Are textbooks this expensive????

Nursing Students NP Students

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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!

Specializes in nursing education.

My physical assessment class books alone cost more than that. Add more if you need an otoscope/ophthalmoscope set.

Keep in mind that the books you purchase will be your reference books for your career- they are an investment. Also, our program integrates the books from previous classes into subsequent classes, such as the Hamric text and the nursing research texts that were required. I find myself using every text again and again.

The three books I knew I would not use again, Amazon bought back for way more than the bookstore would have. I've also saved money by buying directly from the publisher or purchasing damaged books (my favorite actually said "there is no mold." on the listing- the book had water damage- and was super cheap).

Best wishes.

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I tend to wait until the first week of the semester and ask my professors which are REALLY required (sometimes different than what the bookstore will tell you) and if an older edition will suffice. I had one course which "required" 7 text books and my professor recommended two of them. Generally they narrow it down and don't care if its an older edition (unless the included online/CD resources are necessary for the course). Mostly, I buy one edition before the newest on Amazon at great prices.

I have also rented textbooks from Amazon which is cheap and you can decide if you want/need to keep it. I did this with my patho and research & theory texts. They give you printable shipping labels which do not cost postage to return and I used the same packaging from when they were delivered. Pretty simple!

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Specializes in CVICU.

We had about 11ish books for first semester, and it ended up being around 600-700 off Amazon. This upcoming semester, we have about 4 to buy and it'll be about $400.

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Unless you are super tight on funds I wouldn't recommend renting: the rental is usually the new purchase price minus the buy-back price with the thing being that the buy- back price fluctuates some. If you buy, you have the opportunity to evaluate if you will need the book again.

Buy used, then search the internet for the best buy-back. I used a service called book scouter that would find the highest buyback price. The book buyers don't care if you bought the book new, as long as it's in decent shape when you sell back.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, CT Step-down, Home Health.

If you like to use ebooks, you can rent them from this website Online Textbooks, eTextbooks, textbook eBooks, exam copies | CourseSmart The rentals are good for a year so if you need them again for another course you will still have access to them. Much more affordable option as well as buying from Amazon.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Half.com... best thing ever. Seriously I think I bought a book for $8 once and sold it back to my school's bookstore for $32.

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Thanks all for your comments. Someone asked which school I will be going it. I will be attending GU. We are required to read like five chapters before our first patho class, so there is no way I can wait for week one to order the books. I went ahead and order old and new from amazon. I realized some new ones cost the same as old ones (doesn't make sense), so in such cases I bought new. Am debating about buying recommended ones. I don't know if I will have enough time to read the required plus recommended....but I do want a good grade.

Soon2bagnp...I love highlighting and underlining. I had wanted to get an ipad for ebooks butI realized it's not my learning style.

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I am graduating from GU next month. I have basically bought the required books not recommended and I have been fine. Also many of the books for the clinical courses you buy for the first course and use for all the additional clinical courses. You should be spending less future semesters.

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you could rent you know. Saves you a lot of $$$$

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Specializes in Aesthetics, Med/Surg, Outpatient.

Directtextbook.com

I'd never suggest renting unless it's a book you'll only use them for one semester.

My books for spring cost $960 at the bookstore but through using directtextbook.com (half, amazon and abebooks), I'm spending about $210-$250 and we need these books throughout the program :)

Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

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Sorry about my earlier typos.

Sugarsweet, nice to meet you. Any words of wisdom to this newbie about the program? You can PM me if you are comfortable that way. I will not worry about the recommended books.

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Yes! Textbooks are crazy expensive. I have networked with seniors in my program and buy my books from them and they will beat the lowest used prices I find and even more! I would also recommend checking out your local craigslist, a lot of people sell textbooks on there for cheap and are often willing to haggle when they need the money or just want to get rid of it!

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