Buying old editions of books?

allnurses Guide · Dec 30, 2008

Think it depends what the subject is. Something like statistics, yeah - it's not really going to change in a couple of years. Something like A&P, they are finding more things out all the time, so I'd probably go with the new one.

I use the hospital/uni library a lot for subjects I don't want to buy the book for.

Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Dec 30, 2008

Check out half.com, thats where I get 99% of my nursing books. 2008 version is $65 on half.com. For your main lecture books, I would try to stick with the current material, as that is where they are grabbing questions off for exams!! for Nur 254/255/150, older versions would probably be ok.

NachoMomma · Dec 30, 2008

I'd always run it by the instructor too. I've had teachers in my gen ed classes say that older versions are okay, but some are real sticklers for the new edition.

blessedx2 · Dec 30, 2008

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Chaya, ASN, RN · Dec 30, 2008

I did that a time or two. The problem I had was that they might assign a reading or questions to answer by page number and the page numbers in my book did not directly correspond to what was assigned so I had always had to verify if it was the same assignment with a classmate whe had the current edition.

blessedx2 · Dec 30, 2008

See if you can go to evms or one of the hospitals and check out their textbook - I know two girls who have done that.

krenee · Dec 30, 2008

I had an older version of the textbook for A&P (didn't know it at first, because it was still brand new sold in the school bookstore - and full price which I wasn't too happy about). Anyway - the differences were pretty minute, but the page #s can be confusing. I think it would be fine if you keep that in mind - better yet if you have a classmate where you can compare their book with yours to see what pages you're supposed to be reading.

Kelly

lizmatt · Dec 30, 2008

I do it all the time. I take it as a gamble. I go ahead and spend the couple of bucks for the older version and the couple of times that it was too hard to use the old version - I just go ahead and get the new one.

So I lose the 5 or 6 dollars that I spent on old version, BUT the savings on all the books that I have purchased this way have way exceeded these losses.

I also sometimes check text books out of the library - and I have also rented once from chegg.com

Renting textbooks for classes that I won't need the book is a great idea and I wish I had learned about it much sooner