These days, before you can even begin to read up, you've got to pay up.

It's lesson number one for Florida State freshman Ryan Yamashita. He's only taking two classes, but so far he's out four hundred bucks. If only he had known what books to get *before* those classes began.

"Just being able to find your own book online and being able to shop around and see where you can buy it would definitely help and get prepared for class before you even show up here," says Yamashita.

That's exactly the point of a new law. It requires state university instructors to issue their list of required books at least a month before the first class.

Students are about to open a whole new chapter in their eternal struggle to buy their books. The thinking is it could save an average of thirty-five percent on what they spend. Of course, there's no guarantee they'll actually hold on to that money, at least not with tempting trinkets on their way to check-out.

"You really get a feel for what's going on."

Mike Prost runs a DVD business outside the Florida State bookstore. And, he says he hears plenty of grumbles. Either students can't get over the price of a textbook, or the meager amount money they get back when they go to re-sell it. That could change too, because now bookstores will know which used editions will be in-demand - and they'll pay more for them.

"The students know when they buy it, I am using or renting this book for however many dollars, they know about it right ahead, and the same with the bookstore, that they're not playing this guessing game, 'well, is this professor going to use this one, are they going to come out with a new edition'?" says Prost.

Not that the required reading can't change by the first day.

"The book company had stopped printing the edition that I was supposed to buy, and I had to cancel that book and re-order a new one."

But, while the confusion may continue, the hope is, we're about to turn the page on the days of the astronomical price tag.