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Do we really need to buy textbooks for engineering ? (1 Viewer)

UNIX

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Ok, I am gonna start Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. I do Mathematics 1A, Higher Physics 1A.
Calculus One and Several Variables 10ed and Physics for Engineers and Scientists 8ed are the prescribed books.

I am in a dilemma to whether or not to buy them(second-hand). Do we really need them ? Do lecturers refer to them and do we get homework and prescribed reading from them ? Also, do we need texts to achieve a HD ??
 

mash121

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i am 100% sure u do not need the math 1a textbook, but i heard u do need the physics textbook
 

Lolsmith

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Buy the course pack for Math 1A, you don't need any textbooks. If anything, you can get tutoring from older students.

No idea about Physics, but it's apparently difficult. It had a high failure rate last year.
 

pwoh

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No-one as far as I know used the math textbook. The physics one is quite useful, it's used for Phys1b as well.
 

soloooooo

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Most books are not needed. Although if you want HDs (unlikely) then yeah you probably need to buy some books.
 

TheStallion

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Lol for a start mech is a school, not a faculty.

If you're only doing 2 subjects then you have so much time to focus on them that you shouldn't need textbooks, everyone else is doing double your workload.

As others have said, the phys textbook is great. Probably not worth the money though.

The maths textbook, contray to everyone else's opinions, is great. You won't use it much for maths 1a, but it's the same book for maths 1b and then MATH2011 or MATH2019 in second year as well depending on what path you go down. A book that lasts 3 semesters worth of maths subjects is pretty mad.
 

karnage

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Mate just grab the pdf's off torrents. Save your money.
 

dhampoet

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you can get the physics and maths textbook for free :p and the newest edition apparently

the justification to buy an ipad :(
 

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