Textbook prices keep rising, but so do the ways smart students can save money.

Don’t buy books until your first class. Most books come bundled with CD-ROMs, workbooks and other extras that drive up the price of books. Ask the professor if he plans to use these and if not, try to buy just the textbook. Most professors put textbooks on reserve at the library, which you can use there until you purchase your books. If you do buy early, check out the store’s return policy.

You can often save half or more by buying used. Show up early at the campus bookstore to purchase used editions.

Many colleges have book swaps or book exchanges, where students can arrange to buy or sell books in person. Search your school’s Web site for a swap or exchange. Or go to http://www.campusbookswap.com/index.asp.

Many Web sites sell used textbooks, from www.amazon.com to specialty sites such as www.campusbooks.com. You can often recoup most of what you paid by reselling books on these same sites.

Beware of custom books. These are editions that publishers tailor for one professor or campus. They might be cheaper than the regular edition, but will be hard to sell outside your university.

Some campuses are experimenting with textbook rental programs. This option might or might not be cheaper than buying a used book and reselling it.

Finally, if you’re lucky, you might get a professor who has decided to put all his class materials online.