How much was your book set?

If it is a class that I will not want to keep the books, then I rent them for the semester. It is far cheaper to rent them then it is to buy them and resell them online. If I want to keep the books, then I buy used (nearly new) for half off or more. I spend around $300 per semester between renting and buying used.

If you can get the information about the book soon enough search Amazon. I spent HALF as much as my classmates who bought theirs at the bookstore.

The problem is that they make deals with the publisher and edit a chapter here and there, and maybe leave a chapter we don't need out so many of the books are 'custom' versions and I prefer not to be fumbling and searching for the material when an instructor advises us to go to a certain page.

They're quite pricey. They're even pricier when they switch curriculum midway through the program. If they're using the same books, I'd look around for a new graduate to purchase from, though likely they've updated since they purchased their books.

I happen to love the e-books because they saved my back without the dreaded rolling backpack

I just found out today that my books are also 1600 from the bookstore, I can get them from the publisher for much cheaper though. So frustrating!

I spent 1000.00 on my first semester alone! I just purchased my books for the fall semester, so all told we've had to purchase 12 or 13 books plus prepu for 3 of the semesters. (I don't even want to tally up what I've spent on books LoL) I purchase everything either through Amazon or Walmart. The Walmart site I found by accident but I bought last semester's text on there new for a lot less than used on Amazon (go figure!). I hate ebooks, I like to have a physical book One semester I used a previous edition of the same book without any trouble (I mean really, if it's within a year or two 99.9% of the information is the same...the only thing I absolutely make sure I have the most current is drug books) Anyhoo, that's my 2 cents Good luck!!

This is my first semester at this school so I may find cheaper options down the road. However, they have books specifically for their school and you need that version - only to be found in their bookstore. My first semester books will be around $800. That does not include scrubs, shoes, stethoscope, etc.

Here's the kicker, the theory instructor REQUIRES the eBook set. There were two students the first day who bought the physical books and the instructor advised them to get a refund and purchase the eBooks.

I would talk to one of the instructors and ask them if information has been ADDED to their versions or if information has been taken away. In my experience, schools will only pull out chapters that are not neccesary but page numbering will remain the same (so no confusion). You can then purchase the same books online and RENT the ebook directly from the publisher. This will allow you to get exactly what the school requires you to have, but at a much cheaper price. It is worth the extra legwork to save several hundred dollars. You can put your savings to a nicer stethoscope or more coffee.

Also? You might change your mind on the ebooks. Depending on the publisher and what app you use to access the ebooks, they come with a lot of tools and additional functionality (built in flashcards, note sharing with classmates, video demonstrations, THE ABILITY TO SEARCH BY KEYWORD) that you might find highly useful. Additionally, nothing beats not having to lug huge books around. I personally love them and have been using ebooks for several years.