Lots of people are selling textbooks, but aren't they outdated?

And how do you know that's the textbook that the prof will use?

I want to save money and buy used textbooks but what if I get the wrong one?

Do profs stick to the same textbooks every year? Or every 2 years? Or?????

ANNNNND, other than textbooks and taking notes yourself, are there any other course materials that need to be bought?

If it helps, I'm taking:

1. first year psych (PSYCH 1XX3 + PSYCH 1X03)

2. first yr econ (ECON 1BB3 + ECON 1B03)

3. first yr math (MATH 1F03 + MATH 1M03)

4. first yr polsci (POL SCI 1G06)

5. first yr compsci (COMP SCI 1TA3)

6. first yr anthro (ANTHROP 1Z03)


do these courses require textbooks only? nothing like 'workbooks' and stuff...???


THANKS~!

Titles (the bookstore) will release a list of all the books you need in late Aug....

You have to wait until the first or second class to see if a particular textbook will be used, and if previous versions are acceptable. If you want to get an idea ahead of time what you'll be using, check out the book store's website: http://titles.mcmaster.ca/text/departments.htm

I've always found that a version/edition or two previous to the current one is fine. Some course heads may decide that an entirely new brand/author of textbook is going to be used, and you'll be at a great disadvantage if you can't follow along for the types of problems that they'll be covering (math, for example), although the learning of the topics themselves can be done through pretty much any type of textbook, online source, or tutor..

Hey, I wouldn't buy anything until the first day of class.
You don't know what profs will say about txt books i've gone to multiple classes where profs have told me to not bother buying the textbook even though on the titles website it said it was required.

Psych usually doesn't require textbook just workbook which is only like $20 or so and changes (possibly?) from year to year.
I didn't buy any sort of textbook for econ 1b03 and did just fine. My prof. was Holmes
I don't know about the rest.

If you want to save money I'd wait until first class, find what books you need, then look around and talk to upper year students/undercovers (a bookstore in the basement of the student centre across from the photocopying place [there was a rumor that it may be closing though so I don't know if it'll be around])

Good Luck!