<p>I've been looking around online, trying to save $$$ on the books my daughter will need for her classes (incoming frosh, she knows 3 of the classes she will need to take this fall). I've found some pretty good prices, but not great -- it occurred to me that it would probably be cheaper (and save on shipping) to buy books directly from NU students who have taken these courses and no longer want the books.</p>
<p>My question is this -- are there any bulletin boards (online or the old-fashioned kind on campus) or websites where NU students list textbooks they are trying to sell?</p>
<p>Wow, I know that my D knows the classes she wants to take, but she is not sure that she will be able to get them How does your D know she will get the classes, so you can buy the books? My D’s spanish class she wants has only 4 seats left in it, and she is worried she won’t get in. This makes me somewhat bummed as we are paying alot of money for her to go to a private school, and thought this would be a better situation in terms of obtaining classes on time to help her graduate in 4 years. I so hope it works out…</p>
<p>It’s generally cheaper to go through Amazon. However, it isn’t always cheaper. Also, professors have this tendency to switch books/add books/remove books from old syllabi that may appear on BlackBoard. Be wary, because professors may teach from the updated version of a textbook, but not note the change on the old syllabus.</p>
<p>You can certainly give it a go, but it’s a risk that I never bothered to take. </p>
<p>In terms of classes, the hard-sciences/engineers know what they’ll be taking because they are on a pretty set academic track. EA1, EDC, Math, and Physics (with possible wildcard somewhere in there) is standard. However, each professor may have a preference on the “best” Calc 3 textbook etc. So I STRONGLY doubt that your daughter has registered and knows 3 of her classes. The only caveat is if she is Kaplan Humanities (2 classes) and MENU (1 class). Other than that, freshmen can’t pick classes until NSW.</p>
<p>Spanish classes are not something that ever lock out. Unless it’s upper-level, the university always adds Spanish classes in the Fall. New professors, times, and locations are thrown in, but you won’t not be able to take 1st or 2nd year Spanish. Worst-case scenario, email the departement during NSW and you’ll get a permission number to enter the class. However, DO NOT do that now. It will square itself by NSW, I assure you.</p>
<p>No, she’s not registered yet. But she knows her Freshman seminar, and will be taking Calc and Chem (both big classes, taken by mostly Freshman, so plenty of openings). So that’s 3 out of 4. We don’t know what her language placement will be, so will have to wait on that, I guess (but if I saw a REAL good deal on the beginning French book, I might buy it, then re-sell it if by chance she places into the Intermediate level (which IIRC, uses online materials and not a real “book”) - even still, the beginning book might not be a bad reference to have…</p>
<p>If you go to the Norris bookstore’s website, you can find out which textbooks are required for fall quarter classes - since I presume that the profs themselves have ordered these books, the info there should be correct.</p>
<p>What is distressing to me is that so many of the courses are only offered once a year - you’d think that a university of this size (and price!) would offer more flexibility…</p>
<p>Anyone looking to sell a beginning Calc or Freshman Chem book cheap? - PM me. :-)</p>
<p>Our EFC came out to be quite a bit more than we expected, no raises this year (and increased fees at work - so for all practical purposes a pay CUT), food prices went up and never came back DOWN when oil prices fell, etc, etc, - so we are looking to save $$$ any way we can. (Don’t want to eat TOO many meals of rice and beans or Ramen )</p>
<p>She should not buy any textbooks until she has sat through the first day of classes. Students drop classes all the time because syllabi change or they realize the class isn’t what they thought it would be. You can find used books at Norris Bookstore, Beck’s Bookstore (if it’s still around), Amazon, and Half.com. Some professors may require printed coursepacks which students must purchase from places such as Quartet Copies and CopyCat. I used to access NUOnlineBooks.com, but I think the site is no longer active.</p>
<p>No offense, but why are you searching for your daughter’s textbooks? She should be doing that on her own (my mother never searched for my textbooks. It was my responsibility.)</p>
<p>MomCat 2 - sounds like the same as my s. He will be taking Calc 234 (according to the self-placement) / Chem 101 / Physics Seminar and a disto (Intro to Soc). I actually went onto the online placement and his spanish is already posted, so you may want to check it out. He was able to skip the first spanish section and go into the accelerated 115-1 so he has no language in the fall. And the textbook prices are outrageous. I think the Chem 101 book was something like $195 at the Norris Bookstore - OMG!!! When I went to school, I bought all my books, a sweatshirt, shirt, mug and notebooks for under $200.</p>
<p>tenisghs - the op is asking for suggestions on how to save money on her daughters books - I do not see how that other post suggests anything like that. Trying to save money is not being a helicopter parent. I want to save money too - if I can save $50 on a $200 textbook, that’s alot of money to me. It may not be alot of money to some - but it’s alot of money to me.</p>
<p>This is clearly a generational gap that cannot be overcome.</p>
<p>From the student (child) perspective:
College is, theoretically, about independence in a physical, social, and intellectual sense. If my parents controlled the process, I’d lose some of that independence. Tracking down book numbers, looking at various course placement, and the like all are part of the college acclimation process. I never gave my parents my netid password to access course placement, BlackBoard, CAESAR, or email (all of which run on the same password), because I found that to be an invasion of my intellectual, and social, privacy.
Instead, my parents were always outcome-based. They always knew what courses I was taking, but only after I made those decisions on my own and let them know what I was doing and where I was at. If they thought I was overspending or taking the “wrong” class, they would throw their opinion out there. I didn’t have to follow their advice, but I did have to listen and publicly or privately figure out if they were right.</p>
<p>Another thing to throw out there: more than 1 NU student is concerned about the price of books. Few students are so fantastically well-off that $200 textbooks mean nothing. Freshmen, especially those in the same class, often work together to track down the best prices in stores or on websites. Especially given recent economic times, I would not discount the collective power and will of multiple NU students. </p>
<p>Again, I have little doubt that the larger issue of micromanaging v. parental involvement will not be reconciled. I just feel compelled to throw out the student’s perspective, since it is an important part of the equation.</p>
<p>Can we get back to my original question? — is there an NU bulletin board on campus or online where upperclassmen list textbooks they are trying to sell?</p>
<p>(The prices even for “used” books at Norris and stores such as Beck’s are too high, IMO. I know from experience that one can usually get a much better deal by dealing w/ a private individual. Also, shipping charges could probably be avoided.)</p>
<p>I swear I don’t know how saving a few bucks on some books equates to ruining your childs ability to be independent. My son is extremely independent and always has been and I’m sure will always be independent.</p>
<p>Momcat2 - I cant say for sure, but most students probably sell their books back to the bookstore so they don’t have to deal with the hassles of selling privately. I’m not saying it isn’t done, but it may be difficult.</p>
<p>kleibo, I gave the OP many suggestions for her daughter in post #5. IMHO, the mother should not try to find used books for her daughter’s classes. My own mother saw me as an adult, and I was responsible for my own course and textbook selection.</p>
<p>CerebralAssasin - You say that Spanish doesn’t lock out, but what about those kids that have a 5 on AP Spainish and wnat to minor in it. I believe the classes they get placed in are in the 200 range . don’t know exactly, as I am not really involved in this other than listening to my D stess about classes she might have to take at 9am, or the lack of seats in the spanish class she wants. Seems so strange. She was telling me that they register for classes on Friday of Welcome week, and than have to go find books. </p>
<p>Did I understand someone on this board correctly, is it okay to show up with out your text books to the first day of class? </p>
<p>Also, interesting to see, but sounds like lots of kids are taking similar courses, My d is Chem, Calc, Span & Fresh seminar (If she can get it).</p>
<p>See, that’s what makes this world so great. Different people - different opinions. IMHO, I see nothing wrong with her mother trying to save money and helping her daughter get her books.</p>
<p>Kleibo - thanks for your posts. Back in the days of the dinosaurs (and probably still true today) the bookstores didn’t give you much at all when you sold your books back to them, so people would list books for sell on bulletin boards in the Student Union. There were bargains to be had!
I tried Craigslist for the Chicago area, but not many book listings – so I thought there might be another place to find them (I did have <em>real</em> good luck w/ Craigslist out here when daughter took college classes last year - not many books listed, but just happened to find one she needed.) Will keep checking the online textbook sites…</p>
<p>Glad to see someone else who is conscious of dollars – saving several hundred bucks a year (or more) on books will make a real difference for us. </p>
<p>Speaking of bulletin boards - is there still a “ride board” on campus (or in cyberspace?) for finding rides at Thanksgiving and Christmas, or the odd weekend??</p>
<p>Nada on the ride board. There are plenty of resources to have shared rides to Midway/Ohare, but I’m unaware of anyone carpooling back home for breaks.</p>
<p>As far as books go, Amazon and half.com seem to be almost always much cheaper than Norris. The only time I ever buy books at Norris is if they are extremely hard to find online/IE professor-written books or course packets that are specific to the class. You’ll also get more money back if you sell your books via these resources as well. </p>
<p>There are sometimes dorm or greek group emails about books, but fairly rare. </p>
<p>One secret tip, that I’m really hesitant to share because if I tell it then it makes it harder for me to use :P. is to check the libraries - both Northwestern and Evanston Public. You can check out a lot of the literature books here (I got my ($100) Shakespeare collection tome, for example) and even some actual textbooks. The only caveat: one time a person placed a recall on a book I had checked out for a class, which meant that I could not renew it long enough to keep it for the quarter – and while there are basically 0 fines for late books normally, they are hefty when you dont turn in a recalled book. </p>
<p>Otherwise, the college textbook industry is just one of the most awful in the country, and it’s just one of those costs you have to deal with.</p>
<p>There is a site now that you can rent books for the semester as well as they are about half the cost of the new books. chegg.comcampusbookrentals.com</p>
<p>I would check those out. That is most likely they way I am going for my son’s books that are not in his major.</p>
<p>Placing into 200-level foreign language classes is a bit trickier because admissions aren’t guarenteed. Either way, I’d try an email to the professor if it books up before registration time.</p>
<p>If not, I wouldn’t fret. There are 12 academic quarters and not taking 200-level Spanish fall quarter freshman yr doesn’t set you behind. You’re still light years ahead of most other Spanish minors.</p>
<p>Larger classes don’t need textbooks for the 1st day (or any day) of class. It’s not like the professor is lecturing and students are eagerly turning each page of the textbook to follow along. The book supplements and reinforces lecture material.</p>
<p>However, some seminar classes expect books on the first day. Especially foreign language classes, where you may be working out of the workbook on the 1st day.</p>
<p>If you don’t have it, make a friend, and look over the shoulder of the kid next to you.</p>
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