Are textbooks this expensive????

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How much are you all spending on textbooks? Is $400 over the top for just one semester? Am only trying to get required ones. I don't know if it's because I haven't been to school for a while, I am finding this figure overwhelming!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

$400 for a semester? That's cheap - my son's for RT school averaged $1100/ term.

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Specializes in Certified Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nurse.

Yes. Textbooks are expensive. You can purchase textbooks from Amazon or Barnes and Noble online for less. I often buy used books in excellent condition at significant savings. Try to get the ISBN number. Makke sure to get the right edition. I always buy all the books suggested. Some books will be used in multiple courses. Amazon will buy books from you too. Good luck.

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Specializes in psych.

Nope. Are you just starting out? If so, it should get a little less expensive after the first semester. Some of my reference books like the drug books, nurses notes, med surge book, essential nursing book are used each class. So once I got those, it made second year cheaper. I just had to add the peds and OB books for this semester.

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meanmaryjean...$1100, I almost passed out seeing that figure. Another reason why I must work.

Am buying used ones unless the used and new are around the same price. Do you all get the recommended text books as well? I wanted to rent but I have little ones who may get hold of them and cause damage. I hope I will use the books over and over through the program.

Tiredkitten...yes am starting out.

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Yes. Textbooks are expensive. You can purchase textbooks from Amazon or Barnes and Noble online for less. I often buy used books in excellent condition at significant savings. Try to get the ISBN number. Makke sure to get the right edition. I always buy all the books suggested. Some books will be used in multiple courses. Amazon will buy books from you too. Good luck.

jburdrick, do you mean you get the suggested and the required ones? That has to way expensive.

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For one semester of nursing school I was required to have 12 books. If I had bought them at the book store used it would have been around 1,000. I ended up buying all my books used off of amazon for about $350. I would try to find my books on Amazon if I were you since it seems like bookstores over charge and usually run out of their used books quickly. Some schools offer students the chance to "rent" their books. That might be an option for you as well.

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Specializes in Pediatrics/Developmental Pediatrics/Research/psych.

I wouldn't rent books unless you're graduating already because you may need the book for other semesters. The amount you'll spend renewing it over and over will end up way more expensive.

Also, if you plan on selling your books, you probably should get most recent edition regardless if what others say. If you buy an old edition now, it's because it's cheaper. That means that you will be paid significantly less when you sell it.

Try to make a deal with students who are ahead of you in program.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

Ask your professor or the bookstore which edition of the book has been ordered. My husband orders the books for the classes he teaches about midway through the prior semester. Often, the only difference between the last edition and the current edition is a chart or two and perhaps the addition or removal of a chapter or two. Not always, but quite often. He frequently Xeroxes chapters and/or charts that are missing for students who have bought used books.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

That's pretty good. My schools lists all the required books for all 4 semesters at once. I buy them all now, even though some wont get used until next semester or further. The total cost at the bookstore is about $1200, and that's not including the recommended material (which I wont buy anyway). I am ordering them all on Amazon and Chegg for about $700. Def shop online if you can get the ISBN numbers. As far as editions, the new editions of books have virtually the same information, they usually just change a few f the diagrams around and re edit and such. SO the core info is all the same and the pages are usually either the same or very close. If you want to save money buy and edition older than the one your school wants and get it used in excellent condition and you can save a ton. But as someone pointed out, you will get very little resale value when you are done which may or may not matter. GL

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Specializes in NICU.

I rent the books that I don't intend to use after the class. The books that I want to keep, I buy used books that are "like new". I use Cheap Textbooks - Price Compare College Textbooks - Used, New, Rental & eTextbooks to find which website has the best price for rental or purchase.

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Specializes in Certified Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nurse.
jburdrick do you mean you get the suggested and the required ones? That has to way expensive.[/quote']

Yes. It is expensive but I really use them all. I usually get As and I am a little anal. I do buy the used like new condition, and sell back any books I don't like which doesn't happen often. The first few courses of a program are usually the most expensive. I find I use the books in multiple courses and refer to them in my job. I am in the Sacred Heart University (Connecticut) Nurse Educator MSN program. You will find that you will need the research and theory books later in your program when you write papers for references. Good luck. What school are you attending?

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