Although textbooks in Korea are not as costly as the those in the U.S., they can still be a financial burden to students, especially since most take multiple courses at once.

In many cases, textbooks are only used for a single class and are not needed beyond a year. Given that, purchasing a brand-new textbook for every course can feel like a waste.

Here are few ways to get the textbooks you need without breaking the bank!

1.   Use Everytime

Everytime is an online platform designed exclusively for university students and alumni. Each school has its own community where members share useful information, including textbook sales.

Go to the “market” board, and you will see community users selling and buying various school-related materials, such as textbooks, class notes and supplies.

Most of the items available are secondhand, so they may have some markings or notes. But they are still in usable coniditon and significantly cheaper than new ones.

Plus, purchasing via Everytime tends to be more reliable than buying from complete strangers on other secondhand platforms. Since transactions typically happen on campus, picking up your book is convenient and eliminates shipping fees.

2.   Buy from Joonggonara (중고나라)나라

You may already be familiar with Joonggonara, one of Korea’s largest secondhand trading communities. It’s also a great place to find used textbooks.

Unlike Everytime, Joonggonara is open to students nationwide, making it easier to find widely used textbooks more quickly.