Vida Winter Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 DD will register for courses at the end of June at an out of state university; do kids typically buy books then or do they wait until they arrive to move in? Or would it be better to get them online during the summer? She also wants to get a laptop from the bookstore and I'm thinking get it during orientation so she can set it up at home and use it a while before school starts in August. When I started college I lived at home and never had to think about things like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 There is a long and very recent thread, begun several days ago, by creekland. Several of the posts in that thread are mine. I think it is in General Education, but it may be here, in the College sub forum. I buy from Amazon Sellers. creekland is of the opinion that NOW is the time to begin hunting for the textbooks your DC will need, so you can get the correct textbooks at the lowest prices. HTH and GL P.S. If I were going to buy a Laptop, I would look on the Dell.com web site and buy from them. Find what you want and then call them and see if you can get a better configuration and/or a lower price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 DD will register for courses at the end of June at an out of state university; do kids typically buy books then or do they wait until they arrive to move in? Or would it be better to get them online during the summer? She also wants to get a laptop from the bookstore and I'm thinking get it during orientation so she can set it up at home and use it a while before school starts in August. When I started college I lived at home and never had to think about things like this. Here's the thread Lanny referred to: Friendly book-buying reminder for those of us on a budget. Our experiences with buying college texts: Pros to buying early: - many more options available (lots of students sell right at the end of the semester) -- college bookstore, Craigslist and other local individual sellers, online used textbook websites, Amazon used, etc. - more books means more competition, so you can bargain for lower prices (if buying from an individual - more cheaper used books available at the college bookstore Cons to buying early: - instructor tells you on the first day what texts will be required (and it may change, but not be announced until the first day of class) -- leaving you with a pre-purchased text that is no longer used for the class - instructor tells you which texts are optional (not usually listed in advance online) -- again, leaving you with a pre-purchased text you might not have needed - if the course ALSO requires an an online access code / key code, you may end up spending MORE by trying to buy the text separately and not at the college bookstore, as the text and access code are often bundled together at the college bookstore Tips: - check the Craig's List for the location near the college, esp. now, and again about 1-2 weeks before classes start, for students dumping textbooks - be sure to ask about highlighting/writing in margin, any missing pages, etc. -- some students do better marking their texts themselves and having someone else's marks is distracting - make SURE you are buying the books for the exact class (teacher/time), as different teachers use different texts for the same course - make SURE the text is the correct EDITION for the class -- textbooks update about every 2 years now - when buying used, make SURE any online access code, CD or DVD is included if it's supposed to be part of the package As far as a laptop... Definitely buy in advance and make sure to look for student discounts. Seriously, I'd be looking around NOW and buy this summer if you find a really good deal. Buying NOT at the college bookstore not only usually gets the student the laptop cheaper, but quite often software comes in special, much cheaper, student bundles, which can give the student deals like 3 commonly-used programs for the price of 1. I would imagine you can find out now, in advance what kind of laptop and software are required. Also, check in advance -- some colleges are GIVING freshmen an i-pad, and sometimes even a laptop, especially as part of a scholarship package (which, as I recall, your DD earned a scholarship), so there's a chance DD may not need to purchase a laptop! Congrats! And happy hunting for book bargains! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
history_junkie Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Cons to buying early: - instructor tells you on the first day what texts will be required (and it may change, but not be announced until the first day of class) -- leaving you with a pre-purchased text that is no longer used for the class - instructor tells you which texts are optional (not usually listed in advance online) -- again, leaving you with a pre-purchased text you might not have needed I had these things happen a few times and it was highly frustrating! My bookstore had many used copies and it often came out even with half.com once I ended up paying lots of separate shipping charges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Thanks so much for the detailed info, Lori! She needs to get her classes first - there are so many things to do this month, I may go crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Follow on to the Laptop purchase question: Last October, when we custom ordered a Dell PC + Monitor, for DD, part of the PC Configuration was for a Starter version of MS OFFICE 2010 to be installed. It is good forever and it works fine for DD. That is something you should try to get for your DD. It includes MS WORD and MS EXCEL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 DD will register for courses at the end of June at an out of state university; do kids typically buy books then or do they wait until they arrive to move in? Or would it be better to get them online during the summer? She also wants to get a laptop from the bookstore and I'm thinking get it during orientation so she can set it up at home and use it a while before school starts in August. When I started college I lived at home and never had to think about things like this. Obviously, I'm getting to this thread late! ;) It's been busy around here... Regarding computers, check with the school to see what options they have. Some do give them to students, others get a group buy deal that can be quite good. So far, for my two who are in college, buying separately has given them better deals though. Both went with Toshiba and custom ordered online. With regards to books, the cons listed can be problems. Again, fortunately with the colleges my guys are at, they aren't issues as each professor puts their books in for their class and lists whether the books are required or optional. This is why it's important (at some schools) to put in the exact course number as the books can be different even for the same course. We've never bought a book that wasn't needed. If there's an access code, I always buy with an unused code assuming they will need it. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. If not, that gives them a book to sell with an unused code (more $$). My suggestion is to try to talk with some upperclassmen who are there are orientation. They should have insights to the method many kids use to buy books and computers and those insights will be tailored to where your daughter is going. We did this at both of my guys college choices and it's provided good advice. Once again, different colleges can be different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 Thanks Creekland. We ended up registering for family orientation because they have sessions on technology and other useful info. I hope it won't be too boring for her younger sisters - they can bring some good books to read during sessions. She'll get her classes (hopefully the calculus class she wants will still have available openings) and start looking for deals on books. As far as a laptop, she is leaning toward a Macbook. We usually get Dell but dd has used a mac for years and is more familiar with it. I'll swing by the bookstore during orientation and see what kind of student discount they offer; maybe Apple offers a student discount from their mall store if you can prove you are a student. To save time on shopping we ordered a few things online but still need to swing by Target for other items. I'm beginning to think "mom" stands for "made of money" !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I'm beginning to think "mom" stands for "made of money" !! One of my favorite quotes/definitions I heard/read goes: "Parents - those who now have pictures where their money used to be." I have no idea who originally said it... The pictures are worth more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I'll swing by the bookstore during orientation and see what kind of student discount they offer; maybe Apple offers a student discount from their mall store if you can prove you are a student. I believe here they get their student IDs made during orientation so this may be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 If you want an Apple they have student discounts and usually another perk in the summer. Dd bought her books online. They were much cheaper. She never had a professor change their mind. She did buy some books for a lit class at the college. They were all there and were only a little more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 If you you worry about the professor not actually using the book listed as required. The student can always email the professor. In college, I often asked for a syllabus to be e-mailed to me. I would casually read my textbooks ahead of time, and it made the first half of the semester stress-free. You can also ask if an earlier edition would be acceptable. Also, if only a small % of the book is used, there is a certain percentage that you can legally photocopy the book. For literature books, I would buy them used from the bookstore, read them, and return them for a full refund before the 4th day of classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Did you know that there is sometimes the option to rent a textbook? For subjects she won't be pursuing further, that may make more sense than buying, especially for a new edition. Renting is pretty much always an option, but IRL, we've never found it to be less expensive than buying, keeping a book in good condition, and then reselling - even for new editions/books. New books hold their value very well as there aren't many used copies out there. With used books, many times my guys books have been free after reselling (privately, NOT to the book store). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
history_junkie Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Renting is pretty much always an option, but IRL, we've never found it to be less expensive than buying, keeping a book in good condition, and then reselling - even for new editions/books. New books hold their value very well as there aren't many used copies out there. With used books, many times my guys books have been free after reselling (privately, NOT to the book store). That just depends on the kinds of books. It was very cost effective for me several semesters, but I was renting actual books (primary sources for a history major) not big textbooks. A friend and I also shared a book one semester. The professor required the most recent edition and it cost over $100. We split the cost of the book and each had it for half the week. We would meet for breakfast before class to study for the quiz. We both got an A and we sold the book for about half price. Our net cost was around $25 each instead of $100+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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