ME cost in 2008

[evelrod]

I can't think of a better place to ask such a question than this forum....

I was going through some old boxes and ran across my first semester book receipt...some $250 or so. That was in the 50's and it was quite a burden for a high school grad managing a gas station for a buck an hour to handle. A lot of used books and a used slide rule and drafting kit made up most of the bill. Does anyone have an idea what it would cost today? Just curious as it won't make me "un-retire" and go back to school. Just curious what others paid...I suspect I got off cheap.

Rod

 

[swearingen]

You do get the occasional break -

While in school going for an ME Masters, I took an elasticity class. When I called the book store and asked if they had it and what the price was, she said, "Sure - it's twelve fifty." Just KNOWING she left a decimal place off, I went to the store prepared to shell out heavy bucks only to find out that the book was a small paperback and was indeed $12.50.

It's a good little book, if you're interested: Elasticity - Tensor, Dyadic, and Engineering Approaches, Chou & Pagano



If you "heard" it on the internet, it's guilty until proven innocent. - DCS

 

[RossABQ]

One of the later wrinkles re: laptops is that many large classes (> 50) no longer use an overhead projector like they used to; they broadcast the prof's desktop via WiFi, so you have to have a laptop to follow along.

 

[HgTX]

Starting college as a putative ME (didn't happen) in 1986, I paid $50 per big fat calculus or physics book (which we got to keep using for three or four semesters; fortunately they did not make us change editions midway through the program), somewhat less for smaller books. First semester was about $250 or maybe $300. Sounds like evelrod got shafted--but then back in those days you probably had to buy books of tables that these days are covered by calculators.

Years later when I want back to engineering school, after someone had borrowed my big fat calculus and physics books and allowed them to get stolen, I had to pay much, much more to buy new ones. These days I'd estimate $100/book. Maybe $200 for the big fat ones.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[evelrod]

What was a 'calculator' in 1958? Was it one of those things you punched in numbers and pulled the handle to get the answer on a little roll of paper tape? ;o)
yes, we had all sort of log books, tables, work books, etc. plus the fact that we were not allowed any electronic aids, only a slide rule. Tuition was cheap as I was a Texas resident...something like $50 per semester as I recall (might be wrong on that) and just small fees for labs and such. The only class I took that required NO expense was Military Science...that one almost got me into the Vietnam experience.

As to 'shafted' in 58...hmmmm, no 'cause I now know what 'shafted' feels like. 58 was closer to 'messaged'.

Rod

 

[Lion06]

I graduated in 2006 and I allotted $100/class for books until I discovered half.com. After that I only spent an average of $60/class for books.
I ended up buying A LOT more books than were required for class.
I have 3 steel text books (waiting on my fourth when S&J 5th edition comes out), 3 concrete books, 3 strength of materials books, 2 structural anaylsis books. The moral of the story is this: go to the bookstore and write down the titles and editions of the books you need (maybe even an ISBN number) and go check out the internet. I've had especially good luck using half.com

 

[JaredS]

I just graduated, and I quit buying books from the bookstore after dropping 1500$ one semester, although I only took 24 hours that semester....

Since then I only purchased books for classes that I suspected the book would be necessary or valuable. One semester I only paid 50$ for books, but I borrowed friends books rather often that semester.