up I have to make sure he knows or he gets upset.

For at least the last two years I have had to deal with Caleb’s incessant spitting. When I say incessant I mean it is everywhere. The carpet by the couch turned black and got stiff, spitting outside our apartment door, on the steps, sidewalk and even in my Jeep. Spit on the bathroom floor, kitchen, at my best friends house.

We have done everything suggested to us by his therapist from putting  a rug by the couch, putting plastic down to giving him his own trash can to spit in. I recently spent four hours cleaning the floor board of my Jeep and painting it because where he sits was so bad it was rusting (I removed the carpet two years ago, partly because of this).

He has even gotten in trouble at school for spitting. Caleb says it is because germs get into his mouth. It’s annoying and gross and at times I feel helpless about it. Other days he rarely spits so I haven’t pinned down why some days are worse than others although he is very sensitive to smells . That can cause him to spit more especially if he doesn’t like the way someone smells or how food smells.

One thing I am working on is understanding his sensory issues and hopefully with that we can decrease the whole spitting issue.

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The Autism Road

Being the parent of an Autistic child has been a challenge. But being a single parent of an Autistic child can at times be doubly hard. The journey with my son along the Autism road had been a rough one early on. Most of his teachers and the specialists that worked with him from Headstart Pre-K through the second grade were mostly adamant he was ADHD.

I wasn’t buying that and I was at times treated as if I were being defiant or in denial about the situation.

Actually, what triggered the doubt was that my son had not been officially tested, but also that a behavior specialist that observed him for a week in his first grade classroom flat out told me she didn’t believe he had ADHD. She noted that Caleb was showing signs of sensory problems. And as I did research online that made sense.

However, when I made the move 100 miles away from home with my son we were once again faced with the issue of the school staff insisting my son has ADHD because he was hyper at times and couldn’t focus. So I took him to a pediatrician who in turn gave me four pieces of paper with hundreds of questions with boxes to choose answers that fit my son. After spending 30 minutes going over it the doctor quickly reviewed it and diagnosed him with ADHD. He was promptly put on Vyvanse which I was told would take about two weeks to start working.

Terrible, terrible move on my part!

In the beginning the medicine did show some promise. My son’s behavior had shown some improvement and his grades were better. That was short lived though.

Within two months of starting Vyvanse it felt as if all hell had broken loose. The behavior was starting to go backwards, he would NOT sleep and he refused to take a bath. I had been told as far as the sleeping issue goes that the first two weeks on the medication would be sleepless, but this was two months after starting it. Also, the bath issue was extremely unusual for my son. He had always asked to take multiple baths during a lot of days just because he liked playing in them. I literally had to lift him up into the tub and wash him myself because he would be kicking and screaming as if he were terrified.

After graduating from college and moving back home I took my son to his regular pediatrician. When I told her what had been going on she immediately told me that Vyvanse doesn’t work. We were then referred to a center that specialized in testing children for behavioral and developmental issues.

Two months later he started testing which would go on for three months before a diagnosis would be given.

In March of 2011 we received the diagnosis of high functioning Autism, PDD-NOS; Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. It felt as if a million bricks had been lifted off my back! I wasn’t happy that my son has a developmental disorder, but I was relieved that there was finally a definitive answer to all that had been going on and now we could focus on the future.

Since that time my son has been receiving occupational therapy, was fitted for glasses and sees two specialists who focus on helping him learn social skills, one at his school and one through the therapy center he goes to bi-monthly.

Even though I have seen some improvement in his behavior, he still has his days. We still go through so much since everyday is never predictable. One day he may be the best behaved child while another day I want to just crawl into my bed and hide under the covers.

The biggest and greatest challenge for now is advocating and teaching friends and family about Autism as well as how my son functions. Some people still want to treat him as if he were a normal child when in fact he is a special child. They don’t understand that what you typically do to a normal child doesn’t exactly work with him. Once I explain the situation with some examples it is as if a light bulb goes off. It is hard for others who are not around him frequently and usually he ends up getting on their last nerve. One thing I was taught right away after his diagnosis is that you cannot change him. I have to learn to work with him instead. That has been a challenge!

One very important thing that has to be remembered is that he does very well when there is consistency. If he knows we are going somewhere after school or I am going to cook one of his favorite meals there is a much higher rate of cooperation from him. If he asks me to do something such as wake him up with a specific puppy dog he tends to respond better. Learning what makes him tick is the key to making things better for the both of us. I make not like it all the time, if I want my sanity to stay though I have to relinquish the feeling of complete control and work with him the best I can.

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Books about dogs

Books about dogs

I read Cesar Millan’s Be the Pack Leader with great interest. My dog and I have a special bond and always want to learn more about dog psychology. This book helped me understand more about Smash’s need to have a strong leader. It also helped me understand Smash’s desire to be first on the trail when we are hiking and how he needs to have a purpose in life to feel fulfilled.

Before I read Cesar’s book, I never realized the inbred need to have a purpose that dogs have. I know I must have a definite purpose in order to feel good about my self, but I never thought about Smash needing one. I thought he was content just to lie around and eat between walks to the creek.

I began helping Smash to find his definite purpose. I noticed that he is very loving and affectionate with me, my friends and family. He strikes and aggressive pose toward strangers however. I realized that he has a natural tendency toward being a guard dog. I now tell him every night as I go to bed that he is to be on guard dog duty. He seems to really like having a job. I can also tell him as I leave the house to be a good guard dog and he instantly wags his tails and prances around proudly. If I neglect to tell him to be on guard dog duties, he will whine and try to go jump in the truck with me.

I have also found that if he barks at night, he will only get louder if I try to ignore him. If I go outside and compliment him on his good guard dog barking, He will prance around proudly before settling down with very little more barking.

I think Smash is a pretty well-adjusted dog. He seems happy living he rural life where he is free to run and explore. But he really does seem to like having a job. I would not have thought of that if I had not read Cesar’s book.

Recently I read Jack London’s Call of the Wild. I was sure I had read it before but if I had I am sure I would have remembered that the story is written from the dog’s point of view. The story is told by Buck the St Barnard German Shepard mix that is stolen from his comfy home and is sold to be a sled dog in Alaska. Buck’s travels, trial and tribulations are the story up until the point where he heeds the call of the wild and joins and eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack.

In reading Call of the Wild, I began to wonder if Cesar got some of his ideas about dog behavior from this classic novel. In the story, Buck and the other sled dogs have a strong sense of duty. In some cases the dogs preferred to die in the sled traces rather than running free because they had such a strong sense of duty to their jobs.

The pecking order of dogs is explained from the dog’s point of view as well. Each dog had its place it the sled traces or in the wolf pack. If a dog stepped out of line or exceeded his boundaries, he was punished by the other dogs. If he needs helped, he as aided by the other dogs; but only if he had earned the help.

Bucks struggles to earn his leadership position are clearly document in the book. Buck earns the lead dog spot in a violent struggle and refuses to accept any other position once he earned it in the way of the dogs.

Another book by London – White Fang – documents more clearly the life of the wolf or the wild dog. While it never says so explicitly, the reader is lead to assume that the wolf in the story if a direct descendant of Buck. The struggles of her cub to learn the hard facts of life are the subject of the book. However, again London gives details of the way that the order if kept in the wolf pack and how each member has to earn his own place in the pack.

Reading these books has helped me learn more about Smash and how to relate to him. It has also helped me learn more about myself and how I can better elate to others around me. Cesar used the term “calmly assertive” when describing how to relate to a dog. I think this is a good way to approach many situations in life.

The metaphysicians teach us to form an image of our desired outcome in our minds before taking action. Being calmly assertive requires this image. By knowing what outcome you want and being assertive enough to make it happen cause many more positive outcomes than simply waiting for something good to happen. This way of thinking allows a person to take control of many situations that otherwise appear to be out of control.

In White Fang, London talks about how the wolf cub lives in the moment. He eats when there is meat and he goes hungry and goes hunting when there is no food. He does not stop to complain or worry, he just goes hunting.

I think we can learn a lot from dogs. The two most import lessons I see from these books is to live in the moment and have a definite purpose in life.

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The Legend of Eagle Down

The Legend of Eagle Down

While traveling across Monteagle Mountain I noticed that the signs of an old Indian story that my Grandfather once told me are still there alongside the roadway. Some of them even looked new.

My Grandfather told me of a beautiful Indian maiden of the Cherokee tribe who was betrothed to the son of the Great Chief who had built the stone forts on the west side of Monteagle Mountain. Eagle Down was known for her sharp features and soft copper colored skin. She was delicate and empathetic as young maidens were trained to be. However she also possessed the passion and tenacity of her namesake.

The stone carver’s son was a handsome lad who was also very clever in the ways of carving and stacking stones. His father proudly referred to him as a “chip of the old block.” He greatly respected his father and the traditions of the Indian tribe.

Eagle Down loved him greatly even though she was more progressive in her views. Her passion burned inside her and she did not understand why they needed to wait until the Summer Solstice to marry. She knew what she wanted and she wanted it right then.

On day in late spring her impatience and passion burned inside her. She began teasing her betrothed and questioning his virility. She went so far as to assert that his brother Pebbles might make a more suitable mate for her.

She walked off holding Pebbles arm but dashed off to her family’s hut when she was out of sight. The next morning she awoke and went looking for her betrothed. She was told he had gone hunting in the mountains. He planned to bring back a huge buck to prove his virility.

Eagle Down went out to the edge of the camp and waited. She waited all day for her betrothed. She began to wish she had not been so cruel in teasing him. She had only hoped to get his attention not send him on a fool’s mission.

At supper time her parents came to get her. She refused to move. She waited all night for him to return. When he did not return the next day, she decided to go looking for him. She had heard him talk about the large deer that grazed about the cliffs of Mount Eagle. She packed a bag and set out in search of him fearing that he may have been injured or was too embarrassed to come home with out a prize deer.

She searched and searched for him but could not find him. Eventually, she returned home to see if she had somehow missed him on the trail. She was told that if he did not return that she would marry Pebbles on the solstice instead. She slipped out in the night to continue her search.

After many days of searching, she was tired and hungry. She came across a settlement of white people in the forest. They took her in and taught her English. They agreed to help her in her search. They helped her make signs and placed them along the main paths, trails and eventually roadways.

These signs are still visible in the mountains today. As you travel, you will often see the bright yellow signs that Eagle Down put up in her search for her beloved son of Chief Rock Carver: “Watch for Falling Rock.”