<p>I'm trying to help my son plan his budget for the year. Finaid shows $1077 annually for books and supplies - $359 doesn't feel like much per term for textbooks..I just did a quick look at the bookstore and it looks like books for Chem, Physics & Math 1A would be over $300. My son's also hoping to get CS1 - I didn't see any books listed for that, plus a humanities. (math is an unknown at this time as he did advanced placement tests but I thought at least Math 1A would give us some idea of what the Math texts might cost)
Should we be budgeting more for books? Current students, what do you spend on average per term for books? Thanks!</p>
<p>Could someone also post the books used in Math 1a, Chem 1a, Physics 1a, and CS 1? Thanks!</p>
<p>ramsfan, I'm sure someone will respond - but you can go to <a href="http://www.bookstore.caltech.edu%5B/url%5D">www.bookstore.caltech.edu</a>. Under "Textbooks" you can search by class. (Though I didn't see anything posted yet for CS1).</p>
<p>Ah, thanks oaklandmom!</p>
<p>The CS 1 textbook is online, so make sure not to buy it ahead of time.</p>
<p>Often, you can get used textbooks for cheap off upperclassmen as well.</p>
<p>In any case, I don't think $359/term is an underestimate - even if you do get all your books new. </p>
<p>Also, make sure to price compare if you do want to buy books at the bookstore: that always saves $50-100 a term.</p>
<p>First term is also expensive, because that Ch1 book lasts through Ch1a and Ch1b, and Apostol V1 lasts 1.5 terms.</p>
<p>You can buy textbooks off upperclassmen for cheap. Usually they'll sell it for half the bookstore's cost. I bought most of my books off Amazon Marketplace. They were listed as "New". I spent about $670 on books for the year. If I had bought them all from the bookstore, it would have cost me about $1180.</p>
<p>BTW,
Ma 1a - Calclulus Vol. 1 by Apostol
Ph 1a - Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Serway
Ch 1a - Modern Chemistry by Oxtoby, Gillis, & Nachtrieb
CS 1 - <a href="http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/%5B/url%5D">http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/</a></p>
<p>Or if you know there's a certain book that will be useless in your option (like Spacetime Physics for an Aero major like me), just ask upperclassmen and you'll probably find someone willing to lend it for a term or two for free. Unless you're a really clever salesman about selling books you've used, this will save mega bucks.</p>
<p>There's no reason to get Core books from anywhere but upperclassmen (note this is not personal interest speaking, I got rid of mine ages ago). Nobody ever refers back to Serway or OGN because they're, in the broad scheme of things, completely useless, so we sell them to frosh because the bookstore buyback prices are an insult and junior-year books make better froshwhackers.</p>
<p>How much does the edition of the book matter? For instance, if a course lists the sixth edition of a book, does it matter if you have the fifth edition?</p>
<p>
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How much does the edition of the book matter? For instance, if a course lists the sixth edition of a book, does it matter if you have the fifth edition?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It probably depends on the book. For core, I don't think it mattered at all (at least, for one edition earlier. More than that might be an issue, I'm not sure), except that the page and problem numbers for assignments might differ. If I recall correctly, phys 1 posted 5th and 6th edition page and problem numbers. </p>
<p>You might want to check to make sure for anything else though; in my ME 35c course, the prof used an older edition of the book to assign problems (he gave us photocopies), and often they'd be the same as the ones in our book, but with different values for forces and so forth.</p>
<p>Buying all new books, I usually spent about $400-450 a term. By price-matching online, I could usually reduce it by $100. For frosh year, you can go even cheaper buying them from underclassmen as others have suggested.</p>
<p><a href="http://turbine.caltech.edu/pricetrout%5B/url%5D">http://turbine.caltech.edu/pricetrout</a> for price matching. The bookstore doesn't have all the Fall 2006 textbooks listed yet, but what's up is in Pricetrout.</p>
<p>Is Spacetime Physics used for one of the required courses?</p>
<p>Yep, it's used in Ph 1 bc for relativity.</p>
<p>Nobody calls it Spacetime Physics... that's Taylor & Wheeler, aka "the {string of expletives} man and bird book". It's used by the analytic track of Phys 1.</p>
<p>Yes, the man and bird book. It's in the pile of high school books to dispose of. I'll snatch it back. Thanks for the information.</p>
<p>Sadly, I have to promote the official ASCIT Bookmart (located at donut.caltech.edu) over my friend's spiffy program. Similar features, but the Bookmart's been around longer, even if the previous three ASCIT groups advertised few donut features, including this one, for whatever reason.</p>
<p>Price-matching, though in a less elegant fashion, and also a place for people to buy and sell used books from other Techers.</p>
<p>Craig, how's the donut revamping going?</p>
<p>If you don't have problems with used books or slightly different versions of books (reprinted or paperback for example), then try out <a href="http://www.bigwords.com%5B/url%5D">www.bigwords.com</a> for low prices. They search through a large database of online booksellers and find you the best prices for your combination of books. Be careful though, if you find a ridiculously-priced book (say $3), then it could very likely be just a solutions manual supplement to the book you actually want (even if you type in the right ISBN!).</p>
<p>Sometimes extra low prices are offered by someone trying to establish a good selling history. Of course, if the person has little or no selling history, you're taking your changes, but I'm willing to gamble if the price asked is under $10.</p>