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Regarding Textbooks

 
Old 07-24-2011 at 11:34 PM   #1
JamesMonroe
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Regarding Textbooks
I was wondering if we buy textbooks before Uni starts?

Or do we buy them after the Profs tell us which ones to get?

Thanks!
Old 07-24-2011 at 11:35 PM   #2
particle
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesMonroe View Post
I was wondering if we buy textbooks before Uni starts?

Or do we buy them after the Profs tell us which ones to get?

Thanks!
The latter is best.
Old 07-24-2011 at 11:59 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesMonroe View Post
I was wondering if we buy textbooks before Uni starts?

Or do we buy them after the Profs tell us which ones to get?

Thanks!
It's best to wait until after the first class before you buy textbooks .
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Old 07-25-2011 at 12:38 AM   #4
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actually, you can email your prof and ask. The contact information for your profs are on the course outlines. If you have your course code, then you can google your course outline which will state which chapters you are covering and the required textbook, so you can get started on course material earlier. Then IMO id recommend buying ur books before the first week of school, this way you will avoid the huge line ups of first years at the bookstore. I did this first year and it was a great timesaver. cheers

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Old 07-25-2011 at 08:04 AM   #5
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definitely buy them before school because that way you will have the textbooks and you can always return them up to a certain period if you find out that you won't really be needing them, only thing you can't return is custom courseware, but that's usually needed if it is listed!!
Old 07-25-2011 at 09:31 AM   #6
inthemaking
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Buy them the 2nd/3rd week of school at the earliest. Sometimes you'll realize the textbook is completely useless and you won't even need it.
Old 07-25-2011 at 10:39 AM   #7
TheBrickWall
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Yeah and you can also find a lot of textbooks online, which will save you a ton of money
Old 07-25-2011 at 12:44 PM   #8
Rayine
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fatcat View Post
actually, you can email your prof and ask. The contact information for your profs are on the course outlines. If you have your course code, then you can google your course outline which will state which chapters you are covering and the required textbook, so you can get started on course material earlier. Then IMO id recommend buying ur books before the first week of school, this way you will avoid the huge line ups of first years at the bookstore. I did this first year and it was a great timesaver. cheers
Dont do this.

Dont waste your prof's time by asking a pointless question such as necessity of the textbook. If they didnt think the textbook was necessary, they wouldn't have chosen to use it for the course.

Whether or not you find the textbook helpful is a different story. I would wait until after the first class to get textbooks.
Although, since you're in first year, you're likely to buy all the required textbooks, so in that case, i would get them before the rush starts (and buy them sometime during welcome week a few days before class starts)
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Old 07-25-2011 at 12:59 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sayok8737 View Post
definitely buy them before school because that way you will have the textbooks and you can always return them up to a certain period if you find out that you won't really be needing them, only thing you can't return is custom courseware, but that's usually needed if it is listed!!
If the book comes in packaging, don't open them or you won't be able to return them.
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Old 07-25-2011 at 03:18 PM   #10
Melanieee
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I've only bought 2 books which I found useless. The rest I needed, and wish I had bought them the first week of school, because by the time I got the ones I ordered in the mail (I like to find them cheaper online) it was the 3rd or 4th week and I was not in a routine of reading the books and couldnt make myself start!
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Old 07-25-2011 at 07:36 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by djRAIN View Post
Dont do this.

Dont waste your prof's time by asking a pointless question such as necessity of the textbook. If they didnt think the textbook was necessary, they wouldn't have chosen to use it for the course.

Whether or not you find the textbook helpful is a different story. I would wait until after the first class to get textbooks.
Although, since you're in first year, you're likely to buy all the required textbooks, so in that case, i would get them before the rush starts (and buy them sometime during welcome week a few days before class starts)
Actually I've emailed a few of my prof's about textbooks and it can be useful sometimes. Most of them usually tell me the differences b/w the editions and if it's alright if I buy a used older edition. I've even had one or two tell me that the textbook is just meant for further reading and extra problems when its listed as "required" on Titles.

Your best resource though is upper years! Ask them what was really needed in the previous year.
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