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I know the textbook question has been hashed and re-hashed here and this is an offshoot of all that. My question is about buying an edition of a textbook for a college course other than what the course "requires"... so if the 10th edition is $150 used, but the 9th is out there for $20, is there really going to be any huge difference, i.e. a difference that would cause me to fail a test or quiz??
I am sick to death (like everyone else) of the textbook prices. When I can, I buy online, or through Craigslist, but often I find I don't get my financial aid check until the very last minute and if I know the book is needed for the course, I have no time to buy online or whatever. It's frustrating. What's also very frustrating is that none of the local school bookstores here publish the ISBN on their websites in the section to order books. I have to physically GO there and look them up one by one! Jerks!
Anyway, what do y'all think (or know) about buying books one or two editions prior to save money? How many editions can one safely go back? I have tried asking one instructor, because the 9th edition was available at the library but the teacher "required" the 10th, and I kept asking her if the 9th would suffice (since I could use it at the library) for the 5 week summer course, and she just kept repeating "The course requires the 10th edition"...
Most courses I've taken so far, I either didn't need the text at all, or needed it as back up to study for tests to supplement my own notes. Is there a way to find out EXACTLY what the changes are from one edition to the next?
I'd ask my professors. Some teachers are very strict with the editions, etc, others don't. For example, last semester my US Hist teacher said only the last edition would work because the chapters were in different order, some info erased, other added, etc. But for my math class I bought a very old edition in Half Price Books and it was ok.
I feel your pain with the prices. And I have the same problem with the non-published ISBN's, etc.
what course is it? there's a possibility, esp. w/ math text books, that homework questions will be different. if it's a science text book, more info may have been added (I took a science class where the newer edition contained info regarding Katrina and the '04 tsunami that the previous edition didn't, and of course, we spent a good chunk of the semester on those two events). if the teacher is that adamant about the edition, it's possible that there have been major revisions from the previous one. of course, it's also possible the editions are exactly the same and the teacher is just a b*tch!
only way to know how they differ is to see them in person and compare. my school also doesn't have the isbn number online, but you may be able to just google the name of the book and edition to get the isbn. some schools have a connection w/ other local schools where students can take out books from another school's library. if your school has this, I'd check to see if the most recent edition is available from that library and look through it there. if you have your syllabus for your class, check to see what you'll be doing and maybe you can just photocopy the pages if another location has the book, or at least check to see if the newer version is truly worth it
You just have to do it on a case by case basis.
Some professors are just sticklers on editions...when there really aren't any major changes.
I would buy the 9th edition and if there are some huge changes, try to copy the pages out of one of your classmates books....
In one of my classes, my classmates paid $100 for the new edition and I paid less than 5 for my book. We barely used the book despite the professor telling us to read pgs such and such. The class was mainly discussion based and we discussed the readings. I could have passed without the book....
I think the only problems you may encounter are with math books. The problems they want you to solve will change from year to year.
The website for my school's bookstore has gotten a little bit more...humane shall we say. They SOMETIMES show a picture of what the books look like...makes it much easier to find it on Amazon.
I've heard of people teaming up with a friend and splitting the cost of a book or one friend taking Biology in the Fall and giving their book to their friend in the Spring.
Try to make connections. Some people are really nice. I've had friends who paid say maybe $120 for their book and sold it to me for around $40 or 50.
Thanks everyone. I usually Google the title as soon as I know it (along with edition, author), but even that confuses me.... I was just looking for a book for an upcoming gov't class and there are umpteen versions of the same book, same edition, same cover picture, all with different ISBN's, so I can't tell one from the other! Some say "alternate edition", what that means I don't know.
Oh, and then there are some with the online access code included, or a cd, and there's no way to tell if I'll need that or not either. Sometimes the bookstores will sell those separately for a "reasonable" price.... but sometimes not. Then, for those that actually make you use the access code and don't sell it separately, that book is useless and can't be re-sold after the course! Ugh. I just want to get it done early, and every semester it turns out the opposite.
I am taking a class with my partner (girlfriend) this semester so that will save us on the cost of that book, and of course any classes I've already taken and she plans to take or vice versa, we hold on to the books and we get double use for the books... the benefits of both of us going to school at the same time and living in the same household, but it only works for a few courses since we have totally diff. degree plans.
As to the question of what kind of books, for this semester coming up I am taking government (local and state), history, humanities, and psychology (lifespan & development). No math (I'm putting the worst off for later!) All "101" introductory courses except the psych class. Thank goodness for my 2 PE classes... no freakin' textbooks required!!!
To get one more complaint in; what REALLY kills me is when I take a Flex or summer course and have to shell out the big bucks for a 4, 6, or 8 week course! arrgh! It's just painful.
Thanks everyone. I usually Google the title as soon as I know it (along with edition, author), but even that confuses me.... I was just looking for a book for an upcoming gov't class and there are umpteen versions of the same book, same edition, same cover picture, all with different ISBN's, so I can't tell one from the other! Some say "alternate edition", what that means I don't know.
Oh, and then there are some with the online access code included, or a cd, and there's no way to tell if I'll need that or not either. Sometimes the bookstores will sell those separately for a "reasonable" price.... but sometimes not. Then, for those that actually make you use the access code and don't sell it separately, that book is useless and can't be re-sold after the course! Ugh. I just want to get it done early, and every semester it turns out the opposite.
I am taking a class with my partner (girlfriend) this semester so that will save us on the cost of that book, and of course any classes I've already taken and she plans to take or vice versa, we hold on to the books and we get double use for the books... the benefits of both of us going to school at the same time and living in the same household, but it only works for a few courses since we have totally diff. degree plans.
As to the question of what kind of books, for this semester coming up I am taking government (local and state), history, humanities, and psychology (lifespan & development). No math (I'm putting the worst off for later!) All "101" introductory courses except the psych class. Thank goodness for my 2 PE classes... no freakin' textbooks required!!!
To get one more complaint in; what REALLY kills me is when I take a Flex or summer course and have to shell out the big bucks for a 4, 6, or 8 week course! arrgh! It's just painful.
I feel your pain with the summer course. I bought a book for my Spanish class and it was around 30 bucks. Everyone else in my class spent around 100 bucks.
I forgot to see the "brief edition" on the cover of the book. My classmates have about 100-200 more pages than I do.
So far it hasn't been an issue.
If I take the online Spanish course, I'll probably have to get the book on CD and I'll just keep my "brief edition" book.
I would keep going to the bookstores and copying the ISBNS. It could be a lot worse....
The bookstore not too far from my school is a lot cheaper than the bookstore on campus and they keep all their books behind the counter so you can't even see the books to even see what they look like, the ISBN....
I wish that financial aid checks could be used to by books online. Some sort of federal law I think makes it where you HAVE to spend it at the bookstore on campus. It's basically a huge monopoly for the people who own those bookstores on campus and oftentimes its the same one or two companies. I wish Congress would correct the problem!! That change would help TREMENDOUSLY!!
I wouldn't mind having to print off my receipt to show that I used the financial aid for its intended purpose: supplies for school.
I'll be giving my "representative" in Congress a call this Monday....It may not go far but I can at least say I tried...
I feel your pain with the summer course. I bought a book for my Spanish class and it was around 30 bucks. Everyone else in my class spent around 100 bucks.
I forgot to see the "brief edition" on the cover of the book. My classmates have about 100-200 more pages than I do.
So far it hasn't been an issue.
If I take the online Spanish course, I'll probably have to get the book on CD and I'll just keep my "brief edition" book.
I would keep going to the bookstores and copying the ISBNS. It could be a lot worse....
The bookstore not too far from my school is a lot cheaper than the bookstore on campus and they keep all their books behind the counter so you can't even see the books to even see what they look like, the ISBN....
I wish that financial aid checks could be used to by books online. Some sort of federal law I think makes it where you HAVE to spend it at the bookstore on campus. It's basically a huge monopoly for the people who own those bookstores on campus and oftentimes its the same one or two companies. I wish Congress would correct the problem!! That change would help TREMENDOUSLY!!
I wouldn't mind having to print off my receipt to show that I used the financial aid for its intended purpose: supplies for school.
I'll be giving my "representative" in Congress a call this Monday....It may not go far but I can at least say I tried...
Hmmm, I have never heard of this situation you're referring to about how you spend financial aid checks. Are you talking about Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, or something else? The way it works for me is the Pell Grant is awarded (or loan, whatever), the school takes tuition out, then they cut me a check and I put it in my bank and can do whatever with it. Are you getting vouchers or something?
You're right, copying down the ISBNs is not that bad, but I'm still wondering how to know when a different edition would be okay...
Hmmm, I have never heard of this situation you're referring to about how you spend financial aid checks. Are you talking about Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, or something else? The way it works for me is the Pell Grant is awarded (or loan, whatever), the school takes tuition out, then they cut me a check and I put it in my bank and can do whatever with it. Are you getting vouchers or something?
You're right, copying down the ISBNs is not that bad, but I'm still wondering how to know when a different edition would be okay...
At my school our financial aid money is put on our student ID. Only the bookstore at the school is able to scan the student id to obtain the money for the books.
The bookstore down the street sells books a lot cheaper but I can't use my financial aid money down there.....at least not until I'm 6-8 weeks into my class.
After about 6-8 weeks of classes, whatever money I didn't spend of my financial aid is mines to keep.
I am not eligible for Pell Grants or anything like that. I have an unsubsidized Stafford loan that helps me pay for my books.
I'm on a scholarship so my tuition and fees are paid for, the only thing I have to worry about is books and such.
As for the subjects you mentioned earlier: government, history, psychology, etc...I wouldn't worry about the different editions. The only thing I can predict as far as a change would be the history books. They might mention the 2008 election. I would just try to bum the changes off a classmate.
Some professors don't mind if students use a different book, you just have to ask. I've had some classes where the professor says we don't even need the book. I ended up saving $180 on a math book because all we needed was the CD-rom. It included pages from the book so...it wasn't that bad.
At my school our financial aid money is put on our student ID. Only the bookstore at the school is able to scan the student id to obtain the money for the books.
The bookstore down the street sells books a lot cheaper but I can't use my financial aid money down there.....at least not until I'm 6-8 weeks into my class.
After about 6-8 weeks of classes, whatever money I didn't spend of my financial aid is mines to keep.
I am not eligible for Pell Grants or anything like that. I have an unsubsidized Stafford loan that helps me pay for my books.
I'm on a scholarship so my tuition and fees are paid for, the only thing I have to worry about is books and such.
Oh wow, that sucks!! I don't think I'd like that at ALL. I gotta have choices. So they put your Stafford loan funds on the card too??? I was recently told by the Fin. Aid office at my school that very soon they will be required by law to deposit all funds directly into a bank account (right now we have to go down and wait in line and pick up checks).... I asked because my lender is BOA and BOA is also my bank and I figured they'd just direct deposit it already, save time for all.
I wonder if that's all schools all over? If so it seems like it would benefit you!
Do you ever just use the library copy (if there is one) for those six to eight weeks? I would probably try that if you haven't, assuming there is a library copy. Of course my school only lets you have the reserve copy for an hour or two at a time and if you try and photocopy everything to take it with you, it ends up being costly since they charge per page... but it depends on how much you need out of the book.
Oh wow, that sucks!! I don't think I'd like that at ALL. I gotta have choices. So they put your Stafford loan funds on the card too??? I was recently told by the Fin. Aid office at my school that very soon they will be required by law to deposit all funds directly into a bank account (right now we have to go down and wait in line and pick up checks).... I asked because my lender is BOA and BOA is also my bank and I figured they'd just direct deposit it already, save time for all.
I wonder if that's all schools all over? If so it seems like it would benefit you!
Do you ever just use the library copy (if there is one) for those six to eight weeks? I would probably try that if you haven't, assuming there is a library copy. Of course my school only lets you have the reserve copy for an hour or two at a time and if you try and photocopy everything to take it with you, it ends up being costly since they charge per page... but it depends on how much you need out of the book.
If they put it in my bank account straight away, that would help tremendously. I could buy all my books off Amazon and save a TON of money. Instead they put the money on my student ID and only the bookstore on campus can obtain the money from the student ID.
After 6-8 weeks, the remaining money goes into my bank account because I set up direct deposit for that money. Otherwise I'd have to stand in line for a check.
The library didn't have a copy of the Spanish book I needed for my summer class. I waited to the last minute to buy my book and I missed a couple of homework assignments. I still have an A in the class so...
I'm not sure if the library copies can be checked out but even if a book had 200 pages and you paid .10 a page...that's only 20 bucks. Depending on how much the book costs, you might be better off just copying the pages.
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So they put your Stafford loan funds on the card too??? I was recently told by the Fin. Aid office at my school that very soon they will be required by law to deposit all funds directly into a bank account (right now we have to go down and wait in line and pick up checks).... I asked because my lender is BOA and BOA is also my bank and I figured they'd just direct deposit it already, save time for all. 
