How does buying/using books work exactly?

Hey Guys,

I'm heading off to start university next weekend and one of my few concerns is how exactly as students we're meant to utilise and purchase books.

So far my university hasn't told me that I should arrive on day one with any books. On the website where I was given a few summer activities to do there was only mention of 'recommended reads' for each of my units, overall I was given about 30-odd recommendations from various lecturers, and of course I can't afford 30+ books.

Do you find out what books you need during your first sessions when you get there, or are we expected to turn up with them all readily available? Do you get told what chapters to study or do they just expect you to read an entire book and makes notes for it all?

Sorry if it's a stupid question!

Thanks

Reply 1

Jenx301

19

Please don't try and buy all the books on the recommended reads list! Most, if not all, of the books should be in your university library. Some people like to buy the core books (the ones that lecturers regularly refer to) but I guess it depends on your course, how you like to study etc....

Reply 2

claireestelle

22

Original post by Toby958

Hey Guys,

I'm heading off to start university next weekend and one of my few concerns is how exactly as students we're meant to utilise and purchase books.

So far my university hasn't told me that I should arrive on day one with any books. On the website where I was given a few summer activities to do there was only mention of 'recommended reads' for each of my units, overall I was given about 30-odd recommendations from various lecturers, and of course I can't afford 30+ books.

Do you find out what books you need during your first sessions when you get there, or are we expected to turn up with them all readily available? Do you get told what chapters to study or do they just expect you to read an entire book and makes notes for it all?

Sorry if it's a stupid question!

Thanks

Not a stupid question at all :smile:

All depends on your subject, but they should provide you with a reading list for each module you take.
Then personally, I will check the core books out in the library and if there's a lot of useful chapters in them i might consider buying that book 2nd hand off amazon, for example as I m a nursing student i m always going to need a pharmacology book so that's worth buying but i wouldnt buy a book that i only needed one chapter out of.
There then could be further/optional books on your reading lists, for these I would again have a look at the ones you like the look of in the library and then maybe consider reading one or two to increase your knowledge a bit but by no means read all the further/optional stuff unless you want to of course.

It's incredibly rare to need to read a whole book, so just check out to see what the library has for your reading list and then use the contents lists and indexes off the books so you only read the parts of the books that you absolutely need to read (this is where post its can come in incredibly handy).
They shouldnt expect you to have books at hand on day one, unless they told you to buy them specifically. I d say go to the library when you first start and see what's available from your reading lists and go from there. I would also look into your university libraries website it should explain how to use your library and any e resources on there and you might be able to search for books online (my university has something like 50 thousand ebooks so you never know what they might have online) .

Reply 3

jelly1000

21

Original post by Toby958

Hey Guys,

I'm heading off to start university next weekend and one of my few concerns is how exactly as students we're meant to utilise and purchase books.

So far my university hasn't told me that I should arrive on day one with any books. On the website where I was given a few summer activities to do there was only mention of 'recommended reads' for each of my units, overall I was given about 30-odd recommendations from various lecturers, and of course I can't afford 30+ books.

Do you find out what books you need during your first sessions when you get there, or are we expected to turn up with them all readily available? Do you get told what chapters to study or do they just expect you to read an entire book and makes notes for it all?

Sorry if it's a stupid question!

Thanks

If a humanities student you shouldnt need to buy many if any books - you might only refer to one once for something. There is a library on site for when you need them! You get told what topic, you go and find some books - you never need to read the whole list, and you read selectively.

Reply 4

JustGeorgeJ

16

Original post by Toby958

Hey Guys,

I'm heading off to start university next weekend and one of my few concerns is how exactly as students we're meant to utilise and purchase books.

So far my university hasn't told me that I should arrive on day one with any books. On the website where I was given a few summer activities to do there was only mention of 'recommended reads' for each of my units, overall I was given about 30-odd recommendations from various lecturers, and of course I can't afford 30+ books.

Do you find out what books you need during your first sessions when you get there, or are we expected to turn up with them all readily available? Do you get told what chapters to study or do they just expect you to read an entire book and makes notes for it all?

Sorry if it's a stupid question!

Thanks

It's not a stupid question, completely understandable and I was the same way.
When I was in first year and I got my 'reading list' before I started, I thought I had to buy all of them, my parents ended up buying me them and I didn't actually end up reading them. They were more for use to help me in my assignments and what not and I used them as of when I needed them.

It's a confusing one and it alters depending on the course.
With mine, my reading list was pretty pointless, we looked at 2 or 3 of the books that were on the list and the rest were just for reading to gain knowledge and what not - they were never actually talked about. Just there for us.

Some courses, the books on the list are the books you use and you'll get told when to refer to them and read to them as the course goes on etc.

How does buying/using books work exactly?

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