[header] How to shop for college [title] Get your textbook list straight from the source. [step] Federal law requires the college to provide you with a list of required textbooks once you register for classes, so you should be able to find out which books you need well in advance from either the registrar or your professors. You should not need to rely on the campus bookstore to tell you. 
[title] Skip the campus bookstore and shop online. [step] You might be able to find the occasional good deal at your campus bookstore, but in the vast majority of cases, you can find the books you need for a much lower cost somewhere online.