Starting college and preparing for classes can be stressful, and before graduating high school, many students have not had to rent or purchase textbooks. Oregon State University offers a variety of ways to buy or rent new or used books, as well as get digital copies of some textbooks.

The Beaver Store, located on 26th St., sells physical copies of the textbooks students need, as well as any other school supplies they may be lacking. The Beaver Store offers both new and used textbooks that are available for purchase or rental, and occasionally offers digital alternatives through the store website. Additionally, the store provides students the opportunity to sell their purchased textbooks and receive some money back. 

Companies like Chegg and Vitalsource offer digital textbook rentals, often at a heavily discounted rate. With these websites, students are required to make an account and use the books through the website. Many of these websites also provide students the option to own digital copies of their textbooks, as well as selling physical copies of textbooks for some compensation. 

Digital textbook websites can have limited availability for a specific version or edition of a textbook that an OSU professor might require. Even a large, general-purpose website like Amazon can be a great alternative for those trying not to break the bank this school year. Amazon also offers students the option to rent textbooks digitally.