Anyone get a loose leaf textbook?

[Brenda in MA]

So my son is looking for his physics textbook for his college class this fall. It is a relatively new edition (last year) so there really aren't used ones available. Brand new, it's $206 on amazon for the hard cover, but they also have an option for a loose leaf version for $25 less.

 

My son is wondering about the pros/cons of going with the loose leaf version. Obviously, it would be easier to lose pages, but one pro would be that he wouldn't have to lug the entire book around with him all the time -- just the chapter or two he is currently studying.

 

Anyone actually use a loose leaf version? If so, how did it work out?

 

TIA,

Brenda

[kiana]

One big con is that it's a lot more difficult to re-sell a loose-leaf version, or keep it for future reference.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

So my son is looking for his physics textbook for his college class this fall. It is a relatively new edition (last year) so there really aren't used ones available. Brand new, it's $206 on amazon for the hard cover, but they also have an option for a loose leaf version for $25 less.

 

My son is wondering about the pros/cons of going with the loose leaf version. Obviously, it would be easier to lose pages, but one pro would be that he wouldn't have to lug the entire book around with him all the time -- just the chapter or two he is currently studying.

 

Anyone actually use a loose leaf version? If so, how did it work out?

 

TIA,

Brenda

 

I bought both a hardback and a looseleaf version of a large government text for my kids to use last year.  I found the loose leaf partway through the semester, so it did get less use overall.  It was a read and put away text and wasn't used for reviewing for the AP exam, so it didn't get heavy use. 

 

I'd say that it held up ok for the semester.  But it's not really something that I'd want to have sitting around on my shelf afterwards.  Also, the loose leave edition was smaller (about 5x7 where the hardback was 8x11), so it fit rather awkwardly in a notebook.  We tend to hold onto a lot of books.  I still have texts that dh or I used in college.  They do get used.  Items stored in notebooks just don't get reopened much here. 

 

I think that I've seen some bookstores say they won't buy back loose leaf editions after they've been opened.  I imagine it is pretty hard to ensure that all the pages are there for resale.

 

On the other hand, if it were a book that had a lot of problems that needed to be worked, like a math book, I'd consider having a notebook with the homework assignments filed right in with their chapter.  In that sense I'd think of the loose leaf book like a consumable text that is heavily used in the learning process.  A loose leaf complete Shakespeare could be quite helpful. 

[shawthorne44]

I never had a loose leaf textbook, but when I was in college I photocopied my textbook for the hard classes, and put them in a binder with everything else related to that chapter.  I would sometimes even take a few pages out and put them in my back pocket and read them during slow times at work.  I found a got a lot of studying done during small down times like waiting for the parking lot shuttle.  Waiting for class to start.  Waiting at a long red light when I wasn't first.  Basically, because my tiny binders were so easy to carry I almost always had one with me.  

[retiredHSmom]

My daughter used a loose-leaf psychology text for a class this summer. She loved it. She kept it in a 3-ring binder and just took what she needed to class.

 

From a financial point of view.

 

I paid $94.36 new for it on Amazon.  The hardcover was selling for $213 new,  there were used copies available for $175 used but of course didn't include the access code.

 

Last week amazon was offering $76 in trade in for the hardback and nothing for the loose-leaf.  I sold our used copy for $30 on amazon.

 

In the end I would have been best off financially buying a used copy of the hardcover and then selling it myself on Amazon rather than using the trade-in program (which is what I usually do)

[G5052]

One of mine has a loose-leaf Spanish book.  I paid $170, but it is for two semesters and includes the online access code needed for both courses.

 

I bought it in July, which is the only time of year that they do any kind of sale on new books.  I didn't want to buy used, because the cheapest I could find was about $100 without the access code which was about $100 separately.

 

Books are expensive!

[Bootsie]

I usually prefer the loose-leaf version--especially in a class that has lots of homework/problems to work.  That way a student can keep everything for a chapter together in one place.  The only negatives are that the book cannot be resold (unless your child knows someone else who is taking the class next year to sell to directly) and very disorganized students run the risk of taking chapters out to lighten their load and them lose them.

[Bootsie]

You may also want to check the publisher's website directly.  For my course, students can by online access directly from the publisher and then "upgrade" to a looseleaf version mailed to them for a much cheaper price than through the college bookstore and cheaper than through Amazon.

[Dina in Oklahoma]

We bought loose leaf for my DD's online Spanish class (high school) and plan to use page protectors.

[AK_Mom4]

DS18 has a loose-leaf for his Chemistry class.  Loose Leaf was the only option and he had to buy new to get the online access code.  Sigh.

 

He intends to plunk it in a three-ring binder but isn't going to open it until class starts and he is positive that they will be using it.  He can only get a refund if it is unopened.

[SemiSweet]

I had one for a biology class, I just put it in a 3-ring binder and called it good. I still have it in the same binder and it's just fine.

[Barbara H]

I'm all about the resale value. Over time we've had fairly low textbook costs by buying used and reselling fast at the end of the semester. Occasionally an edition will change and you get stuck, but over time most students will have the lowest cost with this approach. With just $25 price difference I would not consider the loose leaf.

[Mom2boys]

DS18 has a loose-leaf for his Chemistry class.  Loose Leaf was the only option and he had to buy new to get the online access code.  Sigh.

 

He intends to plunk it in a three-ring binder but isn't going to open it until class starts and he is positive that they will be using it.  He can only get a refund if it is unopened.

 

We had the same situation for ds17's chem class this fall. The publisher actually suggested that students put their pages of notes in amongst the textbook pages, and I think that would be handy for ds for studying purposes. But I do wonder if he is going to lose track of some of the text pages. I would have preferred a bound book. 

[hillfarm]

Staples will bind loose leaf textbooks. They usually offer comb binding, which is with the little rectangular holes and the plastic "spine" with the fingers that go through the holes. Or there is the typical spiral binding which usually involves a number of little round holes with a sturdy wire twisted through the holes. Or there is my favorite, cover binding, which involves a heavy cardstock cover and a glued spine - similar to many workbooks.

 

IMO, the cover binding is more durable than the other 2. I think it costs less than $5.00 for a 250 page textbook. And then I probably would see if your store offers laminating for the cover. Some do and some don't. If yours doesn't, you can easily use clear contact paper to wrap the cover for added durability.

 

This might affect resale, but hard to guess which way. On one hand, it won't look like the "regular" texts. OTOH, it will look a whole lot better than the average collection of loose pages in a 3 ring binder.

[katilac]

They have an amazing scanner at my dd's school; you set the open book on the cradle, and it scans two pages at a time. You just turn the page, hit scan, turn the page, hit scan. It goes really fast, and then converts to PDF that you can email to yourself and view on ipad/computer or print. 

 

If you purchase the hardback, I think you could scan it for personal use with no copyright issues, but I'm no expert. 

[Caroline]

DS has a loose leaf textbook for his intro to MSE class. He keeps it in a large three ring binder. It is a book published by the university and written by several of my favorite profs from grad school. I wanted to buy myself a copy, too, but refrained. For this week at least.