<p>While I attend UVA, my father wants to stay in touch with his college backgrounds. He wants to study the same classes I do, but on a more personal level, so I was wondering, for topics like social psychology, personality psychology, biology, etc, what textbooks would be recommended for him in order to pursue these topics?</p>
<p>You can find a list of the textbooks on the UVA bookstore website, does that help at all?</p>
<p>Yes, it does! Thank you! :)</p>
<p>I wonder, is that list accurate?</p>
<p>Or perhaps a better question: Should I order my textbooks now based on info from UVA bookstore or wait until classes start? (In terms of availability and price)</p>
<p>if it says fall 2010 it’s accurate… if you want to support your local bookstore you can wait and buy them there. even without shipping it’ll likely be pricier to buy them at the bookstore though. but if the professor switches his mind on the book then you can return it at the bookstore, not so much online… (i’ve only once… maybe twice… had this happen for the record; other professors make booklets only available at local copyshops though)</p>
<p>Definitely wait for the actual class to start before buying anything. A lot of time, the book isn’t used at all or only very infrequently (in that case, you can probably mooch off someone). Always check around for other deals, usually you can do better than the bookstore.</p>
<p>UVA switched over from the COD to SIS after I graduated, so I’m not sure whether syllabi are still available online before classes start, but if they are, use them to help determine which books to buy if you’re sure you’re going to take the class. If you see a book will be used regularly all semester, it’s worth it to shop around beforehand online, because you can usually find the cheapest copy before the rest of your class gets online trying to purchase the same book. The UVA bookstore also offers textbook rentals. I rented a textbook once when it looked like the one we were using was scheduled to release a new edition that year (thus it would be hard to sell the old edition), and it was much more reasonably priced than purchasing the book.</p>
<p>If you’ll be using a book infrequently, don’t buy it. You can get it from the library (some professors put textbooks on reserve) or borrow a copy from someone else. If all else fails and you need a copy to consult in-class, you can get it from the UVA bookstore and just return it later as long as it’s in good condition. The bookstore has a liberal two-week return policy, and I never had a problem with returns.</p>
<p>Bottom line: the UVA bookstore will be the most expensive option 90% of the time, so try to avoid it and at least buy some books beforehand based on the class syllabus.</p>
<p>S1 was liberal arts major, which requires different kinds of books than more technical or scientific fields such bio, engineering, or architecture. We drew up a list of textbooks with titles & ISBN numbers, then compared prices at the bookstore with online sellers such as Half.com and Alibris. In some cases, the UVA bookstore was competitive, so he bought there. In other cases, he ordered online. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery time. I estimate that we saved ~$150-200/semester by purchasing online. </p>
<p>Another advantage of ordering online was that he could pick up packages in the mailroom and did not spend hours standing in line at the bookstore. The disadvantage was the return policy and schlepping all those packages across campus. If you decide to order online, make sure that you do not plan to drop that course!</p>
<p>Hours standing in line at the bookstore?
hmmm.
We have over 20 registers set up for book rush. Even at the busiest times the wait won’t exceed five to ten minutes, and if the managers see the lines getting long, every employee in the bookstore is called forward to help. </p>
<p>The UVA Bookstore has more money saving options than any other retailer out here. We offer new, used, eBooks, rentals, guaranteed buybacks and online purchase where we pull your books and bag them for you. All you do is show up with your receipt and ID!</p>
<p>The book lists are updated daily, some professors are a bit slow at getting us the orders, so that can delay the books showing up in the list.</p>