College students - do you buy all the textbooks?

[niccig]

If I buy a copy of the textbook through Amazon, cheaper than my college book store, I'll be out $400 this semester. If I rent through the college bookstore, it'll be just under $300. My problem is, I don't know what I'll need to keep for future classes and when I'm working. I'm in school to be a SLP.

Amazon does have a buy back program where you can sell back a book, and I have 3 from last 2 semesters where I can do that, so that helps defray the cost somewhat.

Gosh, college has gotten so much more expensive since my first go round!

[new_mommy25]

I buy all my textbooks but I rely heavily on Craigslist. I sell back all my books at the end of the semester and what the bookstore won't take I CL. I get more money off CL but it's also more hassle. I have saved very few of my texts. I actually just recently got rid of a huge box of texts that were about 12 years old and the realization that I had never touched them is what made me decide to just sell all my books. I definitely does help defray the cost.

I'm renting a textbook right now for the first time and I'm so nervous! Praying I don't accidentally spill water or something...

[MontrealMum]

When I went back to school for my MLIS I did not have the option to rent, but I bought frequently from Amazon. Mostly because the darned school bookstore didn't order enough copies. In the end, it was actually cheaper and faster for me to order from Amazon - in the US - and pay the import duties, than it would have been to buy at the bookstore. I will say, though, that outside of my web coding books, I don't really refer to any of them frequently. OTOH, for my other grad work in history I am very glad that I own everything. It doesn't change as frequently, and some books just remain classics.

But that's like comparing apples and oranges. With something like an MLIS - or in your case, SLP - it's rapidly evolving, and there's lots of hands-on stuff and it changes frequently. I think that you'd be fine renting books in that case. The only thing I can really see owning from my MLIS besides the coding/design books are guides pertaining to MARC and cataloging. So, really the technical stuff.

[niccig]

Thanks. DH just reminded me that I'll have 2 comprehensive exams at the end of the Masters program. One for the degree and for national licensing. I'll have to go over all my coursework, and will probably need to look some things up. I may need to buy now, and then see about selling if the text was helpful or not.

[crl]

Originally Posted by niccig

Thanks. DH just reminded me that I'll have 2 comprehensive exams at the end of the Masters program. One for the degree and for national licensing. I'll have to go over all my coursework, and will probably need to look some things up. I may need to buy now, and then see about selling if the text was helpful or not.

Are there review programs? For the bar exam, almost all lawyers take BarBri or a similar review program. I never touched my law school texts again after law school, even reviewing for the bar. I am of the firm opinion that old law books are dangerous as the law changes. I don't know how fast things change in your field though.

Catherine

[amom526]

What about half.com or something like that?

[JBaxter]

We do Chegg.com for at least 80% of Logans books. You can even get ebates with them! Fast easy and cheep.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Does the library have an adequate supply of any of them? I did almost all of my studying in one of the libraries. Often they can't be checked out so it might not work if you prefer to work and study at home. But, maybe you could get away with it with 1 or 2 classes?

[Mrs.Skeeter]

If you are sure you are NOT going to keep the book then buy the loose leaf. It's much cheaper. Also, buy the book where it is the lowest price. Most universities have a buy back program at the end of the year. They don't care where the book was purchased, just that it is the right title, edition, and in good condition.

[ellies mom]

I bought all my textbooks for nursing school because we use most of them throughout the program. I know a couple of people who sold one back at the end of one quarter and were pretty bummed to have to buy it back the next.

I think renting textbooks is great for those GE classes where you never need to look at the information again but for the core major classes where you want to go back and review, I'd want to keep those.



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