questions abour college?

Question

Im starting college beginning this fall and am extremely confused. Please help me by answering these questions!

1. Im taking four classes and got the e-mail for three of my teachers. Should I contact them to ask about what books I need/ don't need and which to buy?

2. Some books for classes are optional. Should I buy these books?

3. One class I'm taking is taught by the staff apparently, so I can't contact a specific teacher about what books I need. What should I do?

4. If I buy books online, is it possible for me to sell them back to my college book store?

5. Will dropping a class be recorded on my transcript? Will this have a negative consequence?

6. College is soo confusing! Will I ever get used to buying text books, picking classes, studying, etc??

Answer 1

Never buy ANY books until you go to class and see if your actually going to use them!! It's always better to drop a class rather than get a poor grade!!!

Answer 2

1. I would go ahead and find out what books you need from those 3 teachers. That way you can buy them online for MUCH less than brand new or what your school bookstore sells them for used, and then still have them in time for class.

2. Don't buy them if you don't need them. If you go to class every day and take good notes, you won't need them if there is no required reading assigned by the teacher.

3. Wait for the first day of class. The teacher will pass out a syllabus which will list the book you will need for class. Don't worry... teachers never expect you to have the book on the first day of class, and many won't bother using it the entire first week.

4. If you buy the edition that your teacher tells you to buy, then your college bookstore will buy it back used since it should be the same copy they sell. They don't care if they sold it to you or not. However, schools update their textbook editions every once in a while (and sometimes the bookstore if overstocked on a certain textbook), so you may find that occasionally the bookstore will not be buying back a certain book.

5. As long as you drop the class within the drop/add period (Usually the first few days of class), the drop won't show up on your record. If you withdraw from the class during the first half of the semester, you will receive a grade of W, which has no impact at all on calculating your GPA. Withdrawing after the semester midpoint earns a grade of WF, which is counted as an F and is part of your GPA calculation. Though a W does not affect your GPA, too many W's on your transcript looks bad when transferring schools or when someone looks closely at your transcript for other reasons.

6. College is confusing and scary at first, but it all becomes totally routine. Trust me, you'll get used to it. It takes some time to figure it out, but it'll be no time before you can do it all in your sleep.

Answer 3

First and foremost don't panic! You'll get used to everything after the first semester. I was a freshman last year and we had an orientation week during which we signed up for classes and got aquainted with the campus. Basically when you sign up for a class you can usually go on your school website and find your bookstore website and they will have books arranged by class. If your bookstore doesn't have a website, no worries. You can either contact your teachers to find books or wait until the first day of class when you get a syllabus for the semester along with the books needed for class. You won't normally need your books until after the first month because so many students will be dropping and adding classes during that period, so no class is set until at least a month into the semester.

Most of the time optional books are a waste of money, but for some classes they do come in hand. For instance a class that you will end up writing a lot. The books will be an extra resource.

Buying books online is what most kids do because they're cheap and usually selling them back online is better. Most school bookstores don't give a lot of money for returning books. Half the price at most! They will buy back books from students without asking, but its better to do it online.

Good luck with your school year and don't panic! You'll find out it's easier to adjust than you thought!

Answer 4

1. No need to contact them you will find out everything you need to know the first day of class.
2. I wouldn't buy books that are optional unless it sound like a book you would want to read.
3. Again wait until the first class
4. usually you can sell the books back to the college bookstore as long as they plan on using them again, or you sell them online, or to other students
5. Dropping a class is not recorded on your transcript and will not have negative consequences, it is actually common practice in college, students often have to rearrange there scheduals by dropping or adding classes
6. College is not that confusing, most likely your just overwhelmed, its a big change you will get used to it. I just graduated from a for year college, and i wish i could go back it was a lot of fun, good luck!

Answer 5

First of all CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!
I know college is very confusing at first.
Answers to your questions:

1. You could try contacting them and they can tell you what books you will need. If they don't get back in touch with you, wait and on the first day you will receive a syllabus that will tell you what books you need, what edition of the book to get, as well as when your tests are, when any papers are due,etc. I usually get several highlighters and mark the tests in one color, the papers that are due in another color and this helps me to stay organized at a glance.

2. I would talk to the teacher about this. It depends on whether material will be taken from them for a test, etc. Also talk to other students who have taken the class and they can tell you alot.

3.Wait until the first day of class.

4. This I am not sure of. Go to the bookstore and talk to the people at the bookstore.

5. Talk to your advisor about this. I would rather have a W ( for withdraw) than a D or an F on my transcript.

6. After a semester or two you will fall into a rythem and you will become an old hand at this.

Most importantly- MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO TO ALL OF YOUR CLASSES. You can't learn the material if you are not there. Make sure that you take all of the tests and turn in all of the papers. I know that a few points are better than no points and might actually help you to pass.
Also, go to your advisor if you have questions- that is what they are there for.

Answer 6

First off, calm down. It's daunting, yes, but you're in the same boat as (depending on the size of your school) dozens, hundreds, or thousands of other students.

Your professors will tell you on the first day of class which books you will need. Unless the school gave you their email addresses (as opposed to you tracking them down via the school's web site), I'd hold off on emailing them just yet--unless that kind of thing is encouraged at your school. Or, you can find an online message board for your school or find an upperclassman to ask about how this is handled.

When a class is taught by staff, that often means that it will be taught by 1 teacher, but they haven't been assigned yet. Again, you will learn on the first day of class what you need and what you don't.

Each school has their own policy on dropping classes. Usually you can drop a class by a certain time with no reprecussions.

I doubt you would be able to return books you bought online to your college book store. It would be like returning something you bought on Amazon.com to a Barnes and Noble.

Good luck!

Answer 7

yeah if you by the books online its possible to sell them back to the bookstore but it they would probably buy it for less than if you had actually bought from them.. No if you drop a class it wouldn't be recorded on your transprict, if you withdrawal from a class it would be recorded on your transcipt but W's matters if you have a lot of them. Yes you'll get used to use. Just ask your teachers what books you need or go to the online bookstore and they'll tell you what books you need and you can buy it from amazon.