<p>Heh I've seen books repurchased by Duke at 20% of original value</p>
<p>The buy back price Duke sets depends on a couple of factors:</p>
<p>1) Whether the book will be used again next semester (most important)
2) Whether all the materials are there (CDs, inserts, etc)
3) How many copies they are looking for (after the limit is exceeded, the price plunges)
4) Whether the book is hardcover or softcover
5) Condition of the book</p>
<p>Textbooks online is now available at Duke's bookstore. Not all courses have the listed textbooks. I found some of the textbooks requirements from the course's sypnosis but not at the Duke's textbooks online yet. Could I rely on the information from the course's sypnosis? What's the chances the professors change the textbooks before the semester starts. Am I looking for buying the textbooks too early?</p>
<p>I found that all of the books in my synopses were accurate save for one course. That course had an extra required book in the synopsis that wasn't on the Dukestore website. Luckily, the book only cost me $5 in total so I wasn't too worried about it. </p>
<p>Generally, I would trust the synopsis for large textbooks like those used for math, science, engineering, etc. That's because those classes rarely change textbooks, only editions. But if it was some paperback or novel for humanities classes, then I'd hold off. But that's just my personal opinion.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I myself am still suffering from sticker shock as I had just shelled out $300 for all my books for fall.</p>
<p>Even if the edition has changed, is it better to buy the correct edition? If not, how much of inconvenience in using the older edition. Of course, it will be easier to find a used older edition book and more cost effective than a newer edition especially newly released.</p>
<p>I just e-mail my prof for PHY 53L and he told me to buy the newer edition. In the past, the bookstore has a good price for packaging the book for PHY 54L and the study guides for students who will also take PHY 54L in the spring. But now I'm not quite sure whether freshman who will be taking PHY 53L and PHY 54L in one academic year will have the same benefit as previous students (packaged books). The book for PHY 54L is not available until end of Sept.</p>
<p>If your professor tells you to buy the new edition, it is possible that homework problems will be assigned from the book. In that case, problems are often different between editions and you either need to buy the new edition or find a friend willing to lend you his/her book to photocopy on a regular basis.</p>
<p>Do Spanish Texts change as well? If I'm currently enrolled in Spanish class and I buy books (they require 5!) but drop the class will they be usable up to next Fall? Thank yhou</p>
<p>If the books are not terribly expensive (less than $100) I'd recommend you getting it through the Duke bookstore (one of the rare instances I would suggest that) because you can return textbooks until the end of the drop/add period.</p>