Eager new and returning students flooded campus this week in preparation for classes starting August 22. While many confused first-year students hide behind campus maps and returning sophomores, juniors and seniors walk with familiarity down the pedestrian walkway to the University Center where the real confusion begins. Many students find convenience in reserving books before the start of term, but most are left to forage through the stacks to find the books they need at the cheapest prices.

"It's overwhelming," Brenton Berlin said as he searched patiently through the seemingly-endless rows of books downstairs in the UT Book and Supply Store. Berlin, a  junior in forestry, also said that reserving books seems to be easier in the long run, but that the process could be made easier if more bookstore staff were available to help. Many students like Berlin, however, seem mainly concerned with saving money.

Reserving books doesn't always guarantee a student receives used books according to Taylor Reynolds a junior in marketing. "I like getting used books...you can always take them back," said Reynolds as he grabbed another expensive text book to add to the massive heap of books in his arm. Reynolds mentioned that he has reserved books in the past, but this year he decided to search for better prices on his own instead of leaving it up to the store to pick out the best prices.

Some students pay multiple hundreds of dollars a semester for books, yet many are still searching for new ways to save even a few dollars. Some students search for required text at other bookstores around the city and some resort to the Internet for the best deals on used text. However, many students will pay a few extra dollars to save themselves the stress and discomfort of long lines at the cash register. 

The first few days of buying textbooks, supplies and registering for classes seem overwhelming to many, but the majority of students appear to be optimistic about the new fall semester.