Back on campus for spring semester, I filled my backpack with last semester’s books and headed to Leavey Center, fully prepared to sell my used ones back to the bookstore for less than 50 percent – or even less than 25 percent – of what I paid for them in August.

About 20 minutes later, I trekked back to my apartment, my backpack still stuffed with the same books.

Why? I just wasn’t prepared to accept the $1 to $2.50 that the friendly folks at the bookstore were willing to pay me for my used books. I left after the cashier had scanned half of the books I brought and was offering me approximately $7.

Hoyas know it. The bookstore rips them off when it comes to buying back books to sell back to other students the following semester at much higher prices.

When I realized that it’s not worth it to sell my books back to the bookstore, it got me thinking: What else can I do with them if selling them to these scam artists for $7 simply seems wrong to me? Thinking about it for a little while, I came up with a few alternative ideas that all Hoyas should consider the next time they find themselves with books they don’t need anymore.

For one, you could sell or give your books to friends and roommates who will be taking classes that will use your books the following semester. Even if you’re unwilling to part with them for free, you can cut your peers a discount off what they would pay at the bookstore and still make some cash. Look up the price you paid for each book and charge your friend a percentage of that. Both your friend and you will end up happy.

Let’s say you don’t know anyone who needs your books, though. The first option won’t work. Instead, ask your professor to consider purchasing books from his or her departing students for resale to next semester’s students. This would provide a great chance for professors to help their students, especially in small classes and ones in which the professor has an accurate idea of how many students he or she will teach the next semester.

Getting rid of your books also gives you an opportunity to participate in a little philanthropy. If receiving money for them is not important to you, inquire at a public library to see if it accepts donations. There is the Georgetown Public Library just off campus at Wisconsin and R Streets that does, or you could bring your books to your hometown library. Though you might not have any interest in James L. Sundquist’s “Constitutional Reform and Effective Government,” someone, surely does.

What if you just aren’t ready to part with your copy of “Walden” or your biology textbook? Make it the newest addition to your personal library. You never know, the urge to reconsider meiosis might strike you 15 years down the road. Plus, an extensive book collection is a great way to impress people.

Two options that have become increasingly popular in recent years are not to be forgotten. The Corp’s Book Co-op offers a great way for all Hoyas to benefit, as it bypasses the bookstore and keeps the books and money in the hands of students. And while Web sites like Amazon.com send books and a little money away from campus, such sites can also help students avoid being robbed at the Leavey Center.

Take the bookstore out of the book-buying equation one way or another. But if none of the ideas I’ve described here seem appealing to you, you can always just give in and get your $7 from the bookstore. Even though that’s not enough to buy your next semester’s class materials, you can always reinvest it in your next Chicken Madness.

James Hilson is a junior in the College, the associate editor of The Hoya, and a member of the The Hoya Board of Directors.