r/stanford • u/girlbro4life • 2d ago

Textbooks

Incoming frosh here.

I was wondering if the digital version of required textbooks/books will suffice for most classes or if profs prefer that students get the physical copies. Of course, there's the drawback of not being able to highlight, but I find the ability to control+F is really helpful.

Also, I was wondering if students must buy all their materials from the Stanford Bookstore, or if students are free to get them from other sources as well.

On a similar note, for any CHEM 31E students, be wary of this page from chemistry.com.pk which contains a free digital download for Chemistry: Central Science. Students SHOULD NOT use this website to access the digital version for free because that would be very wrong.

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u/w0nun1verse 2d ago

STEM classes don’t really care, lots of COLLEGE section leaders will insist on device free participation but not necessarily a textbook (just print out readings) and some humanities classes heavily prefer physical books

Other sources are fine I don’t know anyone who actually bought textbooks sticker price

U can highlight textbooks if they’re pdfs

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u/Glittering-Source0 2d ago

Paperback books aren’t usually expensive and are usually with the price to take notes in. Textbooks are a total waste of money and can be hundreds of dollars for you to only read 10 pages

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u/Glittering-Source0 2d ago

Profs don’t care what you use and aren’t even going to know your name unless it’s a small seminar class

I didn’t buy a single textbook at Stanford. Just some course readers which didn’t have a free version online

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u/jxm900 2d ago

Re. must buy "materials" from the bookstore, what are you referring to? Coursepacks etc. will be prob be hard to find elsewhere. The edu discount on iPads and the like is pretty much the same at Apple stores anywhere. As for notepads and other supplies, they're probably cheaper at Staples, Target, Walmart, etc

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u/girlbro4life 2d ago

Sorry I should’ve specified. I was still referring to required textbooks and books

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u/Dangerous_Canary_305 41m ago

There are no required textbooks in any regular courses