<p>where's the best place to get them? bookstore, amazon, ebay...? how useful are the optional books that professors list (like the solution manuals and study guides)?</p>
<p>I would advise using half.com whenever possible. After I got my first books from the university bookstore, I returned them all and bought them on half for more than 50% off. The solutions manuals are as useful as you make them. I didn't need them for math, but I found the manual very helpful for physics. If you think you can find the proper solution by seeing the answer, stick to the book (remember, they only give solutions to odds). Otherwise, the solutions manual could be pretty helpful.</p>
<p>don't bother with the additional workbooks/manuals -- most of it's already at the library on reserve, and i've never met a student who had enough time to go through the study guides. the stuff given by your profs/TAs multiplied by all your classes should be more than enough to keep you busy.</p>
<p>Try this site: Compare</a> Discount Book Prices & Save up to 90% - GetTextbooks.com
It compares many sites (including half.com, amazon.com, etc) to find the best price.</p>
<p>thank you!</p>
<p>Never, ever buy the solutions manuals. Most people don't use them THAT much, and they are on reserve at the library, and they are checked out less often than the textbooks themselves (usually). Besides, you will probably have at least one friend that has bought them. And, a lot of professors will post solutions to problems, and if they don't you can probably borrow one from the prof or the TA.</p>
<p>ok so for math 20c there's the calculus early trancendentals bk...is this useful?</p>
<p>and for chem140a there's this bundle (text, sg/sm, ebook, and q'airre) and it's $204.70...would the whole package be worth it?</p>
<p>and then for bicd100, they request a "concepts of genetics student handbook w/ i-clicker rebate card, 9 edition"...what's an i-clicker classroom response system?</p>
<p>The Early Transcendentals book refers to the entire calculus book (the one that is used for 20ABC). The multivariable book is the book used only for 20C. The full book is only useful if you think that you would need it to check up something that you had forgotten... But honestly, you could use any calc book from the library for that(and there are TONS of calc books). You can save some money with the multivariable only book, too. </p>
<p>My friend bought the bundle, and I used the ebook which i liked because you could use it on any computer, so i could go to the library without my book and without worrying if there is an available copy or not on reserve. The solutions manual... I don't think its that useful (and once again available at the library...)</p>
<p>I think the i-clicker is a little remote that can be used in class. A prof can ask a question, and each student can respond used the remote. I used it in gchem, but i don't remember calling it an i-clicker, so it may be a little different... I heard that some classes can even have whole exams on them (though I have no real proof of that claim...) I don't know if its required, though.</p>
<p>there was a gchem professor i TAed for who did quizzes using the clicker and a packed 400-person lecture hall.</p>
<p>rampant cheating ensued.</p>
<p>yea, last quarter dipasquale did all of his quizzes and midterms on a clicker.</p>
<p>one of the midterms got erased because he had a computer failure, my suitemate wanted to hurt him very badly, haha</p>
<p>not too sure about the final tho..but i just think thats crazy to use a clicker for that sort of thing</p>