Scholarly Advice for Academic Mastery
A collection of insights and advice from some of the most successful university, graduate, and professional students and scholars.
Topic: Textbooks
One of the tips I use before I begin to read a textbook for class, is to read the Index first. If you read the Index first, you will get an idea of what is important in the book you are about to read. An Index gives you a good idea of what topics are important to the author, and as you read the book, you will have an idea of what to look for in the book.
Ray Danieli
Master of Arts in American Studies
Georgetown University
Reading textbooks is an art. - We've all been there. Stuck with our nose in a textbook, reading words that are meaningless. Reading textbooks takes practice as well. Learn to skim passages and glean important information. Sometimes, you can read a passage twice quickly faster than you can once slowly. Bolded and italicized words also help to fine tune your speed reading skills. If you have continued trouble with accelerated reading, look into taking a speed reading course. Many universities offer these courses on site.
Matt Sellers
Master of Animal Science
Texas Tech University
This tip is for graduate students and ambitious undergraduates. The first part of this advice is very simple and every student going to school knows it: DO THE READING. Do not fall behind with the reading, or not read it because you read it a year ago, or the myriad other reasons. At this point in your career you should be excited and into the readings so read it. If it is a book you read before, read it again because you will probably read it with new eyes and pick up things you missed last time. Also, the bibliography, work cited, reference page is your friend. If you notice that a certain author keeps being cited in the works you are reading, look in the bibliography and then go read their original work. This may blow some of your minds, but authors cite their sources for a reason one of which is if you want to question the assumptions, their reading of the author, or just find our what was said earlier - you use the bibliography. All graduate students should become friends with the bibliography and consider it part of their assigned reading. This will help prepare you for quals and your dissertation not to mention class.
Natasha Jankowski
PhD in Higher Education
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
I strongly recommend bringing
your books with you where ever you go. If you get caught at a train then
pick up your book/notes and try to pick one thing to remember. It’s all
about time management. I have and have had a full time job all through my
college career and I know that I am not alone. I found that every moment of
studying would have to count. I couldn’t afford to read for an hour and not
retain the information. Sometimes that hour was all I had.
Amanda Elane Meyers
Western Michigan University
There is no need to buy your textbooks at the campus store. Most classes will post what is needed online ahead of time. If you don’t procrastinate, you can save hundreds of dollars by shopping online and having books shipped.
Although you’re taking a chance, book buying can be one time that it pays to procrastinate. Wait until the first class and get the book list and the syllabus. This will ensure that you shop for the correct edition and don’t buy extra books because the professor changed his mind. Also, if there are multiple books being used in a class, you might not have to have them all right away. Save on shipping and opt for the cheapest option on those books that you don’t need for a month.
A note on sharing texts: it’s hard. Unless it is a roommate on someone on your hall I wouldn’t advise it. Time is money and you’re only saving one when you share a book. Looking back after a semester of waiting to meet or running through the rain to get the pages for a problem set may make you regret not buying your own. Before you share make sure you have discussed: writing/highlighting in the book, who will have the book on long weekends, how you are going to sell the book/ divide the money at the end of the semester, and what will happen if the book is lost/stolen/or ruined.
Allie Taisey
Master of Arts in Teaching
Cornell University
The sticker shock of buying textbooks in college can be mitigated by some careful research and thrifty shopping. Typically, most teachers submit their class curriculum before the semester begins, and the campus bookstore may have a list of textbooks required for each class. Fortunately for the thrifty student, this translates to a few weeks to search around and get the best prices on books. With the book information (ISNB, author, title, etc), a student can search most big-name online retailers for a better price and save on standard shipping since the books aren't needed for several weeks. Just a $25 savings per class's textbook will translate to a $1,000 savings over the course of an average 120-hour degree. If the books can be sold back to the local bookstore as used textbooks, the thrifty student can save even more money.
|
Jeffrey Gibson Master of Science in Electrical Engineering University of West Florida
|
 |
Assigned reading is often
looked upon as tedious and time consuming. Though some might consider this
true, assigned reading is certainly important.
You should read every assignment given and never skip a reading. When given
an assignment, it is important to start reading early, otherwise you will
not have time to finish. For longer assignments, it helps to plan how much
you will read a day. For example, divide a book by the number of days you
have to complete the reading and write down each section as a separate
assignment on your calendar. You may wish to skip a day or two for rest.
It is important to take notes while doing any assigned reading. The notes
need not be detailed, especially for longer assignments. Use a separate
notebook and write down key ideas and the page number in case you need to
come back later for reference. I often find that for assignments over 100
pages I write down a note about every 2-3 pages.
Skim each section before reading it to get an idea of what the section is
about. When reading longer assignments, try to skim through the chapter
reading a few sentences from different paragraphs. This helps focus your
mind on what you should be thinking about as you read the chapter. For
shorter assignments, it helps to go through the entire assignment reading
each section heading as well as a few sentences at the beginning of each
paragraph before beginning any reading. Some people recommend reading short
assignments twice, but if you skim through the assignment effectively before
reading it, twice becomes unnecessary.
If you budget your time efficiently and develop good reading techniques,
assigned reading can be easily managed--which will help not only in your
class, but also in your overall education.
|
John Burr Computer Engineering University of Virginia
|
 |
We are all busy, and as a
single mother of four children I found that taking my books with me
everywhere I go enables me to squeeze in reading a chapter here and a
chapter there while waiting in line or while in the waiting room of the
dentist, etc.
The benefits add up quickly, giving you more free time at home. Another
added benefit is that people that observe you studying automatically assume
that you are super-intellectual!
Monique L. de Graw
University of Central Florida
As a graduate student I have found it extremely helpful to keep all of my course materials once I have completed a course. Many of the graduate level courses that I have taken overlap information and concepts. I have utilized notes and textbooks from previous courses numerous times to write papers, contribute to projects and help study for exams. Although it may be tempting to throw out old course material or sell back textbooks, these materials could be invaluable in the future.
Kathryn Wood Almond
Master of Education in Special Education
University of North Carolina
Textbooks are expensive. Buying your books online can mitigate the cost, but how should you go about this? It's important to get exactly the right book, in the right edition (so your page numbers are right). The only way to do this is to make sure you have the right ISBN. But many professors don't list the ISBNs on their syllabi. But the campus bookstore has the right books! So, go to the campus bookstore, write down the ISBNs, then comparison shop online. Use websites like Amazon Marketplace, Abebooks, Barnes and Noble, and eBay to get the best deals. Make sure you buy relatively new copies from relatively reputable sellers.
|
Alex Harris Harvard University
|
 |
As you already know, college is
not cheap! So spend your money wisely when you are purchasing textbooks. If
you are adamant with purchasing your textbooks at the college then order
used books. The college will also buy back your old unused books. Just make
sure, before you sell your old books that you will not have to refer back to
them one day. If you would like to save more money and get the best price
for text books then shop around. Many online stores sell new and used books.
Try www.amazon.com, www.half.com, www.campusbooks.com,
www.collegebooksdirect.com, and www.textbooks.com. There are many more. Just
be careful when ordering on line that you are purchasing from a safe secure
site.
Since you are paying high dollar for your text books make sure you open it.
Make a point to read your textbook during every free moment. Your test book
should be your best friend. It is a friend with great amount of knowledge
and you should enjoy it. Good luck!
|
Brooke Alston Jennings Master of Science in Social Work Radford University
|
 |
You may be one of those people who wants to buy all your books new. You
think that you’ll want to keep them all because you will refer to them
again. YOU WON’T! This may be true in a few cases, but for the majority of
your classes, you’ll never crack the book open again once your final exams
are over. So, don’t make the mistake of buying all your textbooks brand new!
Three ways to save money on books:
1. Buy them from the school bookstore USED. Sometimes there will be a
limited quantity of USED books, so check early if you go this route. This is
slightly cheaper than buying them new from the bookstore.
2. Rent or buy them from students who have taken the class previously.
Usually, universities have a network for students to post textbooks they
want to rent or sell. This can be significantly cheaper than buying them
new.
3. OhioLINK. Try to get your textbook from your school or local library by
using OhioLINK (or a similar service). Usually, you can renew these enough
times to last you the whole semester. This is FREE (assuming you
renew/return the book promptly).
When you rent or buy from a student or use OhioLINK, sometimes you will find
a previous edition of a textbook you need. Usually, this is still okay. Many
times, the difference between old and new editions is just the order of the
chapters. Check with the professor if you are concerned about using a
previous edition.
|
Carissa K. Goodlet Master of Educational Administration Youngstown State University
|
 |
Throughout my college experience, I have learned quite a bit more from textbooks than the actual reading material. For example, if the textbook you are reading has pictures, graphs, charts, or diagrams, pay attention to them! Several times, in several classes, I have had an exam with a chart or diagram on it from the book. However, if you simply read the material and never look at the extra supplements, you may be missing out on some points! In some books, there is a quiz or a summary at the end of every chapter. Do not neglect these either! For example, my biology professor assumed that most people were not keeping up with the reading. Therefore, she took questions for the exam right out of the end of the chapters! Most people in the class had no idea that they could have easily known the answers if they had just read and taken the quiz at the end of the chapters. My advice is that everything in the textbook should get your full attention because it might just pay off in points on exam day!
|
Kristen Harris University of Tennessee
|
 |
Looking to save money on textbooks? The following websites are just some
which can save you hundreds of dollars on textbooks over your college
career.
1) www.amazon.com
2) www.half.com
3) www.chambal.com
4) www.textbooks.com
5) www.textbookx.com
6) www.ecampus.com
7) www.abebooks.com
If you want to purchase your books from any of the above sites, it is
usually best if you order them at least 3-4 weeks before your classes begin.
If you do not know what books are required for your classes, you can either
call or visit your college bookstore and make a note of the ISBN numbers or
contact the professor who is teaching the course directly. Good Luck!
|
Sean Michael Kenney Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling University of Massachusetts-Boston
|
 |
Heart failure! This is certainly the experience of many parents who are paying for their student’s college or the do it yourself student who is forking out the expenses from their own pocketbook. Life is not cheap and neither is school for that matter. So, it is important to find some breaks in the system whenever possible. Possibly one of the most expensive materials you will buy is college books. I found that I had to get creative to save some money when it came to text books. What I found to be successful is to either order used books online or better yet borrow books from friends. I think that books that have already been used are very helpful because most of the time important information has been highlighted or underlined, and notes have frequently been written in the blank spaces. Not to mention you pretty much cut your book expenses in half.
Crystal Nichole Mille
Texas A&M