Buying Books

[Anonymous]

My freshman has his book list on line. Should we be ordering them now or do kids still just go to the bookstore at the start of the semester? Most are lab manuals etc created by the prof so not available through Amazon etc. Also some kind of electronic classroom responder??? No idea what that is for but it is on the list for several classes.

[Anonymous]

I think my DC ordered her books from the bookstore before arrival her first semester and picked them up in the days after move-in. (They were just added to the school's billing statement).

It was very convenient for that first semester, but it's also probably the only time she bought every item on the list. Since then, she prefers to attend class to see what she really needs before heading to the bookstore. I have not seen her book lists or ordered anything for her.

The "clicker" is for larger classes and gives professors a way to track attendance.

[Anonymous]

Other books though, I would look for online or through a used bookstore online. We used to do Half.com back in the day.

[Anonymous]

Buy anything you can in an electronic version, even if it’s a rental. Wait until school because books are often late to arrive, not unusual to start the classes with a few things missing. Get your kid started on electronic note taking. The Iclicker is used for attendance and answering in-class questions. The single most important thing you can do is stress that your student look at the syllabus and class page of each class. Most professors will forgive him almost anything if he attends class and writes a formal email when he messes up.

[Anonymous]

She can ready the syllabus to see how much of the book is used. If its just 1-2 chapters, she can go to the library and read it there (they are usually required to have an in-library reference copy of any book used as a textbook). That's what I did, and only bought the ones that were used extensivlely.

[Anonymous]

wait until the first class then buy online/bookstore near campus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Buy anything you can in an electronic version, even if it’s a rental. Wait until school because books are often late to arrive, not unusual to start the classes with a few things missing. Get your kid started on electronic note taking. The Iclicker is used for attendance and answering in-class questions. The single most important thing you can do is stress that your student look at the syllabus and class page of each class. Most professors will forgive him almost anything if he attends class and writes a formal email when he messes up.

Crazily off-base for some schools and kids. DC’s t10 school is vehement anti-ebook. Some courses don’t allow laptops in the the classroom. No “Iclicker” in use. And lots of profs don’t care much about lecture attendance — but those who do won’t be impressed by formal emails.

It *is* a good idea to read the syllabus and to be aware of what online resources/modes of communication are being used, as well as to note when the prof has office hours. The single most important thing to stress is (if there is one), is “seek help early and often if you are lost or even think you might need it.” Classes go by fast, assessments may be few and far between, and (unlike HS) no one is routinely checking in to see if you are doing the work and understanding it (or giving you feedback re how well you are doing). Waiting too long in the hope that it’ll get easier or you’ll understand it better is a recipe for disaster in many courses.

[Anonymous]

Abebooks has used books, often much cheaper, but shipping times can be slow. Worth looking now and ordering any that are good deals.

[Anonymous]

OP here...kid is coming home from summer camp job two days before leaving for college. He has almost no access to the internet all summer. Every situation is different. Thanks for the book advice.

[Anonymous]

Just remember, and true of the colleges thread generally, anyone who is providing advice for when they were in college is almost certainly wrong about how things work today. Many colleges don't even have bookstores and those that do sell far more clothes than books. Schools and professors vary a lot, my daughter had a combination of ebooks and real books, which she purchased during orientation. (At some schools, Kinkos or the equivlanet may provide readers though I suspect most of that has moved online.) I did not do a thing and wouldn't even know where to look, she took care of it, and your child should too. If your child will be a Freshman, then there will be an orientation where books can be purchased, and if your child is not a Freshman, then presumably he or she knows how to access the books. if all else fails, Amazon will come to the rescue, and Amazon prime will get some there quickly.

[Anonymous]

Just remember, and true of the colleges thread generally, anyone who is providing advice for when they were in college is almost certainly wrong about how things work today. Many colleges don't even have bookstores and those that do sell far more clothes than books. Schools and professors vary a lot, my daughter had a combination of ebooks and real books, which she purchased during orientation. (At some schools, Kinkos or the equivlanet may provide readers though I suspect most of that has moved online.) I did not do a thing and wouldn't even know where to look, she took care of it, and your child should too. If your child will be a Freshman, then there will be an orientation where books can be purchased, and if your child is not a Freshman, then presumably he or she knows how to access the books. if all else fails, Amazon will come to the rescue, and Amazon prime will get some there quickly.

+1,000
I'm amazed at how many people are posting in this forum about their own days in college.

[Anonymous]

Wait until classes start. I think my kid bought only 2 or 3 textbooks her entire freshman year, plus a couple of workbooks. You will likely NOT need everything on that list.

+1 for how much has changed. Any experience more than a couple of years old is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

The best information will come from a current student who attends the same school. Some bookstores are owned by Barnes and Noble and don't stock enough books so a student will have to wait 2 weeks for them to arrive. Some bookstores don't carry many 2nd hand books or e books.

To get an idea, look up cost of each book at bookstore and online (new, used and e book). Search by ISBN number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just remember, and true of the colleges thread generally, anyone who is providing advice for when they were in college is almost certainly wrong about how things work today. Many colleges don't even have bookstores and those that do sell far more clothes than books. Schools and professors vary a lot, my daughter had a combination of ebooks and real books, which she purchased during orientation. (At some schools, Kinkos or the equivlanet may provide readers though I suspect most of that has moved online.) I did not do a thing and wouldn't even know where to look, she took care of it, and your child should too. If your child will be a Freshman, then there will be an orientation where books can be purchased, and if your child is not a Freshman, then presumably he or she knows how to access the books. if all else fails, Amazon will come to the rescue, and Amazon prime will get some there quickly.

Helpful and thanks.
So much is school specific. Orientations that happen earlier in the summer are not book buying times. Big state U’s are different from LACs. Lab manuals and text books can require different gormits, etc. There’s never one answer. If you kids college has a parent FB page, that can help a kid who is offline for summer work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember, and true of the colleges thread generally, anyone who is providing advice for when they were in college is almost certainly wrong about how things work today. Many colleges don't even have bookstores and those that do sell far more clothes than books. Schools and professors vary a lot, my daughter had a combination of ebooks and real books, which she purchased during orientation. (At some schools, Kinkos or the equivlanet may provide readers though I suspect most of that has moved online.) I did not do a thing and wouldn't even know where to look, she took care of it, and your child should too. If your child will be a Freshman, then there will be an orientation where books can be purchased, and if your child is not a Freshman, then presumably he or she knows how to access the books. if all else fails, Amazon will come to the rescue, and Amazon prime will get some there quickly.

Helpful and thanks.
So much is school specific. Orientations that happen earlier in the summer are not book buying times. Big state U’s are different from LACs. Lab manuals and text books can require different gormits, etc. There’s never one answer. If you kids college has a parent FB page, that can help a kid who is offline for summer work.

this is why i said wait until the first class above. professor will review class syllabus and you will know exactly what to get, what not to get.