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doesvthe average student really spend $1599

sonic23sonic23 Registered User Posts: 652 Member
in University of California - Los Angeles
On books and school supplies? Im planninh out my budget, and this seems like a lot to me. I am a transfer student so i know its different from my cc. Ive always saved money buying used books, and my first year i went crazy and purchased enough school supplies for a lifetime in college

So should i plan around this budget of 1600 or are there ways to save??
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Replies to: doesvthe average student really spend $1599

  • angelsfan92angelsfan92 Registered User Posts: 15 New Member
    At my cc i saved money by using the textbooks on reserve at the library. Maybe theres a similar program at UCLA?
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  • picklesandtwigspicklesandtwigs Registered User Posts: 93 Junior Member
    I get used books from Amazon/Kindle editions/use the course reserves at Powell for books. Some quarters I spend ~$250 for books, others I spend almost nothing because some textbooks are used for multiple classes. Not even my freshman year when I bought everything new from the UCLA bookstore did I spend close $1600 though, so I'm not entirely sure where UCLA gets that budget number from. The most expensive thing for me is having to buy course readers because you specifically have to get them from this off campus store that jacks up prices for no reason, but even then I've never spent more than $90 for one class on course readers. So no, books + supplies has never cost that much. It honestly depends on the classes. Some you need to buy books for, others you don't, some having those stupid course readers that you have to buy, add some money for school supplies, it'll definitely be below $1600.
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  • sonic23sonic23 Registered User Posts: 652 Member
    @Picklesandtwigs thanks! I am trying to olan out my budget and was scared i would actually need that much
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  • DagobertoDagoberto Registered User Posts: 322 Member
    I have spent less than $1000 on books my entire stay at UCLA. You just have to plan accordingly and dont let the textbook store be your first stop.
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  • uclastudennnntuclastudennnnt Registered User Posts: 233 Junior Member
    $1600/school year isn't that much when you consider a month's rent in a studio apartment costs about that much. You can save here and there by renting books instead of buying them. Most of my books have cost $150-200 per book, so even if I just buy two per quarter, in one year I've spent $1200.
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  • burks4twburks4tw Registered User Posts: 32 Junior Member
    I think it really depends on your major. I am a graduating senior in the political science departments and I have been super lucky when it comes to the prices of textbooks. Most of my professors have done their best to make the readings available online, create course readers (which run about $40), or pick relatively inexpensive books.
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