Are the newest version of textbooks usually required?

[dekoyl]

Uni textbooks tend to be very expensive. Do students really need to buy the most updated versions? Or do you just tend to borrow from the library (which would probably be hard to get if everyone could do so )?

For example, I've got a Calculus textbook - Stewart's Calculus 4th edition  but the 6th edition has been out for a while.

[TrueLight]

hm sometimes u can get older versions... depends if its changed that much... ask the lecturer or look at the booklist when its out.... for first yr i got all my textbooks... some of them i never used... so for second yr i only got the immunology book and the micro book and ill prob be doing that next yr (second hand when possible)... and haven't bothered getting any other textbooks, no point if you want clarifications ask the lecturer or borrow the book from the library, they have a fair number there

[humph]

Depends on the text and subject. Go to your first few lectures for the course, and ask your tutor in your tutorial: they'll tell you whether you even need the textbook at all (it's not unusual for a set text to be pretty redundant).

Also, with maths texts, it's often possible to find a pdf version online with some crafty googling

[QuantumJG]

Uni textbooks tend to be very expensive. Do students really need to buy the most updated versions? Or do you just tend to borrow from the library (which would probably be hard to get if everyone could do so )?

For example, I've got a Calculus textbook - Stewart's Calculus 4th edition  but the 6th edition has been out for a while.

It really depends on the subject.

I do science and my two main areas of study are maths and physics.

With maths, at my uni you by a skeleton set of the lecture notes and they are more than useful for maths. I spent $170 on two maths text books and barely ever used them.

With physics I bought the textbook and found it was really useful because you could use it to go over anything in the lectures you couldn't fully understand.

With my breadth subject finance 1, it was very theory based and having the textbook was essential.

My advice would be to get any skeleton lecture notes for sale in the book store and stuff required for pracs, etc. If you find your lecture notes don't fully allow you to understand a certain part of the subject then I would look at buying the textbook.

[Gloamglozer]

Also, with maths texts, it's often possible to find a pdf version online with some crafty googling

"Crafty googling" did you say?  Hmmm...  Thanks. 

[Edmund]

You don't really need the textbook if you're doing Calculus, as QuantumJG said, but if you are doing subjects requiring regular prescribed readings/questions, the lecturer usually quotes pages for different editions so those having older editions won't miss out.

[Gloamglozer]

You don't really need the textbook if you're doing Calculus, as QuantumJG said, but if you are doing subjects requiring regular prescribed readings/questions, the lecturer usually quotes pages for different editions so those having older editions won't miss out.

So the general consensus is that for Maths subjects, don't bother.  Right?

EDIT:  Actually, would "Finance" count as a Maths subject?

[Edmund]

You don't really need the textbook if you're doing Calculus, as QuantumJG said, but if you are doing subjects requiring regular prescribed readings/questions, the lecturer usually quotes pages for different editions so those having older editions won't miss out.

So the general consensus is that for Maths subjects, don't bother.  Right?

EDIT:  Actually, would "Finance" count as a Maths subject?

I haven't done a Maths subject at uni, but all my friends who have done it never used their textbooks (wasted). Instead, you need to buy one of those subject readers/notes to fill in during lectures.

I did Finance last semester and it's under the Faculty of Commerce. It's a theory subject supported wiith calculations...

[Gloamglozer]

You don't really need the textbook if you're doing Calculus, as QuantumJG said, but if you are doing subjects requiring regular prescribed readings/questions, the lecturer usually quotes pages for different editions so those having older editions won't miss out.

So the general consensus is that for Maths subjects, don't bother.  Right?

EDIT:  Actually, would "Finance" count as a Maths subject?

I haven't done a Maths subject at uni, but all my friends who have done it never used their textbooks (wasted). Instead, you need to buy one of those subject readers/notes to fill in during lectures.

I did Finance last semester and it's under the Faculty of Commerce. It's a theory subject supported wiith calculations...

Wow.  Thanks for the heads-up.  I was planning to do Maths at uni and like VCE, I thought it would be essential to buy the textbooks.

[humph]

It occasionally can be useful to buy maths textbooks. I've only bought 3 maths textbooks though (and I've taken errr 20 or so maths subjects).

Like I said, ebooks are the way to go with maths textbooks, if you can find them online.

[nicholasysc]

any good uni text ebooks site?

[humph]

Not really. Just search on google, torrents, filestube, rapidshare, etc. Sometimes you get lucky.

[Edmund]

I think this site works for free medical ebooks.

[Gloamglozer]

I think this site works for free medical ebooks.

Never knew Facebook could be used for educational purposes.  lol

[zzdfa]

google 'maths complete' - 5gb of maths books