<p>I'm going to be taking a Microeconomics class at a local community college. It's my first time doing this.</p>
<p>I have a few questions regarding textbooks;</p>
<p>1) Do professors actually care if you get an earlier edition (in this case, 2006 edition vs. 2007 edition)? I'd like to save some money and the earlier version is about $100 cheaper.</p>
<p>2) Are you expected to have the textbook before coming to the first class of the semester? </p>
<p>3) Do you usually even need the textbook during class? Or is it just for hw/studying. </p>
<p>I realize that these are questions specific to different teachers, but in general, I'm guessing most people follow a specific set of guidelines. Obviously, I'm not a college student yet, so I wouldn't know. Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>I wouldn't know the answers to any of these questions, but try posting it on the Parents Forum. They're always helpful.</p>
<p>I would advise against buy an older edition of the textbook. Usually the changes they make are small, but every now and then there is a pretty big overhaul that would make the older book useless.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Ask the professor. Many will be accommodating of earlier editions, knowing how much cheaper they are (and being ****ed at textbook companies for making minimal, useless changes just to kill the used book market) and that many of their students will use them even if they don't accommodate. A lot of new editions will mostly differ by page numbers, not content... but if there are problem sets you'll be expected to work through and those are different, the new edition will probably be the only one you can use. And sometimes the changes really are helpful.</p></li>
<li><p>Generally not. To be sure, ask the professor.</p></li>
<li><p>Once again... ask the professor! Typically the textbook isn't needed in class in my experience, but it varies.</p></li>
</ol>