Course Materials Frequently Asked Questions
You will have lots of questions about course materials. Everyone does, especially in first year. We have broken down the most commonly asked questions into 6 sections. They are questions about:
- Textbooks
- Custom Courseware
- i>clickers
- Aplia
- Access Codes
- and the most frequently asked question of all "Why are my textbooks so expensive?"
Top 5 Tips for Buying Course Materials at McMaster
- Wait until your first class to buy your books.
- Be careful when buying from other students.
- Buy Used when you can.
- Wait to buy your books but don’t wait until the night before your exam.
- Keep your books in good condition until you are sure you will be using them
1. Wait until your first class to buy your books.
Your instructor will give you a syllabus of what course materials are required in your first class. This is a perfect time to ask questions about exactly what is required and what is optional. You also may meet someone who would be willing to share books.
2. Be careful when buying from other students.
Most students are great about selling textbooks. If you can get a deal that saves you money and puts a couple dollars back into another student’s pocket that is fantastic. However there are a few unscrupulous individuals out there who will try to pass off old additions that look similar but are out of date and unusable or incomplete book packages meaning they don’t have the necessary CD or Access Card with them and you’ll have to re-buy the new package anyway. Once you are stuck with an old book there is nothing you can do to return it.
If you want to buy course materials peer to peer we suggest you visit http://buyback.mcmaster.ca and look on the Used Book Classified Board. This way you have the time to do your research, check the prices Bookstore is selling used copies for and make an educated choice. It is usually the person lurking in the Bookstore going “Psst... want a cheap copy of Chem 101?” that is trying to pass off a useless or over priced book.
3. Buy used when you can.
Unless you are a true bibliophile buy used. They are cheaper. As long as the book is on course next semester (providing you haven’t totally trashed it) you can sell a twice used book back for the exact same price as a once used book.
4. Wait to buy your books but don’t wait until the night before your exam.
We will always do our best to have a few copies of every book available later in the semester however it costs a lot of money to keep unused books hanging around so we can’t guarantee at 6 o’clock the night before your exam we will have a copy of the textbook in stock. Be reasonable; you have known since the first day of class the exam was coming. It’s your responsibility to be prepared.
5. Keep your books in good condition until you are sure you will be using them.
Each and every semester we have students who try to return “new” books that have been read, the spine is cracked, they are highlighted, dog-eared, or generally look like they have been dropped in a puddle and run over by a truck.
Once you damage a book it is considered used. We can’t sell it for the new price if it is used and it is unfair to expect other students to bear the cost of your damaged textbooks.
Notice: All textbooks are returned to the Publisher by the end of mid-terms.
