Do You Need Textbooks for Uni? A Student's Guide to Textbook Strategies in the UK

Quick answer: probably not all of them. Reading lists are long because lecturers include everything that might help, not just what you must own. For most modules you'll need one or two core texts. Borrow the rest from the library or skip it. Buy core books second-hand by exact ISBN and sell them on when you finish.

Step 1: Work out what you actually need

Before spending anything:

• Split the list into "core" and "recommended". Core (or "essential") texts are the ones you'll use week after week. Recommended reading is optional, so borrow it if you need it.
• Read the module handbook. It often says which book is required and which chapters matter.
• Wait for the first lecture or two. Lecturers often say whether you really need the book and which edition is fine.
• Ask second-years and course reps. They know which "essential" texts barely got opened.

The same rules apply when a new reading list lands in January. Our semester 2 textbooks guide covers what to buy, borrow and skip for the second half of the year.

Step 2: Use what your university already provides

Check what you can get free before buying anything:

• Library copies and short-loan collections keep in-demand textbooks available for short loans, which is ideal when you only need a chapter.
• E-books and databases. University libraries license many e-books. Search the catalogue first, because your core text may be available online.
• Inter-library loans can get in books your library doesn't hold. Check whether your library charges for this.

For each module, ask: do I need to own this, or just read it?

Step 3: Buy the core texts cheaply

For the books you need to own:

• Buy second-hand from other students. On UniBookTrade, used copies are typically 40–60% below RRP and sometimes up to 70% less. Search by ISBN, university or subject, or paste your list into the Reading List Checker.
• Consider an older edition, with permission. Ask your lecturer first, because chapters, page references and exercises can change.
• Check international editions carefully. They can be cheaper, but treat one as a different book until you've compared the ISBN and contents.
• Use open textbooks such as OpenStax where they cover your syllabus.

For the full breakdown, see the cheapest way to buy university textbooks and our comparison of second-hand textbook websites. The textbook savings calculator estimates the difference across a whole list, and our reading list cost report compares new and used prices by subject.

Step 4: Share and split

If friends or flatmates are on the same course, you don't each need every book. Split the cost of supplementary texts and pass them around, especially books you only need for a few weeks. Agree who keeps each one at the end.

Step 5: Sell them when you're done

Selling on cuts what each book really costs you. For example, if you buy a used copy for £15 and sell it for £12 at the end of the year, it has cost you £3. When you're finished, sell your textbooks for free to the next year group. If some aren't worth selling, see what to do with old university textbooks.

Course-by-course notes

• Open University: the OU supplies most module materials but doesn't sell set books, which you buy separately. Check the OU edition checklist.
• Medicine: the core clinical texts change every few years, so one edition old often works. See buying medical textbooks second-hand.
• Professional exams (ACCA, CIMA, AAT, SQE): the edition must match your sitting, and tax papers change every year.

The bottom line

You don't need to buy everything. You need the right books, bought cheaply. Sort your reading list into core and recommended, use the library for the rest, buy core texts second-hand and resell them at the end of the year.

Browse second-hand textbooks from other students →