Recommended study guides... Did you buy them?

Jules A, MSN · Jul 13, 2008

Hi,

I loved the study guides! They have practice questions and some of them would show up on our exams because my school used the publisher's test banks. Never did pay full price from the book store though. Check out this link and you could also consider buying older versions which are usually dirt cheap if money is a concern. Good luck!

http://www3.addall.com/

tiggerdagibit · Jul 13, 2008

I purchased everything.. required and recommended. Thankfully, I had financial aid so it wasn't a problem, but I would recommend that you get them all IF you can (even if it's not by the first day of class.) I found the study guides were great to go over before a test. Sometimes I felt like I understood something, but after trying to answer the study guide questions, I realized I needed to review some areas more. I also had a situation last semester where a book was recommended, but some of the lab paperwork we had to do came straight from that book! Why it wasn't required is beyond me. :uhoh3:

ashemson · Jul 14, 2008

Please check http://www.half.ebay.com for the books you are needing. One of the books I need is for sale new at the college bookstore for $111 and I just bought it for $43, and another one was $36 new and I just paid $15. You will be amazed at the $$ you can save!

And to answer you question, I do like the study guides. I use them as a refresher before tests, and like the other member said, sometimes test questions do come from them. Good luck!

KimStoops · Jul 14, 2008

Thank you for that ebay link. The prices are amazing. I am going to go up to my school tommorrow and go in the book store to make a list of the books I need and then look on there to see if I can find them.

kcochrane · Jul 14, 2008

I personally don't get the study guides. I have before and then never used them. I did get some of the recommended books (i.e. calculate with confidence), but got older versions. I also ended up getting an older version of the nursing diagnosis handbook and may also get last year's nursing drug book. I also use half.com, ebay.com and amazon.com.

WickedRedRN, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2008

The optional guides I usually waited until class began to see if they were recommended. Classmates who had them never seemed to mind letting me glance at them to decide if I wanted them or not.

Also, I am a firm believer in ebay, textbookx.com, half.com and fetchbook.org for books. Anytime you can get a book there and save some $ its a good thing.

Most books I could buy the previous edition for much less and very little difference in the text.

Hands and Heart · Jul 14, 2008

Get the title and ISBNs of all the books. You can google the ISBN and sometimes a comparison site will pop up that compares the prices at different websites. Sometimes I have found them cheaper than half.com. But always check half.com and amazon.com marketplace. Very good prices.

sboyett22 · Jul 15, 2008

My first semester, I bought all of the above. Even the recommended books. Which several I never even had time to open. I would ask someone in a semester ahead of you which ones you actually need! I have saved many many students behind me lots of money by showing them which ones they will actually use and recommended some that weren't even on the list. There are alot of books that are extremely helpful that the school doesn't recommend (like a fluids and electrolytes guide or made easy type book). My school said we had to buy a few work books that went along with our lecture book. The questions didn't help me at all. My money would've been better spent on a NCLEX review book. (the questions are better) Like I said though, your best bet would be to ask someone ahead of you. After your first semester though, you will have learned what type books are the most helpful to you and the info you need extra help with. GOOD LUCK!!!!!

missjennmb · Jul 15, 2008

Not directly related, but I just took one of my pre-reqs in which I was trying to "shop" the book and the ISBN they gave me was for a "package" of book/workbook/CDs/DVDs and when I asked if I could get just the book they said that it was all "required". I dont know why they said that, because in my class we barely even use the textbook, and I don't think anyone other than me has even LOOKED at the DVDs. It was a waste of my $154 and I don't know why the bookstore would require such an inflated high priced product for a simple math class.

Definitely check book titles/versions/etc instead of just the exact ISBN numbers, because if i had done that, I could have gotten the same book, without all the "fluff" for about $20. Wish I had known what I know how. sigh

CuriousMe · Jul 15, 2008

Not directly related, but I just took one of my pre-reqs in which I was trying to "shop" the book and the ISBN they gave me was for a "package" of book/workbook/CDs/DVDs and when I asked if I could get just the book they said that it was all "required". I dont know why they said that, because in my class we barely even use the textbook, and I don't think anyone other than me has even LOOKED at the DVDs. It was a waste of my $154 and I don't know why the bookstore would require such an inflated high priced product for a simple math class.
Definitely check book titles/versions/etc instead of just the exact ISBN numbers, because if i had done that, I could have gotten the same book, without all the "fluff" for about $20. Wish I had known what I know how. sigh

Unless your school works very differently, the bookstore doesn't decide what is required, your professor does. In the past, if there's a package required, I generally e-mail my prof (before class starts) and ask if we'll need the entire package.

Peace,

CuriousMe

maliat · Jul 16, 2008

Definitely get them. Get them plus a NCLEX book like Saunders. Even if your prof does not take questions from the test bank, you need practice. I find out what I did not study enough by doing questions in the study book. And if not the study guide that goes with the text, get prentice halls review and rationale books.

Malia