First Year Student Buying Textbooks!!

Nursing Students General Students

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I will be starting nursing school here in Canada and am in the midst of purchasing textbooks. I was given a list of required texts to purchase. I can find all my textbooks on Amazon, but my issue is that most of the books on Amazon are older versions of what is listed on my required texts. For example, I found A Pharmacology textbook on Amazon, but it's a 2009 version, and on my list it says that I need 2010. Would it be detrimental for me to purchase textbooks that are aren't exactly the most updated (I mean, it's by a year..)? Would this tick off my teachers? Would it make studying more difficult?? I need advice PLEASE!!! I did e-mail a nursing student I met at my orientation, but I'm opting out for advice here since this website is for al nurses :laugh:

And a quick question: Should I invest in a wheelie backpack?? I've already purchased a backpack, but it's not a wheelie. I'm fairly strong for my age, but would it be better to have a wheelie? I can't exactly afford it after purchasing textbooks :scrying:

THANK-YOU!!!!

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I don't like to buy old versions of the books because information in the medical field changes so rapidly. Plus the people with older books tended to be frustrated because their pages weren't the same so they were always trying to figure out where the assigned reading was in their book and if there were any differences. But thats just my thinking. I get stressed out easily so I do anything I can to potentially minimize that. I would just constantly worry that what I was reading wasn't up to date/correct for exams. The backpack depends on your programs expectations I think, we aren't asked to carry our books back and forth. I only bring a laptop to lecture and use my books at home. Good luck :)

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Buying older textbooks can back fire. I think it is better to rent a textbook before buying an older edition. It would be better to email the instructor and ask if there will be a problem with it. I would also double check the ISBN to make sure they did not make a mistake with listing the editions since most editions do not come out a year later or they listed a different format. Usually it's 2 to 3 years later whereas the soft cover editions or hardcover editions may come out a year later than initially published.

Email the instructor, not the student.

I use Bigwords.com to make decisions on where and what I'll buy or rent. You enter the ISBN number and it'll search a variety of websites.

I don't like wheeling bookbags. Think of all the crap that is on the floor. I bought a strong and expensive bookbag called Sandpiper of CA but I managed to get a better price than usual because I went through my boyfriend. I have the bugout bag.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I know having an older edition isn't usually a big deal in other classes but I would not buy old versions of your nursing texts (especially pharmacology!) - guidelines are constantly being revised, new drugs are being developed, etc. Someone tried to bring an old version of the Davis Drug Guide to pharm class yesterday and got quite the earful from our instructor. :facepalm:

And I personally hate backpacks on wheels but that's just me. If it helps, we've been told that we're never going to have to bring our entire textbook library to school all at once.

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My school capitalized, bolded and underlined in our orientation packet that we needed the most recent editions of everything. :/

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