Only $650? Sounds like a steal![/sarcasm]

I don't know how many of those were course readers versus textbooks, but always buy offline if you can. It's pretty much always cheaper. Although I'm sure someone's told you that already.

Also the fact that you're breaking in college life with videogame tournaments makes it sound like your Freshman year (right?) experience will be infinitely better than mine was. Apparently those are a really good way to meet people/make friends and all that jazz.

Just beware playing video games too much. I had some roommates who plays Halo all semester and then ultimately failed all their classes.

$650 sounds a bit high, but I just bought a $200 book, and if you have three meany profs who demand expensive books like that, it adds up. Yeah, used are usually the cheaper way to go, but it seems the textbook companies are always trying to cheat you into buying new.

Oftentimes, you can purchase an older edition of the book, and it is way cheaper, too! The updates they do to differentiate the 14th, 15th, and 16 versions of a book are sometimes really just updating a few stock images, a new cover, three extra added lines of text, and a $50-$100 difference. Usually checking with the professor or students who have already taken the class on this is the best.

There's also a lot of good websites out there that people can sell their textbooks after they have used them that can be really inexpensive compared to the original price. You have to make sure that you purchase it in time for it to get to you, but you can find books that are basically brand new or gently used for a fraction of the price. The only thing you have to keep an eye on is the condition of the book, because sometimes there are some really beat up copies. I think most sites have a book condition status by them, so you won't end up buying a book that claims to have a little bit of wear and tear, only to find out that it's being held together entirely by tape.

(buying books online can also be really nice because sometimes you get ones that the previous owner has highlighted all the key info in for you!)

Sometimes the school library or the local town library also may have the textbook(s) you need, and you can just keep renewing the book until the end of term. This can be kind of tricky, as other people might be attempting to check out the book as well, but if you can pull it off, hey, free textbook for the term!

Electronic versions also can be good. I know DeeVee has purchased the electronic versions of books and then just read them on his computer. Some people print them out, but (at least for me), the prospect of printing out a 600+ page book would probably cost more in time, ink, and paper in the long run.

Buddying up with another student or friend and splitting the book cost together and doing a sort of time share with it can work, but it tends to be the best option if you're living with that person, they're you're next door neighbor, or study with them a lot. On this note, it also is surprising the amount of people or friends who will just straight-up let you borrow their textbook for the term at no cost, especially if they have taken the class prior to you taking it.

Oh, and this is more for your second term/semester, but find out if people know other people who are currently in a class you are taking the next term. Talk to them to see if they are planning on selling their books is another way to get books on the cheap because they'll often sell them for much lower prices in order to get rid of them.

Carnival and Melee sounds pretty awesome for not a lot happening.

I'm so used to having my books provided to me digitally that I forgot how expensive they can get. That seems like a lot for textbooks. I think the most I ever spent was 2-300 on art books once upon a time. If you don't mind reading e-books or books on your computer... I would look into those. You can even rent digital copies of the books nowadays and it's a lot cheaper than buying them.