How do you know if you are purchasing the correct textbooks for the classes you are taking in college?

When you look at the courses you are taking there should be a link to see the books required which will include the title, author, and ISBN number.

My advice is to wait until after the first day to buy your books except for Math and English books because you will always need those in the semester. Some courses or professors won't even use the book, and you can ask your professor if the course will require the book to save some money if the book isn't needed

You will need to go to the college bookstore - online or in person - and get the correct information.

Many professors are notorious for not choosing their textbooks timely, and many times there are some textbooks that are not yet available when school starts, because the bookstores cannot order them until the professor submits to the bookstore.

The course syllabus will list the titles, and editions, of each required textbook.

Make sure that you order the correct edition.

And definitely rent rather than buy. By the end of the semester, the textbook will be obsolete anyway.

Good luck

Textbooks in the current edition are so expensive. But old editions sometimes have almost no monetary value. The contents are often not very different. I'd email the prof to ask if you can use the cheap edition.

You are going to have to wait until the professor is more specific or buy from the college website not a general textbook service

Don't buy your books ahead of time. Wait until you are certain of your classes and check with the college bookstore on what books you'll need for each class.