Do you use/buy photocopied textbooks??

Flame me all you want, but this is my view on photocopied texts.

I am in Eng in uni. So right now everything costs money. i have 6 courses, and each course requires at least 1 text, sometimes 2, and a lab manual. The average price of a ENG text is $175-$200, which is $1200 for 1 semester. $2,400 for the year, on just books...The worst part is that the books can change the next year, so u can't even resell them. so after 4 years of UNI, u could potentially have $9,600 worth of texts in your house.

Who wouldn't cheap out and buy their books for less than $20 each if you had the choice? $240 instead of $2,400 sounds pretty good to me.


Why do you think theres always those photocoping stores close to unis, u think they make money off the 4 page essays u copy?


post your comments, and tell me how much of a slimeball i am.


p.s. what about those courses that require u buy the text, and then never touch it the whole year??

Originally Posted by Electricute

Who wouldn't cheap out and buy their books for less than $20 each if you had the choice? $240 instead of $2,400 sounds pretty good to me.

True... but it might not be fair to those who bought the new ones. They spend $2400 for the contents in the textbooks, but you get away with $240.

A bit aside, I think the book publishers are bastards. They keep printing the same thing over and over again in slightly different format and charge poor students for ridiculous $. They should go to h***.

Originally Posted by Electricute

Why do you think theres always those photocoping stores close to unis, u think they make money off the 4 page essays u copy?

Well, there are lots of other things one can photocopy, assignments, pass exams ..., or even ass-print ?

Originally Posted by Electricute

p.s. what about those courses that require u buy the text, and then never touch it the whole year??

Yeah, I've got a lot of those after four years eng courses. maybe I one day I can sell those by lb.

My advice on this? Go with the notes, combine with textbook on reserved (or from friends). I think if you take things seriously, you don't need the textbook on your hands to survive, or even to excel the course.

I don't know where you get your books from, but my books totalled about $400 a term. The price goes down if I'm getting the book used. I think you're grossly exaggerating to hold up your point.

You can justify what you do however you want, you are still breaking copyrights. I'm not saying I've never done it, but it is, what it is.

I never did it with texts because they're simply too big but I've done it with those so called "course notes" the professors prepare for a course and charge $75 dollars for. Some times they're just collections of journal papers and overheads that some slimeball profs try to sell for pocket money lol.

i always use photocopied books. They are sold at the school store and are written by our school profs I guess it falls under hte course notes category

Originally Posted by sti571

I never did it with texts because they're simply too big but I've done it with those so called "course notes" the professors prepare for a course and charge $75 dollars for. Some times they're just collections of journal papers and overheads that some slimeball profs try to sell for pocket money lol.

they do gotta pay for the right to copy and distribute those coure kits tho.

i buy the books

i buy used books or get em off ABE.com really cheap. Sometimes i buy the previous edition and just compare to a classmates books to see wha tim missing. Usually they are the same and just have a few new theories that might not even be discussed in your class.

You can always sell these books after.

Problem is that certain courses have open-book tests/exams, e.g. Thermodynamics, Machine Design, etc., since these courses have alot of tables amd figures to refer to. Profs/TAs won't let you bring in photocopied material -- they actually check each student's material during the assessment, and kick you out if you violate the rules ... at Ryerson anyways.

I buy the books. Since I live with 2 guys in the same program, we share texts sometimes.

As mentioned, for classes with open book midterms/exams ya gotta buy the book (no photocopies).

Also, not sure how you spend so much on text books, OP. I have never spent over $800 per semester on books, with 6 courses/term. Try chapters.ca if your bookstore is ripping you off.

Originally Posted by chriswalsh

I buy the books. Since I live with 2 guys in the same program, we share texts sometimes.

Also, not sure how you spend so much on text books, OP. I have never spent over $800 per semester on books, with 6 courses/term. Try chapters.ca if your bookstore is ripping you off.

i agree with chrishwalsh, sharing text is also a great idea, i did that with a roommate who was in the same program.. and i think the most i've ever spent on books (in one term) was $600.. and i'm in science too (text + coursenotes + labmanual + sometimes lab equipment)

anyways, i haven't photocopied any of my textbook just cause it's too much work (i.e. sometimes only certain pages/chapters are assigned). i usually don't buy my books till after classes has started, to see if the text is mandatory and how useful it is; and if it isn't that useful, i might borrow the reserve copy from the library to use during the year. as well, if i really do need to buy the text (and they are using the same copy as last term) i would just go to the usedbook store and look for one in good condition or buy it from a friend who took the course the previous term. and at the end of the term i usually bring all my textbooks to the used bookstore to sell (so i don't have to move them back home) or sell them to friends who are going to take them next term (of course, if the same text is assigned).. this way i use the money i got back from selling books to buy books for the following term..

I'm a mix of photocoped, Ebay, or buying international editions... mainly from TW.

I spend about 1/5 of what I will have to buying from bookstores. Sometimes, if I know what chapters are required, I just go photocopy that chapter.

The prof once saw us with the international edition, he was also the author, kept saying how we are using illegal copies.

naw you're not a slimeball. when i took calculus i bought the book brand new (and the study guides) only to find that they changed the revision the following year which made mine useless (i.e. couldn't sell it back). We all know calculus is a cutting edge field with remarkable new advances and concepts being introduced each year

After that I only bought used and if used wasn't available photocopied the text.

screw you profs!

Photocopy? Thats REALLY lots of work...

Originally Posted by alv077

Photocopy? Thats REALLY lots of work...

The photocopy store sells th popular ENG books already photocopied, so its just go in pay $15-20 and have a $200 text for the rest of the term

Originally Posted by goob3r

I don't know where you get your books from, but my books totalled about $400 a term. The price goes down if I'm getting the book used. I think you're grossly exaggerating to hold up your point.

You can justify what you do however you want, you are still breaking copyrights. I'm not saying I've never done it, but it is, what it is.

What prog are u in? have u seen the ENG books at the bookstore. $200 is not an exageration.