Budget for study materials, books and supplies.
Textbook budgets are dominated by the new-versus-used decision. Splitting the required books by the share you buy second-hand or rent, then applying the discount only to that portion, gives a realistic total and quantifies the saving. Used copies commonly run at forty to sixty percent below list, which on five books is often more than a term's stationery budget several times over.
Textbook cost
Book cost = new books x price + used books x price x (1 - used discount)
Total and saving
Total = book cost + stationery and supplies; saving = full-price total - actual total
Cheaper up front but with no resale value at the end, so for a book you will keep or resell, buying used often wins. Renting suits single-term courses in subjects you are leaving behind.
Often not. Library copies, previous editions and course reserves cover recommended reading, and the required texts are usually a subset of the list.