Who uses them

[jon stewart]

How many of you actually read your textbooks, i buy them each term but i hardly ever use them. The class notes are pretty good, but if i don't get something then i resort to the textbook...

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[airshad8]

How many of you actually read your textbooks, i buy them each term but i hardly ever use them. The class notes are pretty good, but if i don't get something then i resort to the textbook...

I dont go to class...I read my text books. I guess it depends on the type of person you are. I taught myself Orgo out of the text book because thinking about Orgo at 8 AM was just not happening. I think for a couple of classes, that I did go to class for (Physics I and II) I didn't buy text books and was fine.

 

[akademiks1989]

I use my textbooks

 

[TPROrgoTutor2]

I stopped buying textbooks after around sophomore year. I did have to borrow an organic book for a few hours before each exam, same with biochem but for the most part textbooks are useless and A's can be attained in the class by simply listening in lecture and understanding what is said.

Make sure that when you miss classes you have a buddy who can supply you with decent notes. I would say I attended about 75% of lectures, but for most that I missed I had someone help me out with lecture notes and vice versa to them. Cooperation is great

 

[kaybam20]

you can get A thru the notebook but you won't remember the content of the class 2hrs after the final exam.


Studying the note is a lazy man's way of getting thru college.

 

[Hurricane95]

I used the textbook for a lot of my classes. But however I guess it depends on your classes. Some are taught straight off powerpoint or whatever and in that case you may not need the book. I did engineering though, and in many of those classes i had to do lots of assignments and practice problems out of the book. So it may vary depending on major too. I used the book extensively for some classes like organic I and II, which I taught myself straight out of mcmurry.

Now in med school I've used only a couple of the many recommended books though. Almost everything is online and taught off powerpoint so the ample notes are sufficient. Most of the books I have bought are for review and future board study, not for the classes themselves.

 

[TPROrgoTutor2]

you can get A thru the notebook but you won't remember the content of the class 2hrs after the final exam.


Studying the note is a lazy man's way of getting thru college.

It is efficient and frankly I remember everything that Ive learned with the exception of small details. I don't know how you can make this claim?

 

[DoctorPardi]

I rarely use a textbook for anything other than doing in text homework problems.

 

[szhao]

i haven't bought a single text book since sophomore year and i take about 6 classes average per semester

 

[obgyny]

How many of you actually read your textbooks, i buy them each term but i hardly ever use them. The class notes are pretty good, but if i don't get something then i resort to the textbook...

it depends on the class and the instructor. i just finished taking botany and the instructor lectured with powerpoints which covered everything on the exams. i started out reading the chapters, but found it was a waste of time (considering i had other classes to study for) and studying only the notes was sufficient for me. in fact, i did better on the exams when i didn't read the text. the notes help me focus on what's important. i really only used the text for its glossary to look up a few definitions. i still buy textbooks for all my classes just in case.

 

[baylormed]

I agree, it depends on the teacher. I remember I did use my book for physics, as well as the texts for history, religion, and english classes. A lot of my biochem, and biology books I could have done without, though.

 

[Robizzle]

I've noticed I needed my textbooks for all my pre-med classes but absolutely none for my engineering classes. Don't mean to start a flame war or anything.

 

[dds_sdc]

i guess it depends on the type of person you are.

me.. i HATE going to class and avoid it at all cost... THEREFORE.. i completely rely on textbooks.

like the other person said.. i also taught myself orgo straight from the text. my professor taught straight from the book. why go to class when i could read it on my own?

it all depends on the type of learner you are. i like to learn everything on my own. i learn a lot more through my mistakes and figuring things on my own.

gluck to you

 

[Genetics]

I got sick of paying 500 dollars for books and class material. So now I just get the books I need through ILL (inter library loan) and make photocopies of what I need and send the book back. It does take time to make the photocopies but you don't have to spend money on the books and don't have to carry those huge books around. Heck, if I didn't even make copies of what I need for an assignment or a new topic was added in, I just use Google to learn the topic. If I need to do chapter problems (what are they anyways...havn't done them since freshman year, I'm a second semester junior right now) I will just ask a student if I could write down the problems on paper quick.

How many of you actually read your textbooks, i buy them each term but i hardly ever use them. The class notes are pretty good, but if i don't get something then i resort to the textbook...

 

[jash0624]

I have a major problem paying attention in classes so I use my textbooks because my notes are total crap and 90% doodles. I need to fix my attention span.

 

[obgyny]

i guess it depends on the type of person you are.

me.. i HATE going to class and avoid it at all cost... THEREFORE.. i completely rely on textbooks.

like the other person said.. i also taught myself orgo straight from the text. my professor taught straight from the book. why go to class when i could read it on my own?

it all depends on the type of learner you are. i like to learn everything on my own. i learn a lot more through my mistakes and figuring things on my own.

gluck to you

i'm the opposite. i like going to lectures. well... maybe "like" isn't the right word. what i mean is that i usually learn more by going to the lectures than just reading the text. again it depends on the class and instructor.

 

[SOCHBING]

i tell you what, you get lucky, i have yet to get a professor whose lecture notes dont suck or confuse the hell out of me when i resort back to them. i <3 my textbooks, especially wasting 200 dollars on just one. wohoo for the rip off at the book store.

 

[Lorienne7]

It really does depend on the professor: I relied on my books for gen chem, physics, pchem, and first semester orgo and never touched them for biochem, bio, or second semester orgo. For me, it depends solely on how good the teacher is and how clear his lectures are. The textbooks are often ridiculously large and entirely too detailed or as in the case of second semester orgo, not detailed enough. In general, my motto is that lecture notes = all you need to know. Textbooks = remain in the shrink wrap unless you've got a horrible lecturer for a teacher

 

[crowman]

I usually pick some of the larger texts like Bio and organic coupled with some of my old finance books such as Damadaran's Investment Analysis, then stack them up and stand on them to get a good look in the mirror to clip my ass hairs... so yes I have and will still use them until I get hair removal.

 

[rcd]

I used my genetics textbook first semester freshman year. Just for the assigned practice problems though. An ultra-gunner pre-vet on my floor loved to read that book though . He also had _no_ life.

Haven't used another textbook since (I keep buying them though... hmm). I'm a junior.

 

[TMP-SMX]

I definitely read the books. I pay the money to buy them so I get my money's worth. And I also buy them on half.com, so they aren't obscenely expensive.

 

[foofish]

Make sure that when you miss classes you have a buddy who can supply you with decent notes. I would say I attended about 75% of lectures, but for most that I missed I had someone help me out with lecture notes and vice versa to them. Cooperation is great

As the person who everyone turned to for notes (the school even paid me for 'em), let me emphasize the vice versa bit...helping friends out is totally cool, but leeches sometimes deserve to die the horrible orgo death.

As far as notes or text goes, it depends on the class/professor more than my own style. If the professor is a bad lecturer who tests out of the text, not his lecture, then I use the text....if the professor tests out of his lectures, and ignores the text, then I focus on notes...