Buying textbooks online?

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I will be starting nursing school in the Fall, and have been told by the school that we should buy our textbooks as a box set directly from them. I have looked at buying the books separately online, and would save nearly half the price of the box. My question is, has anyone had any problems doing this? The school seemed awfully insistent that gettting the set was the way to go...

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I will be starting nursing school in the Fall, and have been told by the school that we should buy our textbooks as a box set directly from them. I have looked at buying the books separately online, and would save nearly half the price of the box. My question is, has anyone had any problems doing this? The school seemed awfully insistent that gettting the set was the way to go...

I have always bought my textbooks online, and never had an issue. Just make sure you have the correct ISBN, Title, AND edition. Make sure you check all three. Otherwise, no issues, just money saved! I think they just reccomend you buy them from the bookstore on campus to 1) Insure there's no mix-ups and 2) Make LOTS of money. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in student; help!.

Ditto. My bookstore quoted me $1200 and I got it down to $500. Woo! I even got books with online code numbers and CDs.

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I saved over $250 by ordering mine online. Another advantage is if you like to read ahead you don't have to wait for the bookstore to put out textbooks for the fall (two weeks before classes at my school). Like Jivane said, make sure you check the ISBN and edition. Don't just go by the title and authors. Congrats on getting into nursing school!

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Last semester, there were some bundle sets that we "just had to have!" for a massive price. I emailed the instructors and specifically asked if we NEEDED the supplementals, CDs, online codes, etc and was told yes. Guess how many times we used each? NEVER

I always buy my books online. Our A & P book was $210 at the bookstore. A guy in my class was bragging about how he rented his for $70. Really? Well, I bought mine online for $50, including shipping.

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Specializes in student; help!.
I saved over $250 by ordering mine online. Another advantage is if you like to read ahead you don't have to wait for the bookstore to put out textbooks for the fall (two weeks before classes at my school). Like Jivane said, make sure you check the ISBN and edition. Don't just go by the title and authors. Congrats on getting into nursing school!

Yep, we already have a reading assignment, so having those books already makes me much more comfy. Plus, I can geek out on them and page through at bedtime. Yes. I am that student. :rckn:

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Thanks for all the replies, ya'll. I agree being able to start reading now is definitely an advantage. I will take the recommendation and check ISBN's and such:)

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okay all, here's my situation. my bookstore is selling my a&p book for $200. i went to the bookstore, checked out the cover pic, author, publisher, and isbn. i found what seems to be the exact same book online with identical everything except isbns for $50 less. i chickened out buying from online and went with the school bookstore book because of the different isbns. my question is could the online book be the exact same book as the bookstore book, but with different isbns? :confused:

thanks!!

sj:redbeathe

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I typically buy my books online and usually dont have major problems. What is frustrating though is when the instructor tells you you have to have one of the books or supplemental books and you dont use them...so I would purchase them whereever their the cheepest.

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Specializes in IMCU.

My school said the same thing. I went to their bookstore looked at the set, and wrote down all of the isbn numbers. Then searched online for cheaper. I got the same ones, new, at about half price.

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TXRN, I don't think so. More likely it is a special edition for a specific market. I found that with my chemistry book.... same title, authors, cover, edition, but different book. It was a special for a specific school and had less than a quarter of the material as the standard. It wasn't a rip off because the online seller told me exactly what it was. I bought it anyway because it was so cheap (between $5 and $10 incl. shipping) and my prof was so supportive of off editions it was worth the chance it would work. It didn't work.

I think that much difference is an extreme. It could work if there isn't too much difference and you have access to the correct book and can compare them and make notes of the differences. It is a gamble. Oh, sometimes different editions have the same cover picture. In that case the difference might be listed for you in the front of the book.

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The books you get online with the same ISBN are the exact same books! I highly recommend half.com. ALSO, starting July 1, a new law takes effect that you MUST be provided with the information such as title and isbn so that you have the option of buying your books anywhere you would like! It is called the Federal Textbook Disclosure Law, and is to protect you from the sky high markup at your college bookstore!

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