Classes are over, and it feels as though a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Now, it’s time to get rid of the real weight – your textbooks.

The University Bookstore and the Village Commons Bookstore offer similar prices when students bring back their books.

Students are likely to get at least 50 percent of the new price, if the book is used next semester. If the book is no longer being used, the student will receive the wholesale price.

Lee Blankenship, manager of the VCB, said students should sell their books back during buyback since the bookstores have the textbook information from the professors for next semester.

“It’s generally better to sell the books at the end of the semester since we have next semester’s schedule,” Blankenship said.

Both bookstores take back books no matter where they were purchased, but the bookstores differ in who is buying the books back from students.

“Our buyers are the same people that helped you buy the books,” Blankenship said.

The University Bookstore uses several wholesalers that buy back the books from students. One company the Nebraska Book Company in Lincoln, Neb., is the largest distributor of used college textbooks and sells to more than 3,000 bookstores.

Frank Condello, director of marketing for the company, said students should sell their books back to the University Bookstore rather than a private business.

“The money will come back to you as a student,” Condello said. “Also, you’ll find that our prices are consistently higher. I’m not saying on every book, but on the whole.”

Also, once the bookstores buy back a certain number of a particular book, they only will give the wholesale price. Condello said wholesale prices never will go above one-third of the new price, so it’s best to sell the book back at the earliest buyback time.

“The first choice should be to sell back to the University Bookstore because they have the largest quantity needed,” Condello said.

Freshman Laura Sheil, an undeclared business major, plans on selling her books back to the VCB.

“I’ve been told they pay more for the books than other places,” Sheil said.

Sheil wants to try and trade books with students on her floor next semester to help avoid the high cost of books.

“I’m going to network with my friends next semester because I spend over $350 on books,” she said.