For the most part, it seems as though textbooks are much cheaper in the UK (perhaps even half price?) . Although living costs in London are higher than those in most other American cities, these kind of savings make it easier to live within one's means. In addition, the LSE library has an extensive Course Collection section, so students can check out required texts for 24 hours, 3 days, or 1 week, depending on book. These books can be perpetually renewed, so long as other students do not request your copy. Therefore, it is possible to get through the academic year without buying any textbooks! You only really need to a buy a textbook if you either plan to keep it as a source of reference or if you are worried that all the library copies will be checked out at certain points in the year (this is unlikely for most classes because the library stocks a large number of textbooks).
