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Cost of Books for Engineering 1st year?

  • 25-07-2012 5:04pm
    #1
    thisisadamh
    Registered Users Posts: 629 ✭✭✭


    Hi, I am just wondering what is the cost of books for Engineering 1st year? Just want to get a ballpark figure.

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    DonQuigleone
    Registered Users Posts: 110 ✭✭DonQuigleone


    thisisadamh wrote: »
    Hi, I am just wondering what is the cost of books for Engineering 1st year? Just want to get a ballpark figure.

    Thanks

    Things may have changed, but you can get by without getting any books. Most books are available in the library (though it can get tricky at exam time), and 95% of lecturers give you notes anyway, and you won't have to go to any books for assignments, as they'll be given to you in a handout.

    Just be glad you're not studying Engineering in the USA (easily spend $1000 on books per semester!).


  • #3
    kebn
    Registered Users Posts: 56 ✭✭kebn


    I would agree with the above. Lecture notes are, in general, sufficient for most of the courses in your first two years and the library is always an option if you're stuck.

    If you find yourself struggling with anything I reckon you're better off with sites like khanacademy.org instead of trawling through thousand-odd page books.

    I do recall having to buy a physics book in first year though, which was required for two modules. As undergraduate books go, it was quite reasonable at around 40 euro for the latest hardback edition at the time.

    I know the course has changed quite a bit in the last few years so that mightn't even be necessary anymore.


  • #4
    DonQuigleone
    Registered Users Posts: 110 ✭✭DonQuigleone


    I agree kebn, you'll get more out of webresources and ebooks then you will out of textbooks (or even lecturers...).

    I started in Mechanical Engineering in 2007, and I doubt things have changed much since then. That said, they switched to a 3 year course in that time, so things could have changed, but I doubt it. Anyway, a good policy is to just delay buying books as long as possible, you will probably never need to buy it, and the vast majority of the lecturers know you don't have the money to splurge on textbooks.


  • #5
    thisisadamh
    Registered Users Posts: 629 ✭✭✭thisisadamh


    Thanks everyone for the advice. :) That is a huge weight off my shoulders. I was expecting to pay €1000 for books!

    Lets just hope I get in now. Will know in 3 weeks!


  • #6
    ironclaw
    Registered Users Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭ironclaw


    First semester you'll be badgered to get a Physics book. If you've studied physics before, your fine. And lectures notes are more than sufficient most courses even after first year. I did buy the occasional book, but I normally got them on Amazon (One book at €3 delivered) and they only served as a reference or if I wanted a fresh look at something.There are plenty of online resources too.

    I know its been said before, but generally people who go to all lectures and use the notes, don't need books. Thats just something I've noticed personally.


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  • #7
    C14N
    Registered Users Posts: 2,633 ✭✭✭C14N


    thisisadamh wrote: »
    Hi, I am just wondering what is the cost of books for Engineering 1st year? Just want to get a ballpark figure.

    Thanks

    You will most likely have to buy one physics book that covers both semesters. Everyone had to get it last year because it was necessary for online assignments (which made up around 30% of the course).

    You'll be glad to know it was fairly cheap though, €25 for the digital version iirc (this was the version almost everyone got) or €60 for the hard copy.

    Apart from this, everything can be found in the library and first year eng books were never all taken when I needed them because the majority of people I know never even took one out. Some lecturers put all their notes online, some expect you to take them down yourself. Don't worry, they'll tell you at the start. In second semester two of my lecturers gave partial notes with blank spaces to fill in during lectures so you don't snooze off.

    Really, the main cost comes from stuff like stationary and materials in Creativity in Design. You'll have to buy a sort of arts and crafts set in the first week for €80 (but it's split between a group of five) as well as an A3 drawing pad and some other stuff.


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