A new way of dealing with college books

August 10, 5:27 PMCollege ExaminerAndrew Lambert

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Chegg.com plants a tree when you rent a book

When most people think of college textbooks they cringe.  They cry.  And sometimes that just get mad.  It's an amazing concept that most book stores currently run.  You buy new and used books, which can run you several hundred to over a thousand dollars, only to sell them back for pennies on the dollar.

In an economy that begs for some reduction in cost, it is time that an innovated company come to the surface.  Enter Chegg.com.  The online rental bookstore has been taking the Internet, and college campuses, by storm.

"With 6,000 campuses on board, and $41 million saved by college students, we know that we are on to something good."  That is Co-Founder Aayush Phumbhra's initial statement when asked about his website.

"We were touched when President Obama made his remarks about college textbooks," Phumbhra says,  "We know that we can save students money, and that's our motivating factor.  We will save them 65 to 85 percent compared to the traditional book store method."

Aayush Phumbhra is right on the money with many publishers already getting excited about this new system.  According to Phumbhra, "We've been contacted by McGraw-Hill.  We have been talking to faculty about our system. Someone referred to us as the 'Netflix' system, which is still very popular for many college students.  All is this is getting us great attention."

How does it work?

Once you hit their site, you sign up and start selecting books.  They even have an option to work with them through FaceBook.  You select how long you want the books based off how long your semester class runs, pay for shipping, and UPS delivers them to your doorstep. 

Better yet, when you're done with them, they pay for return shipping.  Request a prepaid return ticket, drop them in a box, and tell UPS that they're ready for pick up.  You don't have to waste your time standing in long lines waiting to return your books.

Phumbhra reminds his users, "Our books are to be shared with others.  We don't mind some highlighting or even some occasional note taking.  Just like your college bookstore, a book that is torn apart, highlighted cover to cover, or notes that blur out the text can't really be reused.  If you take care of your book, we will take care of you."

According to Phumbhra, "What's been a real incentive for many students is our work with American Forest.  We plant a tree for each book rented, bought, or sold.  We want to give back to the environment, and this is a great starting point."

The Chegg.com team wants you to be happy, and wants to save you money.  They know that many professors recycle the same material, and want to help you "go green" by saving some paper, planting some trees, and letting you take home a little green, as well.