Is this normal? MY college wont tell me what books i will need until a week before school starts?

Question

I find it kinda odd that they wont "release" what books that the students will need until like a week before the school starts and I went to the bookstore at my school and they said that not all the book are in so we have to wait until a week before class. . . Cuz i was thinking of buying the books i needon-linee if i could find them. . . Im new to the whole college thing so maybe this is how it works???

Answer 1

It's not typical, but it's not unheard of.  Some schools let professors wait til the last minute to get their book lists turned in, so they're actually incapable of releasing the book list to students until them.  Some schools have arrangements with the local bookstores, too, so that one store can't order all the book in weeks before the others and lure all the early-birds away from them.

You're better off waiting anyway.  A lot of times, especially with classes that have more than one required text, the professor will have something to say about the books the first day.  I've lost count of how many times professors have told me I can buy an older edition of the book at half the price of the current edition and do just fine in the class.  I've also been told more than once that I won't need some of the books at all.

It's very unlikely you'll need books the first day, so hold off and see what the professor says first.

Answer 2

Yes that is normal. I know for sure that departments are still ordering books and it hasn't arrived as of yet. Try this, go a step further and contact the department that you have your classes and ask the administrative assistant or the person who is ordering the books to find out what are the necessary books or ask for the e-mail of the professor and you can ask the professor yourself.

Good luck in school.

Answer 3

Some colleges are like that.  My college has some the books out ahead of time, and some you don't know until the week before.  often times they don't have them in a week before either.  Get used to this.  it's a ploy they use to make money for the bookstore.

Answer 4

one of the reasons they do this is so you wont buy them on-line.  It is so the school store makes the money.  It depends on the size of the school though.

If you know your prof just e-mail them and ask what books you are using and then you will be able to order them on-line.