College Books....

[BJ Laster]

Do college teachers get a royalty off of college books so they choose the most expensive for us to buy???? :wacko::wacko::wacko:



I got a thing in the mail where I could log onto a website to reserve my books.....



There is a used book store close to my school...hopefully they have what i need....

 

[Mike L.]

BJ, I do think the fix is in or something. I just got the bill for my sons 3 books...$410. Thats

a lot of Rapalas. I know it costs money to keep them current with up to date info but

its just seems like a lot. Oh well.the cost of a higher education! Hopefully it will pay off for him...and You!

 

[Terry Hutchison]

BJ, It's all a racket. The university makes some big bucks if they keep changing the required textbooks. Can't have students continually handing textbooks on to the next class. No profit in that. I once took an Art Survey course for a full year just because I'd paid a huge amount for the text and the second part of the class used the same book. And, if you knew me you'd know I'm not an art appreciation type of guy. I understand the need to update texts but I think they roll 'em over too often. The used book store is the way to go but they don't usually have everything you need. Hutch

 

[BJ Laster]

eeekk...i just did it online...I reserved my books and I just ahve to go pick them up. I got a couple of used books and the rest are new (no other choice)...but good grief....Its almost $300....

 

[Bill McElroy]

Check out how many of your Prof's WROTE the books they make you buy!!! THAT's where the racket is!!..LOL

 

[Jeff Farrar]

Wait till you try and sell them back at the end of the semester for less that $5 each........and you take the money anyway.

 

[Andrew Zuber]

LOL at Jeff...

How TRUE!



az

 

[Michael S]

Best way to re-sell the books is do it on campus at the end of the semester.....you can usually get half your money back if you do it that way.....

 

[Josh Creamer]

BJ:



I just graduated college so I learned a few ways around buying some of the books they "recommend."



First, try buying your books at half.com. Its a site thats put on by ebay just for textbooks and such. Its like buying from a used bookstore, only one that has everything youll need. Ive never gone there and them not had a textbook Ive needed. They were usually in good condition too. Then, at the end of the semester, instead of selling the books back to the school and getting squat for them, you can turn around and sell them back on half.com and get most of your money back.



Also, if you have classes that have multiple books, or one book and a "lab book" or something, you can usually get away without getting the supplements. After about a year, I realized I never used those and just quit buying them.



Lastly, make friends with someone who is in your major that you might be sharing a lot of classes with. You can usually go in buying books together, especially if you take the classes in different semesters, then you can just trade after the semester and you spend half as much money. Plus, the "updated editions" really dont have anything different in them at all so you can get away with buying an older version for 1/3 the price.



Hope some of this helps you or even some Dads who might be forkin over some dough soon.



Josh

 

[Larry Harp]

For the most part it is a heist. There was an editorial in last weeks Gazette talking about how OU professors will require the students to use the textbook that they wrote then they will update it every couple of years to make used book inventory obsolete. How much updating does a freshman English Comp or European History textbook really need??



Here's a tip that I used to use when I was in school. Go to class a week or two to get a feel for how much the instructor actually uses the textbook. I found that sometimes all they do is lecture and you never need the book at all.... or so seldom you can do the reading in the library or borrow a book from someone in your class...preferably the cutest girl in your class. This doesn't always work, you may have to break down and buy the book and the down side is the used book store will probably be sold out. Ya rolls the dice and ya takes ya chances.



Harpo

 

[Gene B]

My daughter was complaining last night about a set of books for a class over the summer. The professor decided to use a new set of books for the class she took this summer, so she had to buy them new. She went last night to sell them back to the book store and was told that the professr isn't using that series anymore so we won't buy them back. I could have gone to college after high school on just what she is spending on books now.:wacko:



Gene

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

BJ,



Do you have any idea on your major? As you progress through school and pick a major, try and keep a couple text books that will be useful. For example, in Accounting you may want to hold onto Intermediate Accounting I & II, as well as Financial Managment, just something to consider.



CJL

 

[Larry Harp]

That's a good idea...I stil read poetry and short stories in my old English Lit books.



Harpo

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

I only have two non-accounting books that I held onto.



The Odyssey and Dante's Inferno.