Books You Don't Need
No one ever told me that you don't actually have to buy all the books they tell you that you will need. Now I don't just mean the difference between the required and recommended texts. I mean that certain classes require books that they NEVER USE.
Here are some ways of knowing whether to even buy the book for the class you are taking:
One thing I have noticed is that if you are taking a large lecture class, don't bother buying the textbook. This applies to classes that are low level introductions, like Biology or Geology 101. These classrooms are usually far too huge to assign homework in, therefore the reading assignments will actually never be checked. This is the type of classroom where you receive only lectures and your grade depends only on tests, usually only mid-term and final.
The reason I would tell people not to bother buying the books is because they are unnecessary and usually the most expensive books out there: hardcover science texts. Instead usually the notes you take from lectures will be enough. If not, you can easily just find free online resources to read up more on whatever information is being covered.
The truth is that these classes are never meant to be hard but introductions to students who are not actually within that major. Since the information is so general is easily available online and thus it would be pointless for a Psychology major to spend 50-150 dollars on a Chemistry textbook for a class with no homework and no attendance policy.
Here are some ways of knowing whether to even buy the book for the class you are taking:
One thing I have noticed is that if you are taking a large lecture class, don't bother buying the textbook. This applies to classes that are low level introductions, like Biology or Geology 101. These classrooms are usually far too huge to assign homework in, therefore the reading assignments will actually never be checked. This is the type of classroom where you receive only lectures and your grade depends only on tests, usually only mid-term and final.
The reason I would tell people not to bother buying the books is because they are unnecessary and usually the most expensive books out there: hardcover science texts. Instead usually the notes you take from lectures will be enough. If not, you can easily just find free online resources to read up more on whatever information is being covered.
The truth is that these classes are never meant to be hard but introductions to students who are not actually within that major. Since the information is so general is easily available online and thus it would be pointless for a Psychology major to spend 50-150 dollars on a Chemistry textbook for a class with no homework and no attendance policy.
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