Textbooks at SFU

When is a good time to see if the SFU Bookstore has any good used books?

Would anyone have copies of:

Academic Writing: An Introduction
Calculus - Early Transcendentals (6th e)
The Everyday Writer (3rd e)
Java Software Solutions (5th e) ISBN: 0321469798

Lying around?

And does anyone have tips on textbooks in general?

Thanks.

If you don't mind the hassle, I highly recommend you buy books directly from students who have taken the course rather than buy them from the bookstore. It will kind of be a pain in the ass to look around for deals, but it will save you a LOT of money. Places you could look are the groups on Facebook, online forums like TalkSFU, or Craigslist.

Also, do NOT do the bookstore buyback! They say they'll give you 60% for your books, but usually you'll get much less. I bought my textbook for CHEM 121 (which is a pretty popular course) for over 100 bucks from the bookstore, and they only gave me $25 back. I must've been half asleep to accept that deal =(

F_leung makes an excellent point about buyback: It's a terrible system that gives you pennies for your books. You're much better off trying to sell textbooks back to other students, but it'll just require a lot more work getting the message out.

I kinda want to add that you ALWAYS want to buy books ahead of time. A month ahead preferably. This gives you time to ask other students whether the textbook is really needed (you'd be surprised sometimes, I've sat through a couple courses where I never even touched my "required" txtbook. I learned my lesson after that experience), time to buy a used textbook from a fellow student, or time to even just buy the textbook from the store if you're really desperate. You don't want to be buying textbooks from the stores when school starts. Better yet, avoid the store when school starts -the store is so crowded and the line up is so long that you start entertaining fantasies of a daring break and enter into the store at night.

And I noticed you're buying a copy of Academic Writing: An Introduction. Are you taking English 199? I've taken that course and it's a brilliant introduction into writing in the appropriate academic style and tone. It's a great course to take early in your university career so that its benefits cover all your subsequent courses. Most 3rd/4th year students who take the course find that they've already written so many papers that they're already used to writing in the appropriate style and tone. Let me know if you have any questions about 199, I've taken that course before. Unfortunately, I've already sold my textbook :p

...y'know, your course selection seems to include computing science courses as well as English courses. And you seem to be choosing a challenging english course as well. If you keep training in both departments, I guarantee you'll be one of the few computing science people with a well-developed command of the English Language, or you'll be one of the few English people who know computers inside-out

Yup, I'll be taking English 199. It puzzles me why they would have an Intro to University Writing that has a pre-req of 12 units, sorta defeats the purpose doesn't it? It's a good thing I have my AP courses.

As for the English.....let's just say AP English wasn't the most enlightening course I've taken. However, I may have to take another English course to satisfy my WQB; I'm still deciding which two to take from Cognitive Science, Philosophy, and English.

Thanks for the advice.

>Java Software Solutions (5th e) ISBN: 0321469798

I have 4th edition. It's 99% the same material and about 80% cheaper!

Also, join the SFU Textbook trade on facebook, or visit saveonbook.com

Also last spring semester, there was some kind of charity book sale where they sold old editions of textbooks for pocket change.

I've taken moral philosophy 120, which is also a W course if I remember correctly. I think it would certainly be more enlightening than English courses, but I found the writing assignments to be more rigorous. Manageable, but rigorous. Don't think of it as an easier "English" course as some people have been doing. Lemme know if you need some info about it.