Should I buy the "recommended reading" books or only the "essential" ones ??? Confuuuuused dot com!

[Alambil]

I am doing a PGCE; I could possibly use the books throughout my teaching career, but I may not...

I need to buy them soon, or else I'll get in trouble!

I wonder if I should get them from the library first?

oh come onnnnn

someone must have an idea!

Yes get as many as possible from the library. Also try and see if any former students would sell you theirs. That's what I did when I started my nurse training.

I would hesitate to buy any; often they cost £20 or more (ime) and often you won't refer to them again. Theories change and new authors come along and you end up with a shelf full of heavy books.

Alternatively ask one of the tutors or a former student. which ones are the really essential ones.

It might be useful to have one or two of your own if you are likely to be referring to them constantly.

Personally, I would have a hunt through the library and pick out those on the essential reading list. Then I would have a browse through and choose 1/2 that you like and buy them.

Reccomended reading books I would get from the library everytime.

You don't have to go mad with books, especially if you're not sure you will use them later on. Although the other alternative is to buy them and then ebay them when you are done?

Or you could send them to me when you're done

HTH

Check if your Student Union does a second-hand book sale (or often a local bookshop will do this as well).

amazon second hand. Ive just started my degree and figured that the books would be useful throughout my career so got loads from 99p plus p and p xxx

I think it also depends on where you want to work. If you can get to the library most days then you could get away with buying none. imo better as will force you to take notes on what you read and so you will understand it better. If you need to work in the evenings or at home though then you will need to actually have the books to hand

You do normally need the essential ones so they are worth buying, check with other students first though. Any recommended ones are normally in the library.

I have to buy an essential one on x-ray positioning that costs £75! They have just prited a new edition aswell. Bugger!

DON'T buy them if you can avoid it. What witchandchips said. Our uni library has an overnight version of a short loan (4pm to 10am) so even evenings are possible (though if you are commuting it's harder, obv.)

When I did my pgce, I bought several books most of which were totally unnecessary purchases. Can you contact the course tutor and find out which one (if any) will be needed for your regular "homework" and which ones you could just get from your library without needing to refer to constantly? I think that as you are a student, your library has to order requested books in for you free of charge - check this with teh library though as I may be out of date.