<p>Should I wait until the first day of classes to see what books I need? Or do people usually buy them before class starts? I'm trying to save up for some shoes on ebay but they only have 20 days left. If I need books now I'll pass on the shoes.</p>
<p>I usually wait until I see a syllabus. That way I can see how much I’m actually going to use the books. If it’s only a chapter or two, I’ll just borrow it from a friend. Ulrich’s should have the books on its website already. Don’t use the bookstores though - look at Amazon/Facebook for better prices.</p>
<p>Wait. Sometimes you might even drop a class a week or two in.</p>
<p>@twoblue but if I buy them off of amazon/facebook I won’t get them right away?</p>
<p>You might look at renting them from Chegg.com. Way cheaper than buying if it is not something you will want to keep as a reference book. Also, if you end up dropping the class you can return the book for a full refund. It takes about a week to receive them unless you pay extra to ship (shipping is usually free).</p>
<p>Professors usually post their syllabus on Ctools before classes start. If they don’t, you can email them to ask for it. That way you still have the books you need on time.</p>