<p>Anybody in TO knows the book lists can be fairly daunting. I'm thinking we might want to save some $ by looking for used copies of the 20+ books listed for S's core 102 and core 104 courses. Is there anything I should know before doing that? Do profs in those courses tend to compile course readers with just snippets of reading, or do they list books expecting students to buy each one? And do they tend to be picky about which edition, or are students fine as long as they buy the translation specified? (e.g., is it usually okay to buy the specified translation of a classic published in a different year than shown on the book list? Some of the books on Boone's list look like very old editions).</p>
<p>How about books or a reader for Drew Casper's Intro to Cinema? Is that something we can look for ahead of time? </p>
<p>Also, being a snoopy mom, I'd enjoy seeing actual syllabi of various courses. Do faculty post these on a web page we can access, or are they generally kept in Blackboard or some other software that's not accessible to non-students?</p>
<p>D ordered hers from Amazon, $100 total for Core 102 --- the EXACT editions that the prof wanted. None of the books was over $20, some of them are VERY thin paperbacks that she got from the library and already read. If you want to mix and match, you can order some of the $20 book used from Powell's or Amazon, and the $5 ones from Amazon with free shipping (buying used is actually more expensive once you factor in S&H) and knock the total down to around $80. I decided that once the $18k tuition bill hits $20 will not be worth the bother, so we just ordered everything new. That way you also avoid the potential hassle of pre-existing margin notes.</p>
<p>Used copies of books are definitely fine, but it is generally best to use the editions stated by the professors. Sometimes there will be commentaries and additional articles in certain versions of books. Different translations are usually not a good idea. </p>
<p>When the booklist comes out, there will be the isbn numbers of books, which you can usually use to search sites like amazon. Makes life easy. Sometimes there will be course guides. You really should wait until the booklist comes out before buying anything, because sometimes readings will change. </p>
<p>Your child will get syllabi for each class on the first day of class. These are generally paper, although sometimes you can get them emailed. You'll probably have to ask to see a copy.</p>
<p>At orientation, my husband got a sheet from USC which asked if you want the USC book store to line up the books ready to be purchased. There was an option to buy new and used (if available) editions. My son decided to go with purchasing new for the required books and used for optional reading. You might want to find out what the buy back price is for new books. I also like Amazon for buying these books are there is usually a discount, free shipping, and used books available.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. I was thinking of going the Amazon route too. It's actually not horribly expensive, especially relative to the last few years of high school when we had to buy the giant math and science books.</p>
<p>So Nikara, it sounds like final reading lists aren't available until the first day of class as well - is that right? It would be so nice if profs would publish the list ahead of time so we could shop by mail - it's a bit difficult to figure out if the TO lists are tentative or firm.</p>
<p>They do publish a list ahead of time. It will be available on Oasis in a few weeks. Each student has an individualized list of books on their student account. You'll know when that list comes out- everyone here will be talking about it :)</p>
<p>The syllabus is really a course map- it has when exams and papers are scheduled, and deals with where the course will go, and what the grading guidelines are.</p>