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Textbook Help
How much do you really know about buying textbooks?
The CU Book Store is here to disprove some common misconceptions, and show you how easy getting the books you need can be!
Day 1 Digital Access
As part of our continued efforts to keep the cost of course materials as low as possible and access to those materials as close to the first day of class as possible, professors, the CU Book Store and publishers work together to deliver select materials through a program called “Day 1 Digital Access”. These digital course materials are accessed through the Learning Management System.
The advantage to this method of course materials delivery is twofold. First, every student in the course has access to the materials immediately. Second, the CU Book Store will bill students for these materials on their tuition and fee bill at a negotiated low price unavailable to the general public.
What does this mean for students?
- If they are enrolled in a course using Day 1 Digital Access materials, they do not need to take action unless they wish to opt out of the materials.
- If they opt out they must do so by the deadline or they will be charged for the materials. Students can opt out (which means they don’t pay for anything, but lose all access to the materials, including homework tools) by using the link in the email they received with the subject-line “Day 1 Digital Access”.
- Please keep in mind that “opting out” means access to these materials will be turned off and students may have no way to complete assignments.
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Students MUST opt out no later than:
- Course drop deadline for fall and spring semesters
- Third class day for summer terms
- Any student who opts out will receive an email confirming they have opted out.
If you see a ‘Day 1 Digital Crs Material’ charge on your tuition and fee bill, you can correlate this with several emails from us with the subject line containing ‘Day 1 Digital Access’. You also should have received information about the program from your professor and your class syllabus.
Day 1 Digital Access charges will usually show on either the second or third bill of the semester. They are billed after the course drop deadline to give students the maximum amount of time to make choices about their course schedule and for students to have a chance to opt out and pursue other course material formats.
If you received a refund (from financial aid or for other reasons), the Bursar cannot hold refunds in anticipation of future charges. If a charge does come on the bill after you received a refund, you are responsible for paying the additional charges.
Access Code Help
Reminder Before opening any code, utilize your free trial period. Trial periods vary by publisher, so check to see how long you have to use the program for free before opening a non-returnable product.
The world of online homework managers is complex and often confusing. We’ve put together this page of videos to help you understand and navigate your way through the various programs you may be utilizing in your classes to do homework, turn in assignments, and improve your learning experience. We hope that having this resource saves you time and that you find the information useful. Before watching the videos, there are a few things to know that will help you from becoming frustrated.
- Before opening or attempting to access any online homework manager, attend class first. You should be given all the information you need to successfully begin using this software in class.
- If there is any chance you may drop the course, most programs offer a free trial period. Use it. If you open the access code, both the code and your textbook are not returnable even if you drop the course.
- In general, three things are usually needed to access your software: a URL or course code, a valid email address, an access code (usually purchased at the bookstore or included with your textbook)
- In the event that something doesn’t work, almost every publisher provides an online chat service or 24/7 phone support. This should be the first place you go for help.
Getting Started Vidoes
Connect and ConnectPlus Videos (published by McGraw-Hill)
MyLab and Mastering Videos (published by Pearson)
Getting Started
Success Stories
How to use
Aplia Video (published by Cengage)
Registering and Getting Started
Mindtap Video (published by Cengage)
Cengage Unlimited
Please visit the Cengage Frequently Asked Questions page for information on Cengage Unlimited.
Purchasing Textbooks
- Come into the store with your course schedule and use the Textbook Department Floor Map.
- Place an order online using your course schedule.
- ...come to the bookstore with you and pay for your textbooks at that time.
- ...order your textbooks online and have them shipped to the address of your choice.
A few possibilities:
- The instructor will not be using a textbook or has chosen an alternative to a traditional book, e.g. online resources.
- The instructor did not get their required textbook information to us by our deadline.
- Even though we have ordered them, the textbooks have not arrived yet. Check back later.
- The instructor has not yet told us which textbooks they want to use.
- The publisher we have ordered the textbooks from is out of stock and we must wait until they can get or print more.
Ordering Textbooks
Renting Textbooks
- Come into the store and one of the knowledgeable staff in our Textbook department will be eager to help you. After finding an eligible book, proceed to any of our cashiers and prior to beginning the check-out process, let them know which books you want to rent.
- Enter your course schedule on our web site. If your book can be rented, a rental option will be available.
Used Textbooks
Returning Textbooks
Textbook "Sellback"
You can also sell your textbooks back any time year-round by taking them to the Customer Service counter in the CU Book Store. Prices offered during this time tend to be lower than other Sellback periods. Additionally, fewer titles are typically purchased at this time.
Notice of Limited Liability
The CU Book Store provides information on course materials used for courses at the University of Colorado Boulder based on information submitted by instructors and suppliers. It is believed to be correct and current information at the time of publication. However, book and materials listings and prices may be changed at any time as new information is received from the college, instructor, or supplier, and to correct errors.
The CU Book Store is not responsible for any damages that may result from the use of information posted on our site, delays in processing orders, or errors and delays by any third party in processing delivery of orders. The CU Book Store will ONLY correct billing and shipping errors and allow refunds on products purchased from the CU Book Store within published policy limits. We are not responsible for damages or correcting errors on books or merchandise not purchased from the CU Book Store.