classes start tomorrow and I have no books. (paying, teacher, money)
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OP you can also find someone in class that lives near you and see if you can borrow the book if needed until your book comes in.
Mattie-our oldest is going off to college and we ordered all of his books online. 3 of them were in stock and shipped right away and we had them within a week, the others were not in stock yet so they didn't ship for a couple weeks. A few of his books were not available online so we went through the school bookstore and signed up for in store pick up. He got an email that one of the books that wasn't available online was because the prof ordered a special addition of the book that contains only the chapters she will use so it costs less.
May I ask who you ordered from, and whether or not you were ordering new or used? I am thinking perhaps by ordering used we shot ourselves in the foot in terms of time needed to receive.
Has anybody had success getting textbooks online quickly (less than 7-10 days)? Last year I had to cancel an order from Barnes and Noble because I was still waiting for it to ship a week after placing the order. The website says they usually ship in 1-2 days, but that wasn't my experience.
Yes. Amazon has a promotion for a free student account with prime shipping at no cost for a year if you have a college/university e-mail. I've received things (includes everything, not only books) in less than 24 hours.
For what it's worth, I learned quickly that you should never purchase the books before the first day of class. My first year I bought every book on the list for each class, used when I could find them, new when I had no choice. My first semester I used roughly 30% of the books I bought. The second semester I bought $500 worth of books for a class only to have the teacher tell us on the first day that the books were "merely suggested reading on the course and wouldn't be used during the semester". After that I vowed never again until the teacher confirmed the books that were needed. My other pet peeve was professors preferring one translation over another of certain books like Plato's Republic or the Augustine Confessions. We actually started a group to try and pressure the Poltical Science and Philosophy departments to adpot a single translation agreed to by all. Ultimately some professors agreed and standardized and others didn't, so we sort of won.
I went through 6 years of college and only bought three books the entire time. During class I would LISTEN carefully and take lots of notes. After school I would go to the library and read the next day's chapter and do the homework assignment.
The first year I attended college I bought almost $400 dollars worth of books and looked at them - *maybe* twice the entire year. I realized very quickly that you can do very well without them.
I'd check out my school's library if I were you and see if they have the books you need there (chances are they will), and if they don't request them.
20yrsinBranson
Now that was brave but would have never worked for me. I depended on the books b/c I was a terrible notetaker--I always did better with the reading and with profs who followed the textbook. I say study the way that works for you.
I agree also with those who waited til the list was confirmed, b/c I've bought stacks of books and barely dipped into some of them. OP, you'll be fine and I'm betting that at least half the class will be in the same boat, and even if the prof does follow the book closely, you probably won't get into much until the second week b/c the first couple of classes are introductory stuff and explaining the syllabus and all.
May I ask who you ordered from, and whether or not you were ordering new or used? I am thinking perhaps by ordering used we shot ourselves in the foot in terms of time needed to receive.
We got most of them through Amazon. We priced them out at several sites and Amazon was the best deal for his books. We bought most of them used. He just got an email from his math teacher that he wants them to get the new version of the book that we already bought used because of some online assignment thing that comes with the cost of the new book--oh well. I looked it up and it is still less then what we spent for the used book and this online subscription thing.
Has anybody had success getting textbooks online quickly (less than 7-10 days)? Last year I had to cancel an order from Barnes and Noble because I was still waiting for it to ship a week after placing the order. The website says they usually ship in 1-2 days, but that wasn't my experience.
Mattie, I also purchased books through Amazon. I would only purchase from sellers with good reviews and high ratings. Some sellers provide expedited shipping for free, so they ship books out as soon as you buy them. I've done the same on Ebay. If you buy through standard shipping, the seller has more time to ship the book without it being held against them.
And I too think it's best to wait after classes have begun to buy books. I've had professors tell us that books are required, only to find out they're recommended and are never used. I don't remember going straight into content on the first day of class too many times--not in undergrad, anyway.
Some words of wisdom from a recent college grad...
1) Don't purchase the books until after the first day of class. I had a lot of situations where profs changed some books that the bookstore had listed, or there were books the campus library had, OR sometimes I just needed to read a small section of the book...(see #3)
2) Look for used/old editions...usually the page number vary a bit, but it's generally the same
3) Find a classmate and see if that person wants to split the cost of books and share...saves for the both of you!
4) You don't have to explain anything to your professor. The profs understand that sometimes the bookstores run short and more are arriving, or that you ordered them online, or you were waiting to confirm the book list.
I got many of mine through ecampus.com. The books were very reasonably priced...even for new editions if they are required.
1/2 of the class will not have the book on the first day. Teachers are used to the fact that students order books online now and that the do not always arrive on time. Plus sometimes the bookstore orders the wrong book, or the teacher lists ten but only uses 3 or 4, especially in an english class. I once stopped a friend in the school bookstore after seeing her walk by with her hands full.
Try the library, I used to work at my schools, a lot of students don't utilize it, even if your library does not have the book they can get it from another library.
I agree with all that's been said. I would not tell the professor anything; they don't need or even want to hear it. You'll get your books soon enough, and if you need them before they come, then do as suggested and check out the library (most classes have a copy on reserve), ask to borrow a book from a classmate, or any of the other suggestions. If you get desperate and still don't have books, the library doesn't have a copy on reserve or available for checkout, and you can't otherwise find a copy, then I think you can say something to the professor: not to make an excuse, but to ask if the professor or department has an extra copy that can either be put on reserve at the library or can even be made informally available to students in some other way. Also check out the regular public library; they're not likely to have formal textbooks, but since it's an English class I'm guessing that there's a good chance that most of your reading isn't coming from textbooks, anyway. They might not have the specific editions or translations specified by the professor, but it should still be good enough to get you through before your books arrive.
Most campus bookstores have a return policy that lasts through the first week of classes. You can buy the book, get your syllabus, photocopy the important parts for the next few lessons based on the readings for the first few weeks, return the book, and wait for your amazon or ebay book to arrive without missing any readings or problems.
Also, note that Ebay sellers carry many "International Editions" of the textbooks, which are essentially the same $200 book, but with a paper cover and priced closer to $50.
The primary thing that changes between the example: $200 9th edition and the $40 8th edition is usually the order of the practice problems. You can always scan or photocopy these (or ask classmates) so you're doing the correct problem.
Then there's also e-book versions of a lot of texts, which generally are half price and available instantly for download.
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