[AeroPlane04]

Hi, I'll be starting uni shortly and was wondering if I have to buy my own textbooks for my course (the ones I think/the uni thinks will be best and most suitable), or whether the uni tells me which exact books I need to buy, or whether I don't have to buy any (can simply find them in the library)??

Also, if I do have to buy my own textbooks, would you recommend buying them at the uni (if they sell them), or elsewhere (like over the internet, etc...)??

Thanks

[lefty]

It depends on your course I guess, for some you're required to get particular books, with others it's a matter of preference. Most uni will give you a list of recommended books. personally (unless you have to) I wouldn't buy any books right away as you might not like the style of the book (your uni's library should have all the books that they recommend to you). I managed to cope quite easily just getting books from the library, but it's entirely down to you...

In terms of buying books, you might be able to get them cheaper at uni. a lot of people also sell books they no longer need so keep an eye out for that, and I know Waterstones has a section on their site for used books... and keep an eye out for older editions of books (normally they're exactly the same content-wise as the newer versions but they're cheaper)

[AeroPlane04]

Thanks a lot. Will definitely check out a couple websites for cheaper versions, perhaps second-hand. But yeah, their libraries seem to have tonnes of books for all courses, so might snoop around for some interesting titles. I hoping to study (Chemical) Engineering, so I'll probably be needing to get my hands on quite a few maths and physics books along the way.

[thecrimsonidol]

You can use the library, but depending on the course, there will be a lot of student and nwohere near enugh books for each one, so your best bet is it buy them. I know a lot of people who got theirs from Amazon, but some people have had a lot of trouble with them, so I always bought mine from the bookshops in town. Also try to make sure you get the latest editions of books, granted on different courses it will be of different importance (for me, doing law, as there was so many changes each eyar we had to get the latest ones).

Just be prepared to spend a LOT of money. Books are seriously damn expensive.

[lefty]

(Original post by AeroPlane04)
Thanks a lot. Will definitely check out a couple websites for cheaper versions, perhaps second-hand. But yeah, their libraries seem to have tonnes of books for all courses, so might snoop around for some interesting titles. I hoping to study (Chemical) Engineering, so I'll probably be needing to get my hands on quite a few maths and physics books along the way.

Yeah (I do Biomedical Engineering)... if you can get one or two books that cover the basics but can still be useful for your second year that's always good (for me I made sure I had access to a maths and electronics book and biomedical engineering book).. Definitely get a decent maths book (I'd make sure it has loads of examples in it)!

[Liv1204]

As above, they will almost certainly have copies in the library but there are a lot of students trying to get a few books, so it is easiest to buy them (also means they're on hand whenever you need them!)

The general advice is not to get them straight away; there's often very similar books and you might find that some you don't use very much, others you find really helpful, or others you like the style of more. I got most of mine from Amazon but if you do that, have a browse and check the prices - e.g. you can often get second-hand ones for much cheaper. Uni bookstores should have a good selection, and when you actually start you might find you get e-mails sent to the whole subject group from students wanting to sell their books from the previous year.

If you can find the module outlines for your subject on their website, they may have a list there too - our subject had 'Required', 'Recommended' and 'Suggested' readings for each lecture, for example (often including one or two chapters from a textbook and a few journal articles).

[AeroPlane04]

(Original post by lefty)
Yeah (I do Biomedical Engineering)... if you can get one or two books that cover the basics but can still be useful for your second year that's always good (for me I made sure I had access to a maths and electronics book and biomedical engineering book).. Definitely get a decent maths book (I'd make sure it has loads of examples in it)!

Sounds like a good idea, given that maths is just such a big part of ChemEng too. Plus, I can read into it a bit before starting uni so it won't all come out of the blue for me. I've heard around that one of the best buys are Engineering Mathematics, by K.A. Stroud. Do you recommend any in particular for maths?? Or any that you've used or heard of that has got good feedback?? It will probably pay me to actually own a few of the most essential ones, rather than fighting over them at the library, as I now see happens.

[Venom123]

After second year, I realised purchasing books was actually unnecessary, I presume it depends on the course.

But I recommend securing it at your library as soon as possible.

[lefty]

(Original post by AeroPlane04)
Sounds like a good idea, given that maths is just such a big part of ChemEng too. Plus, I can read into it a bit before starting uni so it won't all come out of the blue for me. I've heard around that one of the best buys are Engineering Mathematics, by K.A. Stroud. Do you recommend any in particular for maths?? Or any that you've used or heard of that has got good feedback?? It will probably pay me to actually own a few of the most essential ones, rather than fighting over them at the library, as I now see happens.

Yeah the KA Stroud is the one I use... You can usually survive the first year without buying books... I had a pretty decent 'study' group so between us we had a good hold on the essential textbooks... I think decent notes are probably more important than having every textbook on the list


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[chr1stopher11]

(Original post by AeroPlane04)
Hi, I'll be starting uni shortly and was wondering if I have to buy my own textbooks for my course (the ones I think/the uni thinks will be best and most suitable), or whether the uni tells me which exact books I need to buy, or whether I don't have to buy any (can simply find them in the library)??

Also, if I do have to buy my own textbooks, would you recommend buying them at the uni (if they sell them), or elsewhere (like over the internet, etc...)??

Thanks

You don't need to buy any books at university. Your university library will have all the books you need, just make sure you get them before the rest of your year does and have to wait until they return them (i.e. a week for a one week loan).

[superpig22]

If you do want to buy them shop around, get them second hand if you can

Would recommend buying the core ones but that's it really...tbh past 1st yr I didn't use books much I tended to use journals


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Mr Ben]

Your best bet is to wait until you've gotten to your university before buying any books. That way you can get an idea of how many are in the library, how often you'll need to use them, if you can get them second hand from somebody in a higher year and if they're any good (I remember spending £60 on a glorified doorstop a few years ago).

[edjunkie]

Wait until you get to university. Borrow a book first and see if the style suits you. If it doesn't, talk to the lecturer and see if they have a different suggestion.

When buying books, search by ISBN, this should help you find the right edition. A good search website for new/used books is www.bookfinder.com . Bear in mind it does not usually find copies on Waterstones or their marketplace. If in doubt with a used book, as the seller. International editions often have the same content, but may be available at a lower price. You may also come across instructor editions, same core content with some lecture support material. Sometimes EBay can be good for finding books, use the ISBN to search. There is one exception, where ISBN can be misleading, law books, so for them it worth asking the seller what edition the book is.

As a student with NUS extra card at Amazon, you can get an additional 5% off whatever discounts they have already made on a book. Doesn't apply to market place sellers.

Some lecturers expect you to have read a core text from cover to cover. So fighting your fellow students for the library copy of a key book can be frustrating. Also funding for academic libraries have been cut, so you may find newer editions in short supply. Annoying when you find 20 of the wrong edition on the shelves.

If you buy books, remember to be proactive about selling them once you have finished with them. That way you can recoup a lot of your money and minimise the overall cost.