What's the most you've ever paid for a textbook?

[Chaotic42]

I just dropped $200 on a Kindle version of a book I need for next semester. I don't think I've broken $120 before. It's nuts because there are plenty of good books on the subject for under $50.

What's the most you've ever spent?

 

[shortylickens]

300 hardcover.
50 digital. (so far)

 

[IronWing]

Around $200 but that was twenty five years ago.

 

[Chaotic42]

What subjects? Mine is for a Complex Analysis class. I guess it's so expensive because it has a lot of applications in it. Skimming through it, it seems like a good book so far.

 

[BoomerD]

I got sent to community college a few years ago. I ALWAYS spent over $500/semester for books.

 

[Chaotic42]

I got sent to community college a few years ago. I ALWAYS spent over $500/semester for books.

How many classes were you taking? I don't think I've ever spent $500 per semester.

 

[BoomerD]

How many classes were you taking? I don't think I've ever spent $500 per semester.

4-5 classes...IIRC, accounting texts were the worst...($200+ each)

 

[Chaotic42]

4-5 classes...IIRC, accounting texts were the worst...($200+ each)

Man, I guess I was lucky. Go Southern Miss! This book is $250 for the hard cover version. Totally nuts.

 

[Linflas]

$50.00 but it was a long time ago lol.

 

[lxskllr]

Just bought books for my daughter. Of the four, the most expensive was $60 for a used hardcover.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I remember some of my computer science books costing in the 200 range. I don't recall a specific amount. I don't think I've had some that hit 300.

The sad part is how fast information goes out of date, which makes text books practically obsolete the minute you walk out of the book store. Could not even give these books away after I was done college, either. Because by that point there was already several newer editions out. I ended up just loading them in the recycling bin. That was the most expensive recycling trip to the street. I kind of regret not keeping them, but they would have just collected dust anyway.

 

[Chaotic42]

I remember some of my computer science books costing in the 200 range. I don't recall a specific amount. I don't think I've had some that hit 300.

The sad part is how fast information goes out of date, which makes text books practically obsolete the minute you walk out of the book store. Could not even give these books away after I was done college, either. Because by that point there was already several newer editions out. I ended up just loading them in the recycling bin. That was the most expensive recycling trip to the street. I kind of regret not keeping them, but they would have just collected dust anyway.

I'm lucky, the information in my textbooks virtually never goes out of date. Worst I've seen is Fermat's Last Theorem being unsolved.

 

[Cappuccino]

What uni do you guys go??? $300 for a text book wtf? What are you studying? How to take over the world degree???? The most expensive text book was £39.99 iirc. Just borrow them in the library you don't even need it after graduation lol

 

[Chaotic42]

What uni do you guys go??? $300 for a text book wtf? What are you studying? How to take over the world degree???? The most expensive text book was £39.99 iirc. Just borrow them in the library you don't even need it after graduation lol

University of Missouri Saint Louis. I'm doing my Master's degree in Mathematics. I doubt the library has the book, but it might.

 

[IronWing]

What subjects?

IIRC, the heavy hitters were in:
Stochastics
Time series analysis and modeling (that was the $200 book 25 years ago)
Aqueous geochemistry
Groundwater contaminant transport modeling
Soil chemistry

 

[Imp]

Probably $180. Had a few $160 books a decade ago so throw in inflation and it's probably way higher now.

 

[lxskllr]

IIRC, the heavy hitters were in:
Stochastics
Time series analysis and modeling (that was the $200 book 25 years ago)
Aqueous geochemistry
Groundwater contaminant transport modeling
Soil chemistry

Could that stuff be open sourced? A lot of tech that isn't technology dependent would last a very long time, and it seems like some/one/group could create a libre text book everyone could use. I'm a little surprised it hasn't been done already. Maybe it has, and they need to promote themselves better.

 

[Chaotic42]

IIRC, the heavy hitters were in:
Stochastics
Time series analysis and modeling (that was the $200 book 25 years ago)
Aqueous geochemistry
Groundwater contaminant transport modeling
Soil chemistry

Yeah, those modelling and series analysis books can be nuts. I guess they don't sell that well and the knowledge in them can lead to some high paying jobs so they have a small, captive audience

 

[AznAnarchy99]

From what I've experienced, community college books are more expensive than university books. My CC wanted me to spend $300+ on a Spanish book. I just signed up for the free digital trial and printed out the entire textbook.

 

[Cappuccino]

University of Missouri Saint Louis. I'm doing my Master's degree in Mathematics. I doubt the library has the book, but it might.

How old are you? AFAIK most users on AT are age between 30-40. Just wondering
Oh and you finish or just started your masters?

 

[Crono]

$160 for a bio or chem textbook, I think.

 

[Chaotic42]

How old are you? AFAIK most users on AT are age between 30-40. Just wondering
Oh and you finish or just started your masters?

I'm 34. I'm about half-way through. I've taken a couple of semesters off because of work. I'm trying to power through it now so I can slide into a slightly different career path (and I want to move)

 

[Cappuccino]

I'm 34. I'm about half-way through. I've taken a couple of semesters off because of work. I'm trying to power through it now so I can slide into a slightly different career path (and I want to move)

Awesome!!! May I ask why now? What is your current job and what are you hoping to do after graduation? When did you get your PhD? Sorry if I'm asking a lot I just graduated (last year) and currently doing an intership atm. I'm quite fascinated about you because you are 34 and doing a masters in Maths. Not many people your age doing masters , you are very smart! Maths is hard especially your degree. If I could guess you want to become a maths lecturer? Since you are 34 did you pay all your fees by yourself? I don't think you can get maintance grant or loan if your over x age not in the U.K iirc. I want to know more

Typed on iPhone

 

[Chaotic42]

Awesome!!! May I ask why now? What is your current job and what are you hoping to do after graduation? When did you get your PhD? Sorry if I'm asking a lot I just graduated (last year) and currently doing an intership atm. I'm quite fascinated about you because you are 34 and doing a masters in Maths. Not many people your age doing masters , you are very smart! Maths is hard especially your degree. If I could guess you want to become a maths lecturer? Since you are 34 did you pay all your fees by yourself? I don't think you can get maintance grant or loan if your over x age not in the U.K iirc. I want to know more

Typed on iPhone

I've always wanted a PhD in Mathematics because it interests me. I took a job in my field at 21 because I wanted to pay for school. I started out at $10/hr and now I'm almost at $100,000/yr, so I have a good career and I enjoy it more than I expected. I went to college initially at 16 having skipped two grades. I wasn't mature enough for the responsibilities of school, so I took a job at McDonald's, then at a radio station, then at my current employer.

I'm a Geospatial Engineer. Basically I work with a large team to process spatial data (kind of like Google Maps data). I write tools the analysts use, data processing tools, and work with the analysts to figure out the best way to do their work even if it doesn't involve my writing code. I kind of live at the corner of GIS, development, and mathematics.

I don't have a PhD yet. I got my Associate's (2 years of school) at 23 and my Bachelor's at 30. I then took a bunch of Computer Science classes preparing for getting a Master's in Computer Science, but our office closed and I went to work at another place. I returned to my first employer and they're paying for a Master's. I work for a very large, very diverse company which employs a wide range of people. I'm looking to get into applied mathematics, writing low level code and maybe designing embedded systems. I'm too old and too used to eating well to be a professor - they're usually not paid that well here in the US except at the very highest levels. I think my advisor during my undergraduate program made around $50,000/yr and he was writing papers about knot theory. I guess I'm spoiled.

I paid for my Associate's degree myself and my employer paid for my Bachelor's. I'm thinking about going for a PhD, but I've got a pretty demanding job which sometimes involves travelling and presenting at conferences or going to other worksites to help out with time-sensitive problems. Taking classes on C* Algebras or Lie Groups while performing at a high level at work while travelling would be extremely difficult. I may just cut it off at a Master's. I've got almost 13 years in my field, so that does carry quite a bit of weight.

There are actually a number of people my age in my classes. Most of them are high school educators trying to get Master's degrees so they can get paid more. A number of people are going for degrees in Applied Statistics and whatnot. There are a number of insurance and accounting companies in my city, so we get a diverse group of students. The classes aren't too terrible. I think years of dealing with business and having a lot of freedom at work (along with teaching classes at work) have prepared me for the stress of school and taught me to manage my time well.

 

[Cappuccino]

H

I've always wanted a PhD in Mathematics because it interests me. I took a job in my field at 21 because I wanted to pay for school. I started out at $10/hr and now I'm almost at $100,000/yr, so I have a good career and I enjoy it more than I expected. I went to college initially at 16 having skipped two grades. I wasn't mature enough for the responsibilities of school, so I took a job at McDonald's, then at a radio station, then at my current employer.

I'm a Geospatial Engineer. Basically I work with a large team to process spatial data (kind of like Google Maps data). I write tools the analysts use, data processing tools, and work with the analysts to figure out the best way to do their work even if it doesn't involve my writing code. I kind of live at the corner of GIS, development, and mathematics.

I don't have a PhD yet. I got my Associate's (2 years of school) at 23 and my Bachelor's at 30. I then took a bunch of Computer Science classes preparing for getting a Master's in Computer Science, but our office closed and I went to work at another place. I returned to my first employer and they're paying for a Master's. I work for a very large, very diverse company which employs a wide range of people. I'm looking to get into applied mathematics, writing low level code and maybe designing embedded systems. I'm too old and too used to eating well to be a professor - they're usually not paid that well here in the US except at the very highest levels. I think my advisor during my undergraduate program made around $50,000/yr and he was writing papers about knot theory. I guess I'm spoiled.

I paid for my Associate's degree myself and my employer paid for my Bachelor's. I'm thinking about going for a PhD, but I've got a pretty demanding job which sometimes involves travelling and presenting at conferences or going to other worksites to help out with time-sensitive problems. Taking classes on C* Algebras or Lie Groups while performing at a high level at work while travelling would be extremely difficult. I may just cut it off at a Master's. I've got almost 13 years in my field, so that does carry quite a bit of weight.

There are actually a number of people my age in my classes. Most of them are high school educators trying to get Master's degrees so they can get paid more. A number of people are going for degrees in Applied Statistics and whatnot. There are a number of insurance and accounting companies in my city, so we get a diverse group of students. The classes aren't too terrible. I think years of dealing with business and having a lot of freedom at work (along with teaching classes at work) have prepared me for the stress of school and taught me to manage my time well.

Holy crap! £80k year!! Wow and now you are striving for another new challenge. Most people just stay put in your current situation but you are still pinging forward! You Americans are insane... well done Choatic42!
Your life is pretty much complete imo.