college books
Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:50 am
this might scare some of you younger people away from college...
anyway for those in college what is the cost of your books like? do you find you major has books that are actually useful and will continue to be after you leave and graduate?
i spend close to 800 a semester on books. my history classes always have more then 1 large book...plus my natural science (NAS) classes have lab tools & such. english is killer too between the reference books and the actual class books.
ive kept most of my history and nas books so far...I know they will be very useful when grad. school rolls around.
(FYI I'm a sophomore environmental history major. bascially its a double major in history and natural science.)
anyway for those in college what is the cost of your books like? do you find you major has books that are actually useful and will continue to be after you leave and graduate?
i spend close to 800 a semester on books. my history classes always have more then 1 large book...plus my natural science (NAS) classes have lab tools & such. english is killer too between the reference books and the actual class books.
ive kept most of my history and nas books so far...I know they will be very useful when grad. school rolls around.
(FYI I'm a sophomore environmental history major. bascially its a double major in history and natural science.)
Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:57 am
$800!? Holy crap! I spent around 100-300 last two semesters. I haven't declared a major yet. Some of the books are useful, others are a total rip off. For one of my art history classes, they had us pay nearly $80 for bound photocopies. I read the first five pages and passed the class with an -A. You can't re-sell photocopies either. So that's $80 that went down the tube. 
Last edited by SpiraLethe on Tue Jul 20, 2004 3:04 am, edited 2 times in total.
Tue Jul 20, 2004 3:01 am
That's about what I spent on books my first semester of school at uni, might have been a bit more. I do think it's wise to try and buy them used. Some people find it's really good to get them online. I no longer waste my time getting text books unless I really see the professor use them.
When I transfered to college from my old university I found that text books were really not a necessity for me. I bought some IT books the first semester at this new school and learned that I shouldn't have. I did fine without out looking at the text book material at all. I didn't buy anything this semester except a $12.00 workbook for one class. I'm full of IT classes and those books are majorly expensive, and what is worse is that they are ALWAYS getting new versions which makes them useless after one semester because no one will buy them back.
I say be smart, ask around, ask previous students who have taken the classes you are going to take and find out how much the professor really refers to the textbook. Most professors are predictable and their lesson plan doesn't change much at all.
When I transfered to college from my old university I found that text books were really not a necessity for me. I bought some IT books the first semester at this new school and learned that I shouldn't have. I did fine without out looking at the text book material at all. I didn't buy anything this semester except a $12.00 workbook for one class. I'm full of IT classes and those books are majorly expensive, and what is worse is that they are ALWAYS getting new versions which makes them useless after one semester because no one will buy them back.
I say be smart, ask around, ask previous students who have taken the classes you are going to take and find out how much the professor really refers to the textbook. Most professors are predictable and their lesson plan doesn't change much at all.
Tue Jul 20, 2004 5:01 am
I probably spend 100-200 dollars per substantial book I need to buy for classes. As for how many of them I usually need, it differs and depends entirely on if I really think I'm going to need the "recommended" books in addition to the "required". I think how much I spend usually sits around 300-500 dollars (for 3 to 4 classes).
Some of the books I've referenced in other classes and I assume some of them will be useful (as long as they don't get too out-dated) in the future. On the other hand, some of them probably aren't going to be of much help unless I want to re-read about left branching sentence structures
Some of the books I've referenced in other classes and I assume some of them will be useful (as long as they don't get too out-dated) in the future. On the other hand, some of them probably aren't going to be of much help unless I want to re-read about left branching sentence structures
Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:29 pm
MD!!!!! OMG! *hugs*
It's so great to see you! I hope your first year of college went smoothly....still banding it up I hope. ^_^
Anyways I usually spend about 400 bucks a semester for books. I get lucky....very few classes I've had so far require hardcover textbooks. And if they do...I almost never have to get more then one. The school store is still horribly priced though.
Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:36 pm
I think I spent about $300-$500 on books last semester. I find that my Legal Research book helps with a lot of my other classes and I kept my Photography book for future reference, but other than that most of my books aren't worth saving. Although, I did get stuck with two books last semester that I will never use again. I'm quite annoyed about it. They refused to buy them back.
Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:46 pm
Wow I never knew college books would be so expensive. o.o I bet mine will be since I'm going to major in Pre-Law in college...
Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:21 pm
Duck, I went to Wash U and never spent more than 400 dollars a semester on books. I don't know if you go there or elsewhere here in StL (that IS where you are, right?), but 800 seems like a lot of money. Could be the niche-ish major.
Anyway, I kept almost all of my books after I graduated - partly because I still have some silly plans of going to veterinary school, even though I work now, and partly because I sometimes get bored or confused about something in my major, and I want to get it right.
Anyway, one thing about books is that you can always sell them online. Don't bother going to a campus buy-back program, because they'll give you half what you can get on half.com, or bookcellarz.com.
Anyway, I kept almost all of my books after I graduated - partly because I still have some silly plans of going to veterinary school, even though I work now, and partly because I sometimes get bored or confused about something in my major, and I want to get it right.
Anyway, one thing about books is that you can always sell them online. Don't bother going to a campus buy-back program, because they'll give you half what you can get on half.com, or bookcellarz.com.
Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:28 pm
All the books cost about the same, but yes, certain law books are much more expensive than the other books that the schools has. My Family Law book was far too expensive. I think it was nearly $130.Jill wrote:Wow I never knew college books would be so expensive. o.o I bet mine will be since I'm going to major in Pre-Law in college...
Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:34 am
*grins*
MD! Gosh, haven't seen you about these places in forEVer.
Anyhoo.
Lack of money sucks. Yeah. *curses to self*
Can't wait to be even more poor then I am now. Woot.
MD! Gosh, haven't seen you about these places in forEVer.
Anyhoo.
Lack of money sucks. Yeah. *curses to self*
Can't wait to be even more poor then I am now. Woot.
Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:48 am
robot wrote:All the books cost about the same, but yes, certain law books are much more expensive than the other books that the schools has. My Family Law book was far too expensive. I think it was nearly $130.Jill wrote:Wow I never knew college books would be so expensive. o.o I bet mine will be since I'm going to major in Pre-Law in college...
*nodds* My Torts book was $131 and my Contract was about the same price. Administrative Law books I purchased two of and they were $80-110. The prices are insane!
Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:18 pm
Ack, I have Torts this semester with the most obnoxious professor. I'm surprised this woman is allowed to teach law, yet alone practice it. {Although, as far as I know, she her license is still suspended, even more reason for her to not be a law professor.}
Wed Jul 21, 2004 5:07 pm
Yeah, college books are expensive. I know for one of my classes I had to have three of four books! Incredible!!! I've only kept about two or three of my books which are helpful or were interesting.
Wed Jul 21, 2004 5:55 pm
Ah, the free text books days of Secondary school ^^
You're meant to pay if you lose them though. I can't say I ever have. Paid, I mean, not lost.
You're meant to pay if you lose them though. I can't say I ever have. Paid, I mean, not lost.
Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:07 pm
Igg wrote:Ah, the free text books days of Secondary school ^^
You're meant to pay if you lose them though. I can't say I ever have. Paid, I mean, not lost.
Same here but you have to give the books back o.O