Textbook Guide
Getting your textbooks should be a relatively straightforward process. However, if you care about your wallet there are some questions you should ask first.
Do I Need Textbooks?
This is the first question you should ask before worrying about how you'll get your textbooks. Many classes list required textbooks when in actuality they're never used in the course. Your best bet is to find a student who has taken the course already and ask them if the listed textbook is actually necessary. More often than not, you don't actually need the textbook.
Jeremie's Advice
Courseware
If the course lists a "courseware" as a required textbook, I would recommend purchasing it from the bookstore. Almost always, coursewares will be inexpensive and extremely useful.
"Courseware" refers to a textbook that is written by the professor and printed by the University
Other Textbooks
If the course lists a non-courseware textbook as required, there's a very high chance you don't need it. Ask the professor if it's actually required and also try to find students who have taken the course before.
List of Courses You Probably Won't Need The Textbook For
Here is a list of first- and second-year courses you probably won't need to purchase a textbook for:
COMP-1000, COMP-1400, COMP-1410, COMP-2120, COMP-2140, COMP-2540, COMP-2560, COMP-2650, COMP-2660, COMP-2800, MATH-1250, MATH-1720, MATH-1020, MATH-1730
This list may not be 100% accurate. It was based on the personal experiences of students who took these courses in the past. As courses evolve and new professors teach them, things may change.
Where Do I Get My Textbooks?
Depending on what you're looking for, you have a few options for getting your textbooks.
The Campus Bookstore
The campus bookstore is the official way to purchase your textbooks. If you're looking to purchase a courseware, this is usually your only option. Here, all of the textbooks are arranged by class so you can easily find what you're looking for, and it will always be the exact version you need. However, the bookstore is always the most expensive option. If you can avoid the bookstore, you'll likely be able to save some money.
Other Ways to Purchase
There are many places where you can purchase textbooks new or used and save money:
Used Textbooks
Buying used textbooks is a great way to save money, as they're almost always cheaper than the bookstore. There are Facebook groups dedicated to UWindsor students posting textbooks they're selling and/or looking for. These are a great place to start. You can also ask around on Discord servers if anyone is selling their textbooks. Additionally, you can look at Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace.
New Textbooks
Sometimes the publisher of the textbooks sells directly to customers, and sometimes you can find new textbooks on Amazon. A simple Google search is bound to return results for the textbook you're looking for.
The Library
Leddy Library often stocks textbooks for students to temporarily borrow for free. While you won't be able to actually own or use the textbook on a permanent basis, this is still a great option for some people. You can find out more by visiting Leddy Library or on their website.
Free E-Textbooks
Here at the Computer Science Society, we love the law. We definitely recommend you to pay full price for a new book from the UWindsor bookstore and definitely do not recommend you to use the following sites such to get your textbooks for free and save hundreds of dollars without an account. These sites definitely do not provide free, safe files:
Downloading textbooks for free online is illegal, and definitely always enforced. We do not recommend you to use the above sites, we have campus security on speed dial.