I feel like I wasted my money buying some of the textbooks that were apparently "required" for engineering 1.

Chemistry Book - For the most part, unnecessarily convoluted on 90% of things, the notes are good enough for most things.

Physics Book - I haven't even opened this thing since September. The notes in tandem with CAPA are good enough.

Solid Edge Manual - Awful textbook, barely explains anything beyond the most basic stuff you learn in class.

Engineering Design Book - The only thing I needed from this was the pictures of the things we needed to draw. I could have easily gotten photocopies of those few pages for free.

Making Sense - I honestly don't know why the hell we even needed this. All that it is is an English grammar book for people who barely know English (i.e. they explain how to pluralize words for a whole chapter...)

Engineering Design Ethics Book - This one I kind of need, I guess, but it is the worst textbook ever. I almost killed myself having to read through this part about how to optimize the design and materials of a ladder using math.

Math Book - Okay, so this one I actually use, but I could have gotten it off of DC++ for free. I only bought it because of the Maple manual, which I ended up barely even touching.

Programming Book - I didn't buy this yet, luckily. I heard it is both outdated and pretty useless.

Should I bother buying the book required for Materials next semester? I don't want anymore paper weights...

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

I feel like I wasted my money buying some of the textbooks that were apparently "required" for engineering 1.

Chemistry Book - For the most part, unnecessarily convoluted on 90% of things, the notes are good enough for most things.

Physics Book - I haven't even opened this thing since September. The notes in tandem with CAPA are good enough.

Solid Edge Manual - Awful textbook, barely explains anything beyond the most basic stuff you learn in class.

Engineering Design Book - The only thing I needed from this was the pictures of the things we needed to draw. I could have easily gotten photocopies of those few pages for free.

Making Sense - I honestly don't know why the hell we even needed this. All that it is is an English grammar book for people who barely know English (i.e. they explain how to pluralize words for a whole chapter...)

Engineering Design Ethics Book - This one I kind of need, I guess, but it is the worst textbook ever. I almost killed myself having to read through this part about how to optimize the design and materials of a ladder using math.

Math Book - Okay, so this one I actually use, but I could have gotten it off of DC++ for free. I only bought it because of the Maple manual, which I ended up barely even touching.

Programming Book - I didn't buy this yet, luckily. I heard it is both outdated and pretty useless.

Should I bother buying the book required for Materials next semester? I don't want anymore paper weights...

I haven't bought any courseware except the physics lab manual. And the notes got me through the whole semester. And when I needed a book, I borrowed from the library. And I guess they have the Materials Courseware on DC++ too.

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

I feel like I wasted my money buying some of the textbooks that were apparently "required" for engineering 1.

Chemistry Book - For the most part, unnecessarily convoluted on 90% of things, the notes are good enough for most things.

Physics Book - I haven't even opened this thing since September. The notes in tandem with CAPA are good enough.

Solid Edge Manual - Awful textbook, barely explains anything beyond the most basic stuff you learn in class.

Engineering Design Book - The only thing I needed from this was the pictures of the things we needed to draw. I could have easily gotten photocopies of those few pages for free.

Making Sense - I honestly don't know why the hell we even needed this. All that it is is an English grammar book for people who barely know English (i.e. they explain how to pluralize words for a whole chapter...)

Engineering Design Ethics Book - This one I kind of need, I guess, but it is the worst textbook ever. I almost killed myself having to read through this part about how to optimize the design and materials of a ladder using math.

Math Book - Okay, so this one I actually use, but I could have gotten it off of DC++ for free. I only bought it because of the Maple manual, which I ended up barely even touching.

Programming Book - I didn't buy this yet, luckily. I heard it is both outdated and pretty useless.

Should I bother buying the book required for Materials next semester? I don't want anymore paper weights...

AGREED!

Making sense for SURE was a pointless book! The prof assigned a huge useless amount of reading from that book. I would rather give the money i spent on that book to a homeless person or someone in need than buy that stupid book. I used the book once, right now its just being a dust collecting paper weight.

You know what I hate more than the textbooks? The solutions books!

It was impossible for me to find any individual textbooks, so I had to buy most in packs that had a textbook, solutions, and a bunch of useless crap...and it was all very expensive.

Well I thought at least the solutions books would be of some use. So I'm doing homework out of the textbooks, and oh look, they only have answers to the odd numbered questions. I guess that makes sense, considering there are a lot of questions and not a lot of room to fit answers of them in. Oh well, no problem, there's a solutions book for that right? Right???

NO, NOT RIGHT because the solutions book only has the solutions for the ODD NUMBERED PROBLEMS!!! GAHH!!!

Welcome to university people. Either learn how to get around using textbooks if you can or get used to having money sucked out of you every which way possible. Happy thought isn't it?

Originally Posted by kokosas

Welcome to university people. Either learn how to get around using textbooks if you can or get used to having money sucked out of you every which way possible. Happy thought isn't it?

Word.

Textbooks are a sham.

The worst part is we can't even warn first years next year because we are going to have to have someone to sell the books to.

lol you make a good point.

sad fact: I'm in 3rd year and still buy all my text books, even though I know I'm never going to use them. I'm such a sucker

Ouch, I got most of the semester books from a second year. It was 400 for the whole bundle, now after year is over, I can resale it for 400 bundle. No money lost. I guess this is not the case for second year.

Used books is key

If you need a materials book im selling my used copy - its an older version but still has the same type stuff. You have materials assignments (if the course hasnt changed) and the textbook is really helpful for those!

I really like the way the Origins program deals with textbooks - basically they don't.. All of the profs are encouraged to avoid textbooks to avoid the cost on students and instead assign readings of journals or selected passages that are provided to you so you don't have to worry about those costs ever. Out of the 6 origins classes that I've had, I've only had to buy one text - but it has pretty pictures so I'm not complaining.

Hahaha, I totally felt that way about one of my Classics texts: pretty pictures! (It was written by two arch profs so can you blame them?)

What I love is when they put a book on reserve and say "go read this chapter". I photocopy it and BAM! $4.00 and I have what I need, course this only really works with smaller classes.

I thought the materials text was the best one in all first year.

That being said, it's really hit and miss with textbooks. I find there are some that I'll never open, but there are others where I'd be lost without. I try to buy all my books online. You can get them much cheaper than if you buy new from titles.

I hope that one day, when I'm done my degree, I'll get a chance to go back and actually go through the textbooks I will still have with me from cover to cover. I'm sure I will learn some great things.

Some day...