Grrrrr textbooks!

sarahp

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My textbooks for one subject this next semester are $175 and includes compulsory software that's only for Windows! We don't run Windows in our house - I use a Mac, and DH runs Linux on the other laptops/desktop. We can reboot the desktop into Windows, but DH needs it in Linux generally for what he does so we'll be constantly rebooting, and I don't know if the CD drive in it even works.

I wish my university would get with the times!
 

mom of 4

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When I started my current job in 1994, our computers at work were Macs. I absolutely hated working on them. I do not have a Mac brain - they make no sense to me. People kept saying they were so user friendly and easy to find thing. Pfffft, not for me!

Our first computer ran DOS, with two floppy drives for memory (I'm really old). I have updated Windows over the years and find it very logical.

We had to buy computers this summer for my college-age kids. All three were Windows-based, including the one for my Computer Engineering/Computer Programing son. They mesh with the University computers without issues. There are more business programs available (1 is working on his MBA, 1 on the MPT and 1 in MCS).
 

natalie_ca

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Yeah, text books are outrageously expensive! When I was in nursing school our books alone were about $1,000.00. I ended up buying used books (earlier versions). And some of the Instructors either loaned or gave me some other ones. They all had the same content, just not on the same pages as listed in the Syllabus, but I didn't care, because that's why books come with a table of contents, hehe

I think the maternity book I used was 6 years old or so. I think the only book I bought new was my Anatomy and Physiology and my Psychology books.

When I graduated I gave or sold my used books to the students in the next class.
 

katiemae1277

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Sarah, try amazon for your textbooks, I have been buying mine there and this semester alone I saved almost $100


I got my macro book WITH the study guide for less than the price of just a used main book at my college's bookstore
 

sneakymom

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Yeah, text books are outrageously expensive! When I was in nursing school our books alone were about $1,000.00. I ended up buying used books (earlier versions). And some of the Instructors either loaned or gave me some other ones. They all had the same content, just not on the same pages as listed in the Syllabus, but I didn't care, because that's why books come with a table of contents, hehe

I think the maternity book I used was 6 years old or so. I think the only book I bought new was my Anatomy and Physiology and my Psychology books.

When I graduated I gave or sold my used books to the students in the next class.
I'm in my 1st semester of nursing school. My books were over $500. And 2 of the books they "said" we needed, (and I bought) we aren't even using THIS semester!
Which is just VERY frustrating, considering I've spent several hundred dollars more on "stuff" like a stethoscope, BP cuff, uniforms etc.

What also makes me mad is when you HAVE to buy the software that comes with the book, and then the teachers don't even use the software! I do use the software that came with this first book, it has NCLEX questions, and that's the type of questions they put on our tests.
 

duchess15

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After my first semester in college I vowed to never buy a textbook from the bookstore again. I bought and sold all my books on www.half.com. I would try there first because they are most often cheaper than amazon. Try amazon after that. Good Luck!
 

yam102284

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Originally Posted by Duchess15

After my first semester in college I vowed to never buy a textbook from the bookstore again. I bought and sold all my books on www.half.com. I would try there first because they are most often cheaper than amazon. Try amazon after that. Good Luck!
I did the same thing. I paid so much for my books the first year of college, because I was a business major. For the rest of my 3 years, I bought them online at either Amazon or Half.com. I saved a lot of money by doing that. I even sold a bunch of books on there as well, some for decent money. I still have some listed for cheap prices just to sell them and make some money.
 
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sarahp

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Originally Posted by Mom of 4

When I started my current job in 1994, our computers at work were Macs. I absolutely hated working on them. I do not have a Mac brain - they make no sense to me. People kept saying they were so user friendly and easy to find thing. Pfffft, not for me!
1994 Macs are a little different to 2008 Macs!! You'd be surprised at how nice they are if you gave them another chance. They're much more reliable than a Windows machine.

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

Sarah, try amazon for your textbooks, I have been buying mine there and this semester alone I saved almost $100
I did, and it's more expensive than my university bookstore! As well as that I need to get the pack which comes with the stupid software, and if I get that on it's own, it's over $100, so even if the textbook itself was cheaper, I wouldn't save anything!
 

stacyd1987

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Yikes! Now I"m starting to feel grateful that my textbooks are included in my whole semester total. It's still a lot but not when compared to everyone else's prices!
 
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sarahp

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Ok, so I guess I really shouldn't complain... I feel bad now! I can defer my university tuition fees - so I pay nothing up front... Just my textbook fees. All the tuition fees get deferred and the Government pays for me fees. Once I earn over a certain amount (and that's in Australia, so I won't pay until I get back to Australia), the Government takes an extra 1% or something like that out of your pre-tax dollars until you pay off your tuition fees.
 

stacyd1987

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Well, my whole semester cost is a little over $700 total but that's just for one semester and I think there's 1 or 2 more after this.
 

duchess15

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Originally Posted by StacyD1987

Well, my whole semester cost is a little over $700 total but that's just for one semester and I think there's 1 or 2 more after this.
You are VERY lucky! I paid 4,000-5,000 per semester and that did not even include books!
 

isabel

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When I read stuff like this I am so thankful that my university lets us rent our textbooks. Some classes it seems like I never open the assigned texts. I did/do use them for my math classes, physics, chemistry and English classes. But I have had lots of classes where we weren't even tested on the stuff in the book - only from lecture/lab notes. I'd hate to pay a lot for a book and then never use it.
 

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I haven't been to this site in years, but I use to use www.bookpool.com for computer related books. Often you could get brand new for $20-25...at least that was back in 1998.


Have you checked the Publisher's web site? Often times there is a section on the site for students for further studying (e.g. Thompson Technology has its own site for students and teachers).

They may have an answer on their site for your Mac/Linux/Windows issue.
 

stacyd1987

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Originally Posted by Duchess15

You are VERY lucky! I paid 4,000-5,000 per semester and that did not even include books!
It's all online so I'm guessing that cuts down the cost for a professor and classroom. I wish I could be in an actual class at least once a month or so, you know, to keep me on the ball but since everyone has their own pace, started at different times of the year and live across the U.S. (Or maybe even overseas for military people), that's impossible for them to do.
 
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sarahp

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Originally Posted by lunasmom

They may have an answer on their site for your Mac/Linux/Windows issue.
I believe the software is data analysis software provided by a third party, not actually by the same people who do the textbooks. The university just sells them together as a bundle to give you a discount (ie. discourage you from buying just the text elsewhere...).
 
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