Disappointed in the book format

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We had our orientation last week for the nursing program that starts in August. They went over everything we will need to get and what we need do to prepare, and I am sooo excited (and completely overwhelmed!). The one thing I was really disappointed to find out is that we wont be using physical books - they are all digital. Now, I understand how useful and conveniant digital books are, but I love using the actual book! Im definitely more old fashioned in that way, and to be honest, technology frustrates me. I realize that I can purchase the hardcopy on the side, but our budget is severely restricted. Has anyone else dealt solely with the digital books? And if you're old fashioned like me, how hard was it to get used to?

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Although I love the digital format I do find myself reaching for a paper copy I can mark up etc. yes you can do that on an ebook too but somehow my brain is trained to accept paper. I think you will get used to it just like I and many more have. If you must, look at used books etc. good luck and congratulations!

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I've used online books for a few of my classes for the RN to BSN program I just finished, it sucks! I like hard copy books WAY better- consider renting them! I'm not sure of a source but I know of many people that find books to rent and it's cheap.

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Specializes in PCT, RN.

Check into if the school will allow you to print out a copy of the book for a fee.

My school does that; I think it's like $10.

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chegg.com is a good place to rent books for cheap, its as low as $15 per book per semester

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Go on ebay and look for the previous edition of the book you want. I find them all the time for a couple bucks. There's actually a couple of Goodwill sellers in college towns that have a GREAT selection of nursing books.

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I'd be disappointed too. Digital books are TERRIBLE for classroom use. I've heard teachers complain that if you ask students to all look at the material on page 228, it takes forever because there's no simple way to do that (so far) with digital books. They aren't bad for just reading at home though.

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I'd be disappointed too. Digital books are TERRIBLE for classroom use. I've heard teachers complain that if you ask students to all look at the material on page 228, it takes forever because there's no simple way to do that (so far) with digital books. They aren't bad for just reading at home though.

I find that hard to believe as even the most basic ebooks have a way to navigate to pages and even search for keywords within the entire book.

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Specializes in Cardiac PCU/Med-Telemetry.

I love my digital books. In my honest opinion, its easier, especially when my kids are very active in sports and stuff and it comes in handy having a tablet full of my ebooks to read. No heavy books to carry and they are there when you need them.

If you must have a physical book, I recommend getting previous editions so its easier on the wallet. I was actually thinking of these with sone must have. And since you have the current ebook edition, you can just compare them, most information probably hasn't changed much.

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Specializes in Cardiac PCU/Med-Telemetry.
I'd be disappointed too. Digital books are TERRIBLE for classroom use. I've heard teachers complain that if you ask students to all look at the material on page 228, it takes forever because there's no simple way to do that (so far) with digital books. They aren't bad for just reading at home though.

I never have trouble looking for pages. Actually it's much easier than regular textbook and if I am searching for a specific topic, it tells me all the pages it is on.

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Specializes in PCT, RN.

I like digital books in the sense that they're easy to navigate and you can search for keywords easily and quickly.

What I don't like is that I need to jump back and forth between screens (I like taking initial notes on my computer and writing them out later), it's more difficult to retain the information, and sometimes my eyes start to dry out after looking at a screen for an extended period of time.

I definitely prefer actual books over ebooks for nursing.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

The school says you must have EBooks and not hard copies? Are the EBooks part of the tuition?

Lots of schools give students the choice of EBooks or hard copies, since they pay for them in addition to their tuition anyway.

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