How much will law text books cost me? (1 Viewer)

Just.waiting

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
64
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Specifically for UOW.

I'm on student allowance, is there any loan scheme or something so that I might be able to pay back the sum later? I'm a bit worried about not being able to afford them.
 

ari89

MOSSAD Deputy Director
Joined
May 30, 2005
Messages
2,618
Location
London
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
I usually pay around $400-$550 a semester for Law/Business textbooks.
 

Just.waiting

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
64
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
ari89 said:
I usually pay around $400-$550 a semester for Law/Business textbooks.

Geeze!


So I'm going to be up for like $1000 per year?


I'd better start walking the streets now. lol
 

live.fast

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
501
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
$0. It's called a library.


...although I did rack up an $8 overdue bill at the end. :( Still. $8 < $68.95.
 

nimrod_dookie

Tryhard Geek
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
110
Gender
Female
HSC
2006
My brother and a friend do law at seperate unis and their textbook costs range from $300 to $500 per semester brand new. You will find that costs will be reduced some semesters because you may use the same textbook for several subjects or some may be a lifelong (or unilong) purchase such as a legal dictionary (Butterworths legal dictionary was about $80 if I remember correctly). I suggest assessing how necessary the textbooks are for assessments and see if you can access a library copy and just photocopy the relevant chunks of text.
 

ari89

MOSSAD Deputy Director
Joined
May 30, 2005
Messages
2,618
Location
London
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
kevinx2 said:
400-550; is that new or used textbooks?
That was for new books. You can potentially save a lot with second hand books.

@live.fast. Sounds like a stupid idea as you can't take borrowed books into open book exams - or be guaranteed the book if someone requests it
 

jackmurray1989

Mr Mature
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
190
Location
Illawarra
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
I'm a UOW law student. It was about $500 for first session and another $150 or so for second session.

I'll sell you my books (good condition, minor highlighting) for cheaper. PM me if you want.



edit: yeah, library books don't work. All exams are open book except UOW library material is banned.
 

lyounamu

Reborn
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
9,998
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
jackmurray1989 said:
I'm a UOW law student. It was about $500 for first session and another $150 or so for second session.

I'll sell you my books (good condition, minor highlighting) for cheaper. PM me if you want.



edit: yeah, library books don't work. All exams are open book except UOW library material is banned.
I think live.fast is from USYD even though his comment is not very relevant to this thread. That's why he might adopt different way to work around this problem.

Then would borrowing work for other universities or would it be same for all?
 

tmavg

New Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
9
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
ari89 said:
I usually pay around $400-$550 a semester for Law/Business textbooks.
Yeh thats for new, buy second hand and ull save at least 40 if not 50%
 

Marmalade.

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
297
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
ari89 said:
@live.fast. Sounds like a stupid idea as you can't take borrowed books into open book exams - or be guaranteed the book if someone requests it
It's not a stupid idea. It's a stupid idea to spend hundreds of dollars per semester on books that you'll use for 6 months. It's not like you have time in an exam to look through a textbook. As for not being guaranteed the book, most of them are available or can be reserved before you need them. Sometimes you miss out on taking one home, but there are always copies to use in the library.
 

Just.waiting

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
64
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Marmalade. said:
It's not a stupid idea. It's a stupid idea to spend hundreds of dollars per semester on books that you'll use for 6 months. It's not like you have time in an exam to look through a textbook. As for not being guaranteed the book, most of them are available or can be reserved before you need them. Sometimes you miss out on taking one home, but there are always copies to use in the library.
It's called open book exams idiot.

I haven't even started uni and I know that I will need my own books for that.
 

live.fast

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
501
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Just.waiting said:
It's called open book exams idiot.

I haven't even started uni and I know that I will need my own books for that.
You know, it's funny. I had an open book exam the other day... for...what was it? Oh yeah. My torts exam, 1st year USYD law. But you know what? I didn't even take in a textbook. And I know a friend who borrowed his from the library for the exam. Funny how that happened. We both got D's at the end anyway.

Anyway, I'm not going to blame you for being an idiot if the only reason you are is because you're being cautious. But now, you know what you know, from what I've told you. Now, even you can see the opportunity that's there to save money. And if you don't take it? Then you can judge for yourself what you are.




.....mmm Nah, fuck that. If you don't WANT to save money, you're pure friggin stupid.
 
Last edited:

ari89

MOSSAD Deputy Director
Joined
May 30, 2005
Messages
2,618
Location
London
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
1. Many law exams require you to have the books as you have to look up specific legislation - not like Torts where it is essentially summarised case law. E.g. Criminal law required we look up specific acts and their penalty.

2. I haven't heard of any uni allowing you to take books from your library into an exam.

3. I always screw people with assignments and around exams by putting a block on the book so they can't renew it.
 
Last edited:

jb_nc

Google &quot;9-11&quot; and &quot;truth&quot;
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
5,391
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
ari89 said:
2. I haven't heard of any uni allowing you to take books from your library into an exam.
I know at USyd, you should not have to pay any thing, or at a level like $100, for additional course costs (i.e. textbooks, course readers). They get around this by having books on special reserve which you can access at all times.

It's thus logical you would be allowed to bring in library books to an open book examination.
 

Frigid

LLB (Hons)
Joined
Nov 17, 2002
Messages
6,208
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Just.waiting said:
It's called open book exams idiot.

I haven't even started uni and I know that I will need my own books for that.
it's called 'you, newbie, haven't even taken a single law exam yet and you don't realise there won't be enough time to start reading your very own lawbook in the two-three hours, so play nice and don't call other people idiots'. :)
 

jackmurray1989

Mr Mature
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
190
Location
Illawarra
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
jb_nc said:
I know at USyd, you should not have to pay any thing, or at a level like $100, for additional course costs (i.e. textbooks, course readers). They get around this by having books on special reserve which you can access at all times.

It's thus logical you would be allowed to bring in library books to an open book examination.
Our library has at most about 3 copies of each course text book. Certaintly not enough for everyone to use in an exam, or even throughout the year.

We had a question in first session which said 'Refering to the prosecutor's guidelines on pg. 304 of the textbook...'.
 

RogueAcademic

Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
859
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
This is probably in the minority but I personally know at least one HD-average student at a top law university and a D-average student from another top law uni who don't buy a single textbook. The HD student pays attention during class and takes great notes. The D student brings a voice recorder and tapes every lecture from which he reviews and writes notes from later.
 

jackmurray1989

Mr Mature
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
190
Location
Illawarra
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
RogueAcademic said:
This is probably in the minority but I personally know at least one HD-average student at a top law university and a D-average student from another top law uni who don't buy a single textbook. The HD student pays attention during class and takes great notes. The D student brings a voice recorder and tapes every lecture from which he reviews and writes notes from later.
Yeah, some people respond better to audio cues however I think most would prefer the use a of a textbook to refer to, reread and disect.

It also places a heavy reliance on the the tutors/lecturers to cover all the necessary material.
 

latinorulz

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
32
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
jackmurray1989 said:
Yeah, some people respond better to audio cues however I think most would prefer the use a of a textbook to refer to, reread and disect.

It also places a heavy reliance on the the tutors/lecturers to cover all the necessary material.
The idea is that there are ways around this 'textbook cost', even for peepz who need the actual textbook (aka libraariees). but serz - wateva, if peepz wanna dish out $500 for books, let em i say.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top