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[labellementeuse]

Went and got my student ID today - they've actually wised up and put a proper expiry date on the thing this year, hooray! Also picked up a couple of text books - only two of the three I need this term, because I just couldn't handle repurchasing Calculus: Early Transcendentals for $140 again. (I needed it first year, and lost it just before finals.) Unfortunately it looks like it's a new edition this year, so buying it second hand is impractical. If I can borrow an early edition off a mate I might, but I probably should own the damn thing.

Not that the ones I bought were much less expensive, but at least I wasn't forking out for them a second time. (Linear Algebra, D Poole, and Social Ethics: Morality and Social Policy, Mappes & Zembaty)

The Poole looks pretty dull, but I actually already started reading Social Ethics, I think I'm going to like this course. OTOH I find it a little off-putting that the text is so American; the chapter on the death penalty begins with an extensive discussion on the constitutionality of capital punishment, and refers to death penalty adherents as "retentionists" and those who oppose it as "abolitionists" - terms obviously idiotic for any country, like New Zealand, which does not currently give the death penalty. :-/ Oh well, it's still quite interesting.

Comments

[eavanmoore.livejournal.com]

'Tis a bit of a luxury to have most of our textbooks written by and for us. I enjoy it :-P

[angry-in-pink.livejournal.com]

Now I can finally commiserate with on the Uni Textbook Woes. Bought mine today. Final total? $460. Even writing that out makes me die a little inside.
But reading them is fun. Even my Art History one, which weighs about 4-6kg. It's HUGE. Whereas my Anthropology is this tiny, anorexic thing which is supposed to last me two papers.Hah.

Social Ethics sounds interesting.

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

That always annoyed me about textbooks too. I particularly hate the way many American books get so tied up with the constitutionality of this or that, perhaps failing to realise that the rest of the world doesn't see the American Constitution than anything more than what it was, as opposed to this sort of political bible.

[chattycheese.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain. I just about died when the bookstore wanted $195 for my Organic text. Thankfully, we make our Calc 1 and 2 texts in house, ($20! So awesome!), so only the unlucky few of us that take Calc 3 have to shell out for the big book. But, by that point, you've covered 2/3 of the text already.

Gah. Evil, price-gauging textbook publishers are deifnitely the second-most penultimate evil. I'm beginning to think that it will be a lot cheaper in the long run to just become a lit major. Or mabye a foreign language major. Except that I have no faculty for languages. Hmmm. Must look into that.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, you would. :P Normally it doesn't bother me much, because I figure everything has to be written somewhere, you know, and ethics are ethics are ethics - it's basically a collection of essays anyway. This one in particular though spends a lot of time on constitutionality and in each section has between one and three public opinions from supreme court justices who presided in particular cases, and since these cases are not really relevant for us... it seems very americocentric, is all.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

*wince* Oh, you have my sympathies, doll. It looks like I'm only going to need one more this semester - $140 - but I dunno about next semester, trying not to think about it. :P At least some of them I'll be able to reuse, though, so that's OK.

I'm looking forward to the paper, I've never done any ethics before.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say that I hate it but I do find it a bit frustrating - normally I don't mind foreign texts because everything's written somewhere, but this one's just a little OTT on the constitution.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Ah, see, we have to buy texts for most courses, and then often course readers - which are printed in-house and are a lot cheaper - as well. Siiiiigh.

I love lit courses because I just get to buy fiction! Okay, sometimes university/study editions with notes in the front and stuff, but they're still SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper. OTOH, you have to buy ten times as many of them.

[kitsunerei88]

That calculus textbook. . . sounds very similar to the one I am using. . . o.O I would tell you the title but I'm on spring break and left them all at school. . .

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Haha, I wouldn't be shocked if it was the same one. by Anton?

[kitsunerei88]

xD Ahh, no, mine is "Single Variable Calculus, Fifth Edition, with Early Transcendentals" by Stewart. . .

Anton sounds like the guy who does my linear algebra textbook though. Once upon a three weeks ago I considered doing a math minor and then I took linear algebra which is simutaneously the easiest and most frustrating math class I have ever taken. This includes twelfth grade Calculus when my teacher said "Mary, you're smart enough to learn this on your own, so I am going to fling you into a seperate room with two other top students in the class, and I am going to expect you to teach yourself everything in this book and do so faster than the regular class!" And. . . of course we didn't, though being exempt from quizzes was nice.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Oh, curses. :P

my book is absolutely hideous, I have to say, I really don't like it, although the profs do so I guess it's really complete and stuff? dunno, I just think its explanations are for shit.

I firmly believe that the stupidest thing possible to do with bright students in secondary school is to fling them into a room and say, here, learn things while I go pay attention to everyone else! Just because you're more able doesn't mean you're harder working or better motivated. Sigh.

[kitsunerei88]

I don't read my math textbooks, I go to class and go back and attempt a series of questions until I understand what to do and probably why xD.

Oh, we weren't better motivated, not at all. . . we'd show up at friday classes and be like ". . . We don't want to work, so. . . let's leave early and hit the coffee shop!" and stuff. . . Because it was the last class of the day too. Somehow though, we all managed to scrape out the usual marks. . .