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Buy Books Now or Wait Until Classes Start?


Hunter's Moon
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Do your students buy books during the summer or wait for classes to start?

 

I've compared the school bookstore prices to Amazon and Ebay prices and their used is the same as the school's, so I will purchase all from the school. I am worried that if I wait for classes to begin though that all used books will be sold out and I'll have to purchase or rent new which I cannot afford. I plan on renting all used books except for Math which I have to buy new.

 

Would you rent the used books now and just wait to purchase math's book since that is new? It is expensive and cannot be bought elsewhere so I really want to be sure it will be used.

 

Thanks.

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As to renting--a rule of thumb is if the book/class is for 1 semester, renting can be a good idea, but do a bit of math to see if you come out better buying used & selling (even at the obscenely low re-sale prices from the bookstore) than renting. 2 semester classes it's usually better to buy used.

 

If you can pre-purchase now, I'd do it. The used books go 1st usually. If you can do it all on-line & then pick up your bag later, you'll miss the big lines too.

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If the instructor has already set the book for the course, you should buy or rent it now. In many courses, it is expected that students have their books on the first day of class; there will be reading and homework assignments in the first few days, and students without a book have to scramble to borrow from class mates - not a good start.

ETA: Check the class website or blackboard - sometimes there is a reading assignment to be read before coming to class on the first day!

 

As for the new math book: you might want to contact your instructor and find out whether you absolutely must have this current edition, or whether an older edition (which you could buy used) would serve you just fine. Often, an older book would be perfectly OK, but the instructor may not be able to request it through the bookstore because the bookstore can not guarantee getting enough copies of the older one (happened to me last semester.)

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If the instructor has already set the book for the course, you should buy or rent it now. In many courses, it is expected that students have their books on the first day of class; there will be reading and homework assignments in the first few days, and students without a book have to scramble to borrow from class mates - not a good start.

ETA: Check the class website or blackboard - sometimes there is a reading assignment to be read before coming to class on the first day!

 

As for the new math book: you might want to contact your instructor and find out whether you absolutely must have this current edition, or whether an older edition (which you could buy used) would serve you just fine. Often, an older book would be perfectly OK, but the instructor may not be able to request it through the bookstore because the bookstore can not guarantee getting enough copies of the older one (happened to me last semester.)

 

The math book isn't actually a book, it is an MyMathLab Standalone Student Access Kit. If you know what that is, I would appreciate if you could explain it to me. Is it a book plus a computer access code? If so, I could see about buying an earlier edition of the book. I just have no idea since the book doesn't have IBN info or anything, just the name and that it is from Pearson Ed.

 

ETA: I looked further into it and it seems it is an eBook with interactive helps and you do the homework on the computer and it automatically grades. All math courses at the college seem to use it, but it needs to have a working access code so I'd be uncomfortable purchasing it unless brand new.

Edited by BeatleMania
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Is there any possibility that your classes might change after the semester begins? If so, you may wish to wait before purchasing non-returnable books. My daughter attends a college which has a two week 'shopping period' at the start of each semester. While students register for four classes before the semester begins, they are free to attend other classes during the shopping period and may formally change their classes during that time.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Is there any possibility that your classes might change after the semester begins? If so, you may wish to wait before purchasing non-returnable books. My daughter attends a college which has a two week 'shopping period' at the start of each semester. While students register for four classes before the semester begins, they are free to attend other classes during the shopping period and may formally change their classes during that time.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Because I enrolled so late, I had to find the cheapest classes that would go towards my degree for this semester (didn't have time to apply to many outside scholarships or more aid). I'll be sticking with these classes because I can afford their books, unless the teacher/class is horrid. I don't plan on class shopping though.

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