New Edition textbooks or past edition??

SCmomof3, RN · Jul 27, 2004

I just found out that the books needed for my program are all new editions except one from last years program. Same books just newer versions. My instructors said it's okay to use previous editions on a few of them. Do any of you do this, is it easy to keep up??

I don't but that is because I am anal about things like that LOL! A few classmates from a class I took this summer said they used an old edition and saved TONS of money and didn't lack anything. I guess I'd say it depends on the course to be honest. If it is something that is likely updated for a reason (new technology, etc) then maybe it would be hard to keep up? And if the instructor says it's ok, then sure! Check out ebay or Amazon.com and save some cash :)

Berta · Jul 27, 2004

I agree, if the instructor says it ok to use older editions, then by all means do. Save yourself some money.

Heck, my A&P instructor was so against students having to purchase new editions of textbooks that he let them use any A&P book that had been printed within the past 5-7 years. He would assigns readings like this...read the chapter on muscles rather than saying read pages 22-35, etc.If he was teaching some recent finding, he would pass out hand outs.

Lots of people saved money and did just fine.

Now, having said used the older editions, do not do so without the ok from the instructors. This year, the med/surg book used by the school was split into two volumes and the material was somewhat rearranged. The instructors told us to get the new one. The students who didn't were up a creek, since the instructors tend to just give us page numers to read.

LeesieBug · Jul 27, 2004

I never buy the older editions because our nursing instuctors assign page numbers to read...this leads to a lot of time spent hunting around for stuff that could be spent actually reading. For our classes it winds up being more hassle than its worth.

Also, with nursing and sciences, I prefer to have an up to date edition because these are areas that make rapid advances.

ShellyNC · Jul 27, 2004

My new textbooks from the bookstore will cost $300, It's not much considering i have heard so many that many cost as much as $1000. My sister-in-law is the one that i can buy the previous editions from because she is graduating from the same school, same program just before i start. I really feel that i will save alot, she probley wont charge much. (I hope:rolleyes: ) So some would say it's a no brainer. I guess I might start with the used ones and see how it works, if they don't than the book store is always open. I have had to take out a loan so every penny i save counts.

Thanks for the advice:) I still need to think about it, maybe i will review the books, new and old to compare. 27 days to go until i start school!!!

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jul 28, 2004

... if the instructor says it ok to use older editions, then by all means do...

Did this in A & P I and II with my profs' OKs. Got my book for $13 bucks, when others purchased their's for $133.

You've been given a green light to save a ton of dough. For sure, follow through on this!

ItsyBitsySpider, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2004

Definitely buy the older editions if the instructors gave the ok. There's usually little difference, maybe a little off as far as page numbers but the actual material is the same.

jennielynn · Jul 28, 2004

I was wondering if anyone knows any good websites to purchase nursing textbooks. I got my list of required books today--they will sell them on campus the week before school starts--but don't even have the prices yet!

I've been trying to search around; I've used barnes & nobles, amazon, and rittenhouse to get some prices. There really isn't much difference between them. Why my school doesn't have a re-sell program is beyond me! I know of a lady who is starting at my school next year--maybe she will want to buy my books at a discounted price!!!

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jul 28, 2004

... websites to purchase nursing textbooks...

Covered in several previous posts.

You may wanna try doing a search here.

Good luck!

truern · Jul 29, 2004

http://www.campusi.com/

Last semester I bought my Fundamentals book for about 1/10 of what my classmates paid for theirs...and all I had to do was look up tables, topics, etc in the index instead of by the page numbers in the syllabus.

I've had classes where we NEVER used the book, just used lecture notes from the professor....what a waste of $$$ for textbooks that weren't even cracked

edited to add: get the ISBN numbers from your text list...or use the author's name and text title.