Textbook Buy-Backs

1. Another semester is coming to an end, so I decided to ask these questions. Does anyone keep their textbooks after the semester?
   
   Or, do most of you allow the college to buy-back the textbooks from you? Under most circumstances I "cash in" my books after I have used them.
2. 

   About TheCommuter, BSN, RN

   Joined: Feb '05; Posts: 38,032; Likes: 69,288
   CRRN, now a case management RN; from US
   Specialty: Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych

   • My Website

   13 Comments

   Topic Closed

   1 2 Next »
3. 
   Dec 13, '06

   Occupation: Women's/Children's Joined: Feb '06; Posts: 130; Likes: 10

   Our school bookstore will not buyback nursing books. I feel these books will be very helpful in the next semesters so I would keep them anyway.
   God Bless,
   Mary Ann
4. 
   Dec 13, '06

   Joined: Sep '06; Posts: 372; Likes: 90

   I usually turn in all my non-nursing textbooks, i.e. english, history, etc.....
   But have kept the AP, nutrition, micro books and will keep all my nursing texts. Just the other day I was using my AP book to clarify something from my nursing class. I just like having the ability to have the info at my fingertips if I want to clarify or refresh something in my mind.
5. 
   Dec 13, '06

   Joined: Oct '05; Posts: 404; Likes: 4

   I'm keeping all of my nursing books and my A&P and Micro books. I think it is so helpful to have these if I ever need it.
6. 
   Dec 13, '06

   Joined: Jan '05; Posts: 545; Likes: 302

   I usually sell my books back to the college, if they take them. I purposely kept a MLA book because it was and is a great reference to guide me for all of the papers that I have had to write. However, I do have a pile of college books at home from the classes that went to a new edition on me, and I can't get rid of them because I spent so much for them.:spin:
7. 
   Dec 13, '06

   Occupation: OB RN Specialty: OB ; Joined: Apr '06; Posts: 728; Likes: 133

   I would love to sell the nursing books I no longer need.. but unfortunately my college is the bend you over the rail type and likes to give $4 or $5 per book you turn back in, even if it is a nice hardback that you never opened and that you paid $60 for. Then they turn around and sell it to someone else for $40. no thanks.
8. 
   Dec 13, '06

   Joined: Feb '06; Posts: 391; Likes: 9

   I sell 'em to someone on the track behind me for 50% of what I paid. The bookstore can take a flyin' leap.
   
   anything that can be looked up in a textbook can be looked up on the Internet faster and easier. And is more likely to be up to date as well. Our new edition textbook for Med Surg had Celebrex listed for an intervention and did not even mention PBSC for bone marrow donation.
9. 
   Dec 13, '06

   Joined: Nov '06; Posts: 114; Likes: 10

   If you want to sell your books you will usually not get much money back from your school's bookstore. And be really sure that you won't need your books for reference. I always use half.com to sell the books I will never need again.
10. 
    Dec 13, '06

    Occupation: Medical Specialty: Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1 ; Joined: Nov '05; Posts: 2,257; Likes: 366

    I'm keeping my Potter and Perry and hung on to my A & P text from several semesters ago for reference....yes, some of those things I can look up online, but I don't have a PC in my bedroom where I do most of my studying!! And if I come downstairs to "look something up...", I end up HERE instead of studying!! :icon_rolleyes:
11. 
    Dec 13, '06

    Occupation: CRRN, now a case management RN Specialty: Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych ; From: US ; Joined: Feb '05; Posts: 38,032; Likes: 69,288

    Quote from xptp29a

    If you want to sell your books you will usually not get much money back from your school's bookstore.

    My school has been giving me over 50 percent of what I originally paid for the books. I am pleased if I can get at least 50 percent.
    
    Today I cashed in my philosophy book for $37 and had originally paid $47 for it. I got $57 for a sociology book and had paid $105 for it at the beginning of the semester. I also received $44.50 for a psychology book when the original price was $78.00.
12. 
    Dec 13, '06

    Joined: Nov '06; Posts: 114; Likes: 10

    Quote from TheCommuter

    My school has been giving me over 50 percent of what I originally paid for the books. I am pleased if I can get at least 50 percent.

    You're pretty fortunate because my school's bookstore is in business to screw students over. Four years ago I went into sell a calculus book I bought brand new from that very bookstore a few months earlier. Cost me $120, they told me they'd give me $30 for it. Needless to say I kept the book. And, yes, they would have turned around and put that very same book on their shelf as "used" for $95. :angryfire
13. 
    Dec 13, '06

    Specialty: 2 year(s) of experience in NICU ; Joined: Apr '06; Posts: 282; Likes: 145

    The only books I keep are the ones I will or might need later in another semester, like pathophysiology, nursing fundamentals, drug reference guide, iv books etc. I sold the A&P book after keeping it for a while because I found that my patho book has a 2-3 page review of each system before getting into the diseases. If that doesn't do the trick, I usually google it and find PLENTY of resources online. I would like to keep every book I've ever bought, but a) I don't have room and b) a new edition might make my copy worthless. When I sell my books, I either sell them to someone taking the class after me or post them online.
14. 
    Dec 13, '06

    Specialty: ER, Medicine ; From: US ; Joined: May '04; Posts: 1,420; Likes: 162

    They don't buy back nursing books. I have at least 25 books (including flip cards, dictionaries, and study guides)...not one will sell back.
    
    I plan on selling my theories & research books on ebay. My Dimensions of Nursing book back, and some others...I'll go thru them all in May to see what I don't want to keep.

Must Read Topics