Keep Textbook Costs Down This Semester with TextbookRenter

Textbook RenterTuition costs have been going up. This is a sad reality that faces college students at the beginning of each semester. To add insult to injury, textbook costs are still obscenely high.

Enter TextbookRenter.com.

More and more students have been relying on renting their textbooks to cut down their costs. There are a lot of sites out there, but TextbookRenter puts them all together and compares their prices and terms. It also shows best purchase prices online and the average resale value of the book, which is surprisingly effective.

For instance, "Gardner's Art Through the Ages", the de facto bible for art history, has a best rental and shipping price of $45.34 for a semester, which sounds good next to the average $140 it usually costs. However, the TextbookRenter search engine shows that the book can be had at $76 with a resale value of $40, putting the Total Cost of Ownership to $36, or $9 cheaper than the rental cost.

[ Continue reading Keep Textbook Costs Down This Semester with TextbookRenter → ]


Home For The Holidays? Time To Stock Up On Some Dorm Essentials

Dorm EssentialsWe all once lived in a simpler time. A time where we wouldn't spend our pennies on floss and Charmin.

The holidays are here, classes aren't yet and you're most likely at home now. While you might think this is a time to completely forget about school (which honestly isn't all that bad of an idea), it's also a perfect time to prepare for when you come back.

Not for classes. Think "supplies".

If you just grab stuff and bail from the supermarket, it's called "shoplifting". If you shoplift from home though, that's just "love". You obviously can't go overboard, but there are a few places that can prove to be founts for your college experience.

The Bathroom

Buying toiletries is like buying insurance. Nobody likes paying for toilet paper or toothpaste, but is there anything worse than when you need them and don't have any? The answer is "no". This should be the worst thing on the list. If there's extra, just glean that backup toothpaste and soap and leave just enough to remind your parents that they'll need to restock shortly.

The great thing about stealing toiletries is that they're light and easily concealable. You can secretly load up and Mom and Dad will never be the wiser.

[ Continue reading Home For The Holidays? Time To Stock Up On Some Dorm Essentials → ]


Review: Sungale LED Desk Lamp And Digital Photo Frame (you can WIN ONE!)

Sungale Desk LampI've been interested in digital picture frames ever since I built my own out of an old Apple Powerbook 3400. At that time, I decided to do it myself because a legit digital photo frame was prohibitively expensive. Well, times have changed, prices have dropped (dramatically) and when Sungale came to us and offered to let us review a combination digital photo frame and desk lamp I couldn't resist.

We are holding a contest to give away this Sungale lamp to one lucky reader. Learn how to win at the end of this review!

[ Continue reading Review: Sungale LED Desk Lamp And Digital Photo Frame (you can WIN ONE!) → ]


The Greek Life: Should You Join a Fraternity/Sorority?

greek_alphabet-300x250Design Your Dorm presents a series of back to school blogs. Check out our 3-D dorm room designer, to see and design your dorm.

Joining a fraternity or sorority is not right for everyone, and Greek life varies from school to school, house to house. Before you decide to take the plunge, make sure you are willing to make the commitment. Greek organizations can take a up a lot of time, and membership dues can be pricey.

Figuring it out

First off you need to figure out why you are joining a fraternity or sorority. This helps because it gives you an idea of what kind of fraternity you want to join. Some organizations may put a greater emphasis on social life while others may put a greater emphasis on GPA, although most have a balance between the two. Whether you're interested in the co-ed pre law fraternity or the Jewish sorority, make sure you know what you are looking to get out of your Greek experience.

Ask around

Now that you know what kind of Greek organization you want to join, you should get opinions from people you meet about which fraternities or sororities may suit you best. Remember, that people will have pre-conceived notions of what type of person you are based on the organization you join. It seems shallow, but happens often, and is something to consider. Do not make your decisions based entirely off of what you hear, but do take what you've heard into consideration.

[ Continue reading The Greek Life: Should You Join a Fraternity/Sorority? → ]


Organizing Tips To Make Your Dorm Room Feel Larger

Design Your Dorm presents a series of back to school blogs. Check out our 3-D dorm room designer, to see and design your dorm before move in day.

College rooms are always smaller than you expect. But no worries, here are some tools that can help you organize your new dorm room.

Wall HooksWall and Door Hooks

Use hooks for your towels, shirts, pants or shorts. Clearing up the clutter on the floor will make your room feel bigger, and cleaner. Standard hooks come with a sticky back. But if drilling is allowed, you can also screw or hammer hooks into the dorm walls.

risersBed Risers

If you decide that you don't want to loft your bed, then getting bed risers is a great choice. They are generally black plastic cubes that go under each leg of the bed. They raise your bed by 6 inches, enough so that you can store some larger items under there.


[ Continue reading Organizing Tips To Make Your Dorm Room Feel Larger → ]