Previous edition textbooks

[Bubbly26, BSN, RN]

I am starting nursing school in the Fall and I was wondering if it would be wise to purchase the previous edition of my textbooks needed for fall?The cost of books at my college bookstore is $760 not including tax.

Should I just go ahead and just buy the previous edition or should I just suck it up and buy the two boxes of textbooks needed for class?

Also, I should mention that I am a second degree student and I am not eligible for financial aid so I am paying for everything out of pocket.

[osi2011]

Why purchase from your school bookstore? I go onto Amazon for all of my nursing texts, saved at least $300, in addition to that you can have the option of renting the texts.

I got a mix of older editions and the current edition

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

if you are attending a brick and mortar school they may have the required texts in the library for you to use (and copy). I would not buy recommended texts until you are convinced it is something that will add to your knowledge and ability to pass NCLEX. Lots of good texts out there but no need to buy them all. If no library, then buy used and update data during lectures.

[Exhaustipated, ADN, BSN]

The safest thing to do is contact your instructors and ask them. Although it may not be the same for every school, at my school, the instructors understand how much money we're spending and how strapped for cash many of us are. Often, they'll let us know it's okay to purchase previous editions but we're still responsible for any material that may be different. We're also warned that pages/chapters may not match up. Only one instructor has told us we must have the current edition. With one book, previous editions were recommended because of cost (new was $50+, previous ed used could be had for $14).

Otherwise, I would go with used. Both my daughter and I have had great luck with used copies purchased through Amazon.com.

[Balto]

I boycotted the university bookstore because they charged way too much and then never gave me a good return at the end of the semester.

I agree with the others about buying from amazon. I also rented from chegg and saved a lot of money that way. It's free to ship your books back too.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day, NS Bubbly26:

I agree with Blue Felt Fedora about contacting the instructor. That's what I've been doing. Sometimes they will tell you it is ok and just be careful of page number / problem number conflicts; and, other times, they will tell you it is not ok.

Thank you.

[Miss.LeoRN]

Really it depends on the book. Compare the current and previous editions of the book. What changed between the two? Was information reformatted? Was there information expanded or added? Sometimes new editions just shuffle around what is already there. In that case it's just a matter of spending some extra time finding what you need to study. In other cases they add entire sections and chapters or expand on them, to which then you would have missing information. You may just be able to use the previous edition and find the information you need through someone else, or through the internet.

Renting the books is another option, but if your program is like mine and uses the same books for the entire program and you pretty much buy all but a few upfront, then renting really isn't an option at all (you end up paying more to rent them each semester than to just buy them all at the beginning, and in my case the books were just published so renting them is insanely expensive.).

Finally, if you know who your professors are then indeed contact them! Ask them if a previous edition is okay or if you do need the current edition. I've had everything from professors who never touch a book, or only use it once or twice, to professors that tell you if they do not see you physically bring the book to class they won't pass you because a requirement of the class is to have the book. No she wasn't a nice teacher.

[caliotter3]

Have also seen where two or more students "share" a text and the text cost. This takes a great deal of cooperation and responsibility. You can't enter into an agreement along this line and then have the other person not hold up their end of the bargain. Good to set up with your study group, should you be lucky enough to have established a good group of responsible classmates.

[rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Look for books on EBAY, Amazon or one of the other textbook sites. Our bookstore told me that they have no markup in books for students, but what I could buy on amazon new was much less than what they sold for used. No mark up my backside.