The textbook is not required, so can I get an older edition?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Hey there I'm going to take a physiology class. This is what the prof has to say about the text book: "Many students do not need to read the book to understand the material. However, some students find the book helpful. Nothing you are tested on comes directly from the textbook." </p>

<p>The textbook she posted costs $80-110, one edition older costs $6.50-15.00
I'm going to take the Mcat eventually so I want a good understanding of human physiology. I want a textbook. It shouldn't be a problem to get the old edition should it?</p>

<p>Thanks for all your help.</p>

2

<p>Look at Half.com for the current edition, is it significantly cheaper than $80-110? </p>

<p>Remember that you will be able to sell the current edition once you are done with it, for a good price (basically whatever Half.com’s price is right now, minus about 5 or 10 dollars) whereas you will not be able to see the older edition, since it’s online like $10 now, in a year it will be going for less than $5, and at that point it’s not worth selling.</p>

<p>So, if you ca buy it for $60 used now, and sell it for $40 used in a year, it really only cost you $20.</p>

<p>I do this with most of my books, and two of my books last semester (both >$100 new) cost me under $10, after factoring in Buy Price - Sale Price - 2 way shipping. One semester a book cost me $3 after I sold it.</p>

3

<p>I would buy an older version or not buy one at all. In many cases like this you will not use your textbook, at least in my experiences</p>

4

<p>Get the old edition, for sure. The textbook is clearly a supplement, and an old edition should be bought if you’re expecting a long-term interest in the material.</p>

<p>IMO, you don’t need to buy supplementary reading if you plan to sell it after the semester, because that’s a clear sign that you’re not planning to ever refer back to the text.</p>

<p>$6.50 is a good deal for a used physiology text.</p>

5

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<p>+1 way shipping, not - 2 way shipping.</p>

6

<p>Old edition for sure.</p>

<p>Seeing as how you’re going to take the mcat eventually, you’ll probably want to keep the textbook, not sell it back.</p>

7

<p>Ask your professor; usually they are amenable. You may have to xerox the homework questions from the current edition, but that is negligible.</p>

8

<p>if it’s not even mandatory I never buy the book, just hit up one of the school libraries if I ever need it.
However, if you want it, definitely get the older one.</p>

9

<p>Definitely get the old one.</p>

<p>For my anatomy&physiology class last year, we were required the 8th edition of a book ($211 in the bookstore and usually still about $150 online), but a senior nursing student was selling the 7th for only $50, so I asked my prof if the 7th would be okay, and she said yes. The only differences were the pictures on the covers and page numbers. All of the info was exactly the same, and all of the figures (at least the ones we needed to know) were exactly the same as well.</p>

10

<p>Thanks all! I’ll be purchasing the older edition.</p>