Q: I'm arriving at Cal on the 17th and I haven't bought any of my textbooks yet. Is it too late to buy them when I arrive there? And is the booklist shown on Online Schedule final and reliable?
The Answer
Hi April! Welcome to Cal! It's not too late to buy your books after you get here. Actually, sometimes I buy my books after school starts because usually you don't need it on the first day and sometimes you don't need all the books. The books listed on the Online Schedule and on the student store sites are fairly reliable (the professors submitted them), but sometimes they'll tell you in class that some books are optional. But if you buy the books at the student store or Neds bookstore (on Bancroft), you can return the books after school starts. If you are willing to buy used books, you can try buying them online at half.com (but it'll take some time to ship) or comegetused.com (this is with someone in Berkeley so you meet up in person). Used books are a lot cheaper. Don't worry too much about books; it will all work out!
