<p>Hey! I am an incoming freshman, okay so this really bothers me, WHEN the heck should I get the textbooks?
I am thinking about getting it right now since I already check the book store, they have that system where you fill out all the information about your classes (like the department, #), then you get a result saying these are the books you needed.
BUT, when I looked up, some say NEVER DO THAT. Wait till the first day cause the professors might say “oh we are gonna use this not that” or “no we don’t even need that crap” etc. I mean, I don’t want to get the wrong books, BUT I got work to do ahead of time cause I am not THAT good at math and physics… I really don’t want fail any classes.
SO, if I follow the list I found at the bookstore, how likely I am going to the wrong books? (I am fine with getting one or two wrong) & when should I get textbooks?</p>
<p>As an incoming freshman I bought my books early like you are looking to do. I did it through B&N and picked them up when I moved in. You don’t have to worry about getting the wrong books for a class like math or physics because they are very general classes and common books (as long as you order through an osu bookstore). With that said, some teachers don’t make you buy the books listed because they dont use them so you can wait if you want. You won’t fall behind or anything like that if you don’t have your books before classes start. Most students wait until the 1st week of classes to buy them. If you do wait, I suggest that you get your books right after you talk with your professor so they don’t sell out at the bookstores. </p>
<p>P.S. Lines at B&N will be terrible for the first week of school and on move in day. If you wait to buy your books I recommend going early in the day while everyone else is in class if you can. </p>
<p>If you’re a fan of E-books, sometimes you can get away with just purchasing the access code. Doing that will save you a little bit of money and you will still have access to the pages. I’m a fan of the physical copy, though. I bought most of mine used. Science classes, especially, will have older editions of the books, which are basically the same thing with different pictures and page numbers. For example, I bought a $130 chemistry book for $30 because it was one edition older. It was almost exactly the same thing my friends were using. Sometimes books for gen ed classes are also available to check out at the library for an hour at a time. </p>
<p>If you have the money to spend on books and you’re not worried about it, then I would definitely do what Tex said. However, if you’re looking to save some dough, I would reconsider and think about waiting until the first week. You can check out student groups on Facebook and ask around there. Normally people will give you a pretty good deal because they just want to get rid of the book.</p>
<p>Good luck!
Sleepy.</p>
<p>I would only purchase books you will DEFINITELY need for a class before classes stare (e.g. Chemistry notebooks and manuals). Other than that, I would wait until after you attend at least your first lecture for each class and see the syllabus. In my experience, two classes in the past have had the wrong textbooks listed on the barnes and noble website, but even if you find you’ve purchased the wrong book, you can always return it within the allowed time limit. </p>
<p>Since you seem worried about math and physics, I would recommend purchasing those books. That way, you will have access to them whenever you need. For other books, I would definitely recommend just borrowing from the library when you need to.</p>
<p>I would only buy textbooks from barnes and noble as a last resort, except for the things I mentioned above, and try to buy used ones first as Sleepy said. If you find someone selling a book you need online (Look for groups on Facebook where you need a valid osu email address to join) and it is a price you are happy with, the earlier you contact the seller the better chance you have of getting a good price before someone else takes the book off their hands. Arranging a meet up to buy a used book from someone isn’t that bad. Just be sure to meet in a public place (most seem to take place at the Union).</p>
<p>Also, B&N said that they were going to start processing orders on August 4th, I believe, so if you want to get any books before then to study ahead, I’d look elsewhere.</p>
<p>Hope this helps, and good luck!</p>
<p>It’s probably okay to get the books through the bookstore as you’re planning on doing. You will also be able to return books for a full refund in the first week or two of class.</p>
<p>Here are some other tips about textbooks in general:</p>
<p>Don’t email or harass your professors about text books until at least August. About two weeks before classes begin is perhaps when you should ask.</p>
<p>After you get the info, you should try to order them online. But don’t get them from some off-the-wall or obscure place, because then they don’t arrive on time.</p>
<p>Don’t go the e-book route unless you know the professor allows laptops and e-readers in the classroom.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, don’t go up to your professor during the first two weeks of class and admit that you don’t have the textbook because it hasn’t yet arrived. Instead, figure out a way to get the textbook so you can still keep up with the reading–borrow it from a friend, check it out of the library, ship it overnight. And don’t ask your professor to make or scan a copy of the reading for you. Some might do this voluntarily, but others will definitely think you are an incapable special snowflake. </p>
<p>Don’t ever tell a professor you “can’t afford” a textbook (unless you have a bona fide federal book grant that hasn’t yet come in)–especially not as you stand there with an expensive smartphone, tablet, designer pair of sunglasses, whatever. We see a lot of students who can somehow “afford” everything–except books, of course. </p>
<p>What’s wrong with telling a professor that your book(s) haven’t came in yet? In my experience they seem to work with you a bit when this happens, as long as you’re not too far into the class.</p>
<p>I never get my books until after the first class. As stated above, some of the instructors don’t use some or all of the books that may be listed in the syllabus, or on the courses page. Be prepared for some decent lines in Barnes & Nobles, those first few days!</p>
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</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You make yourself look incompetent.</p></li>
<li><p>You admit to not being prepared for class. And if the professor has already assigned reading, then you’ve just admitted to them that you haven’t done the reading and really have no right to be in class.</p></li>
<li><p>You look like you’re asking them to solve problems that you should be able to solve yourself. If your book hasn’t come in yet, then you shouldn’t be asking the professor for help. You should be borrowing the book from a classmate, looking for it in the library, or biting the bullet and just overnighting it or getting it from the bookstore.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You shouldn’t make a habit of not getting the books on time. And getting the books? Is the easiest thing you’ll do in college.</p>
<p>I disagree with all 3 of those. I’ve yet to have any of my books on the first day of class, and it’s never been a problem. I’ve yet to see an entire class raise their hand on the first day, when an instructor ask who has their books. My literature instructor copied pages that we needed and handed them out to the class, for the first week, for the students that didn’t yet have their books. Again, I’ve also had a class where the instructor required a book not even listed on the syllabus. I’d much rather wait until B&N dies down, instead of standing in the crazy long lines the first day of classes, and be sure I’m getting the correct books.</p>
<p>I guess everyone has their own way of doing things, for their own reasons. As long as you’re not a month into the class and still trying to get books, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>I’m gonna have to agree with adjunctified on this one. Just because you can wait until the last minute to get your books, doesn’t mean you should. This is a theme you will see all throughout college though. </p>
<p>There are a lot of obstacles to overcome at college in order to earn good grades. Don’t make textbooks another obstacle. Tell yourself saving the $120 was worth it the night before the chem midterm and no one will let you borrow their book.</p>
<p>My preferred method is amazon prime. Free 2 day shipping. If you ordered the wrong book or it is unneeded, you just pay return shipping (~$5) and are refunded the rest. I bought an unnecessary $180 math book and returned it for $175, no questions asked. I doubt my roommate that I could have bought it off of would’ve been as understanding.</p>
<p>Students get a free 6 month trial of Prime. I just ordered my books today. I’ve found two weeks before classes start is a good window. Some books are OSU editions that have to be purchased from Barnes and Noble. My controversial opinion is to move in a day early and pay the $20 fee. You’ll move yourself in, but no one will be rushing you. You can also buy those books and B&N with very short lines.</p>
<p>Lol if you’ve been in classes long enough that a mid term is coming up, and you still don’t have a book, then you’ve got some serious issues. I don’t wait THAT long. I just usually wait until at least after the first class or so before I order my books. I don’t usually get them until the end of the first week of classes. It definitely hasn’t hurt my GPA, or caused me any issues. Normally the first week or so it pretty light anyways, unless it’s a heavy math or science. </p>
<p>I have Prime, but I’ve never used it to order books. I’m going to have to look into that. I’ve always used B&N.</p>
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<p>You want to know why professors do this? Because students are entitled about it and have come to expect it. And professors know now that they wouldn’t be able to make any real headway if they just left students to their own devices. You’d be dealing with half a class that fails the first quiz, for instance, and that then lashes out angrily and bitterly at that ridiculous professor who actually expected students to do a little reading in the first week.</p>
<p>But don’t kid yourself–professors do not like doing this. Making copies of the books is time consuming–and a job you shouldn’t have to do because students should have just done it themselves. Why should a professor have to spend an hour scanning a copy for you just because you didn’t want to wait in line at the bookstore (or felt your own time was more important and your own life so superior)? </p>
<p>If you truly are waiting until the end of the first week to get your books, and you haven’t been able to complete your first assignments, then you’ve probably inspired a few eye rolls from your professors. Regardless of what you think.</p>
<p>I typically order my books after I’ve had all of my classes at least once. This semester, classes start on a Wed., and my classes are MWF, and TuTH. I’ll probably order my books after class, on Thursday. It usually takes them a couple of days to process, but the first few days of class, in my experience, are syllabus days, and lets wait until all the class changes are made days. By the time the real stuff starts, I usually have my books.</p>
<p>As far as the instructor copying the book, I didn’t ask that instructor to do that, nor would I have needed her to do so. By the time we had our first quiz on that material, I had my things. Whether she liked it or not is on her. I was using that to show why I feel instructors give you time to get your things. With the exception of math, and probably science classes, I feel like there is some built in ‘get your stuff time’. Could I be wrong? Maybe, but that’s my opinion. </p>
<p>As I stated above, everyone has their own ways of doing things. I’ve used this for my time at tOSU, and it’s yet to cause me any trouble, or issues. Until I find a reason to do otherwise, I will continue to do it this way. If the OP chooses to follow the way you do it, great, it doesn’t hurt my feelings one bit. OP asked when they should get their books, and I provided insight as to how I do things. My buddy that graduated last Spring, said he used the same method, unless his professor emailed the class in advance, stating they’d need the book for the first day. A few post up, it looks like InuDreamz uses the same method. I’m sure thousands use your way, and thousands do it the way that I do. I’m not saying your way is wrong or my way is right. It’s just what’s worked for me. There are many ways to skin a cat.</p>
<p>Another reason why I like this method, especially for GEC’s is because there are so many options you can choose to fulfill your GEC categories. So say you pick Psych 1100, to fulfill your social science category, and you go to your first class and don’t like it. Or maybe you’re a Freshman, and don’t realize how bad of an idea it is to schedule a class in the Gateway Theater that ends 10 mins before your next class in Baker Systems (ask me how I know), and you want to schedule something else. Yes, as OSUAeroEngr stated, you could just return it, or you could just wait to make sure all is well. Again, there are many ways to skin a cat. </p>
<p>I will say that in my experience, math classes typically don’t waste time. Usually the first day of class, you start learning material. But since we use WebAssign for HW, I just use the eBook you get with the WebAssign purchase, and it’s instantly available to me. For classes like math and science that you need, where you don’t have different class options, the book is set in stone, and you aren’t going the eBook route, sure, why not purchase ahead. I just choose not to. </p>