Do you prefer buying books that already have writing in them?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Specializes in Transcription, Phlebotomy.

Just wondering if anybody has a preference when buying books. Have you found that it helps to have used books that have already been highlighted and written in?

If not, do you like to do your own writing in them or keep them in pristine condition. I've always tried to keep my books in good condition but someone recently told me that people actually like buying books that already have highlighting done because it saves them the time and effort of having to do it themselves.

What do you think?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I like to highligh myself, if at all. I usually don't highlight. The times I've bought new books I've looked for books with the least amount of highlights. I'm kind of weird and waste money on new books. This includes for personal reading I buy hardback new books. I wish I were more economical.

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Specializes in OR Internship starting in Jan!!.

Personally, I look for the book with the least amount of writing and/or highlighting. In most classes, I don't mark in my books at all. However, my A&P prof follows the book exactly and uses a test bank provided by the book publisher, so I do highlight in that book. With the structure of the class, I know that if I did not highlight it during lecture, then I don't have to know it.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
What do you think?

I think you need to stop worrying about selling your textbooks back and get as much use out of them as possible. I worried about selling my textbooks back with my first degree and my grades were a good reflection. I did not get much use out of the books so my grades were not too hot! :jester:

Now I can care less about selling them back because I use them in other courses. I make notes in the margins and highlight important information. My grades are straight As!:monkeydance:

By the way, I think your friend is wrong. Most people I know (including myself) prefer used textbooks with very little markings because we don't trust the previous owner. I am sure there is a small segment of the population that is more trusting but I am doubtful. I sell books (including textbooks from my former degrees) on Amazon.com all the time and the ones in the most prestine condition sell fast and for a good price. Good luck. :wink2:

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Specializes in Neuro.
By the way, I think your friend is wrong. Most people I know (including myself) prefer used textbooks with very little markings because we don't trust the previous owner. I am sure there is a small segment of the population that is more trusting but I am doubtful. I sell books (including textbooks from my former degrees) on Amazon.com all the time and the ones in the most prestine condition sell fast and for a good price. Good luck. :wink2:

Amen. How do I know the previous owner of my textbook wasn't a moron who highlighted random things I don't need to know? If something is already highlighted in my book, I tend to subconsciously say to myself, "Oh, that's already highlighted, so I don't really need to look closely at it now" which has ended up coming back to haunt me later when I need to recall that highlighted information.

While used books are more economical, I'd rather have a new one over one someone has marked to pieces.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I don't really care if the book has highlighting and writing, just as long as I obtained it at a good price. I try to buy used books to save money. If the student bookstore on campus has run out of used discounted books, I shop for cheap versions of the same edition on http://www.Ebay.com or http://www.Amazon.com to save some cash.

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I've always tried to keep my books in good condition but someone recently told me that people actually like buying books that already have highlighting done because it saves them the time and effort of having to do it themselves.

What do you think?

I think your friend is mistaken. "Saving the time and effort of having to highlight myself" doesn't make much sense to me. I have to read the material, and decide for MYSELF what's important to remember. Some people highlight practically everything, some only what they have a hard time getting through their heads.

Me, I highlight nothing, and never buy books that ARE marked up. I find that way too distracting....I'd pay extra $$ to have as clean a copy as possible, but that's my preference. If I wanted to find a page faster, I'd put a post-it flag there. If I wanted to really remember it, I'd write a blurb in my notebook to supplement the lecture material.

But really, why does any of that matter? If you bought the books so YOU'D learn something, do whatever is going to best accomplish that. Clean, marked up, whatever works for YOU!

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By the way, I think your friend is wrong. Most people I know (including myself) prefer used textbooks with very little markings because we don't trust the previous owner. I am sure there is a small segment of the population that is more trusting but I am doubtful. I sell books (including textbooks from my former degrees) on Amazon.com all the time and the ones in the most prestine condition sell fast and for a good price. Good luck. :wink2:

Another thing to keep in mind is that you never know where the book came from. I know at my school they purchase used books from a supply warehouse. Those books are not marked as having come from another school. You just never know. If the book came from another university then the main points to be remembered may be different. All instructors are different in what they prefer to highlight.

Also, at another university that I attended, different instructors at the same institution had different ideas of what should be stressed in lecture. Just be careful when you get books that are already highlighted. I always try to get books that are as clean as possible so I can make my own notes and highlights. If the book is already highlighted I just use a different colored highlighter. This works for me because I do not sell any of my books back ever. I still use them as references in other classes.

Once you are in nursing school, keeping your books will be important. I am in my second semester of nursing school and over half of my books from last semester will be needed for classes this semester.

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I personally detest highlighting in textbooks and I will buy a new copy at higher price before I will purchase a highlighted one. Additionally, I don't highlight in my own books because I find it distracting. I much prefer to pencil notes in the margin, bracket a paragraph or circle a definition but always in pencil. Keeps my books neat, clean and easy on the eyes!

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Specializes in LTC.

I acctually like having highlighting in books. I think it's helpful to see what other people saw as important in their readings. In the end it really doesn't effect what I write down, because I have my own opinions.

For the most part I really don't care what kind of condition the book is in as long as it's cheap and readable. :)

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I prefer that the books I use don't have writing or highlighting in them because I like to do that myself. However, if it's a really good price, I do get the book that has writing. It's not that big of a deal.

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Specializes in LTC/Skilled Care/Rehab.

I can't stand books that have highlighting or writing in them. I bought a used book once and it drove me crazy. I always highlight things that I can't remember or things I know that I need to know. I rather pay more money and get a book that is not marked up.

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