Hey guys,

Im new to macinsiders and i need some help. Im wondering how much i should be paying for used books ?(like what percent of the the orignal price). Also, the editions for the bio1m03 books have changed from last year, does it really make a huge difference if i buy a books with an older edition?


Thanks

First off, I'd really recommend waiting until your first day of classes before you buy the books! Just because the profs might have something to say or they might have changed editions..

As for %age discounts, it varies.. I was able to get up to 50% off my books when I bought them used. Sometimes, it might only be 20%. It depends on how expensive the book was originally and where you're finding this used book (ie used at titles might be different then used from a student).

As for the bio book, I cannot say for sure as this is the first year these are coming out. Also, they've changed the names of the first year sci courses. Last year it used to be Bio1A03... So, I'm thinking maybe the way they teach the course could be different too.

I dont think they changed the bio courses as im also going to be taking bio1A03 second term. Im not sure if you guys had 1m03 last year or not. But i know they changed some of the other science courses.

Do you think its a good idea to wait till the start of classes to buy books, wouldnt it be hard to find someone who is selling them at that time?

The reason im asking this is becuase im getting a good deal from a student rite now and dont want to stand in lines later on.

Thanks for the help

If you're getting a good deal it might be worth it. But it definitely won't be hard to find someone wanting to sell their books. Ask your welcome week reps!!

bio 1m03 is = bio1aa3 but some parts is different i think like the labs and tutorials seem a bit different..
which could be for the better. those labs were stupid.

guys just a quick question...where do u find a list of all ur books? i'm in life sci n i can't seem to find a list of all the books i will need...

There's a list here:
http://titles.mcmaster.ca/text/departments.htm

Look under the department the class is in, and then click on the course code.

It's recommended to wait until the first day of class to buy your books so you can find out what you'll actually need or if there's been some changes

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Eva C

bio 1m03 is = bio1aa3 but some parts is different i think like the labs and tutorials seem a bit different..
which could be for the better. those labs were stupid.

OMG They were sooooooooooooooooo stupid. The stupid plant and animal ones in particular. There was no real reason to be going to them... and I learned absolutely NOTHING. What a waste of the many hours of my time I took copying down my partners information for the lab test...

Useful article:

Used Books = Save Money!

haha yes totally stupid! i was the type of people which wasn't alot. that actually spent hours in the stupid lab trying to copy everything down!! and then my friends would copy from me.. i was paranoid of the lab test and was scared casue they can ask SO MUCH stuff. lol. at least i did really well on the lab test , if not, i would be super angry!
i hope they change it and make it more educational..we all know how to copy stuff. lol.

Originally Posted by sycoman

Hey guys,

Im new to macinsiders and i need some help. Im wondering how much i should be paying for used books ?(like what percent of the the orignal price). Also, the editions for the bio1m03 books have changed from last year, does it really make a huge difference if i buy a books with an older edition?


Thanks

Definitely wait until your first day of class. The prof usually goes over the course description and will tell you if you need the textbook/courseware or not. Definitely consider buying it from an upper year for a cheaper price. In my first year I didn't know many upper years and met a couple of them in Titles who offered to sell me their books for cheap. Try to utilize the Marketplace on Facebook where you may be able to find used books.

i'm wondering if the book edition matters?
say i need biochem 4th edition .. it wouldn't make a big difference if i buy the 3rd right?
or would you recommend buying the 4th?
thankz

Originally Posted by lilpups

i'm wondering if the book edition matters?
say i need biochem 4th edition .. it wouldn't make a big difference if i buy the 3rd right?
or would you recommend buying the 4th?
thankz

Its always best to buy the listed edition. However most of the time all that changes with the edition is the order and question #'s. To be sure if you can use it ask your prof.

Originally Posted by lilpups

i'm wondering if the book edition matters?
say i need biochem 4th edition .. it wouldn't make a big difference if i buy the 3rd right?
or would you recommend buying the 4th?
thankz

In most cases, it doesn't. You can save a lot of money buying an older edition used when the content is essentially the same.

Especially for first year math and chem, organic chemistry.

Make sure you check with the professor (e-mail them) to see if it's okay.