How important is it to have the right edition of a textbook for class?
I'm having a hard time finding the right edition of textbooks for math, psychology, and human anatomy and physics. I have found the right authors and books, but the editions are a little off. How important is it to get the exact edition? #nursing-student #math #psychology #anatomy-and-physics
2 answers
Jared’s Answer
Having the right edition of a textbook is going to be very important in your studies. I can personally share examples where the instructor forgot to update a syllabus for a class and the wrong version of books were used.
Since books are updated at times for different reasons, it is critical to get the right book to be aligned with your peers and professor. Page numbers will vary in different versions, information may have changed, and/or information may be added or deleted for many different reasons. If you are using an outdated version, you may reference or quote something the professor knows is wrong that could impact your grade.
Jared recommends the following next steps:
Austin’s Answer
Hi Ashley,
Good question, I have not seen someone ask this question yet. So not having the most updated version of a textbook won't be a massive issue, but your life will be easier if you do have the most updated version. Often page numbers between editions of textbooks do not line up as the author changes things included in the textbook and this alter the format and layout. This may make it a little difficult to know what you should be reading when your professor assigns you textbook reading.
Your professor should have passed out a syllabus with all the required textbooks included. If you haven't been able to find the most updated version of textbooks, ask your professor for their ISBN number. ISBN numbers are individual specific codes that all books have. They are often found at the back of the book right above the barcode. Each and every book edition and version have different barcodes so once you have the ISBN number you should be able to find it online.
Also, try and buy your books through your school's bookstore. The school bookstore should have all the textbooks for all the classes that your school offers. I know for my school at least that once us students got our class syllabi the first week of school that we would all go to the bookstore and wait in line for a long time to buy the required books. Buying books from the bookstore is definitely the most expensive way to buy textbooks, but those books are always the correct versions and editions.
I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck in finding the right textbooks!!
Best,
Austin