Friday January 6

Dear Spring 2012 Students,

MyEconLab IS REQUIRED for the SPRING semester.

Thank you for signing up for my course(s). Syllabi for both courses will be ready very soon and can be downloaded from my Econ 2105 and the Econ 2106 home pages (links are in the menu to the left). MyEconLab (MEL) is an online tutoring, homework, and testing environment, provided by the book's publisher, Pearson. As you will see below, it can be purchased direct from Pearson for $65. It is also included with the new books that the campus bookstore sells. You cannot buy a used code that will work, and I would be very skeptical about new codes being offered on the Web at places other than the publisher's site.

For information on the text, and some options for purchase, see the purchase options section below.

Although you can now enroll in a MEL section, they will not be open until the first day of the semester. Below is a list of my course sections. Right here, let's make sure we understand the terms being used here. When you buy MEL, you will receive an access code. If you buy the book new at the bookstore, the code will be in a cardboard folder that you open up. If you buy it from the publisher, it will be emailed to you. This is the code that confirms that you now have the right to use MEL.

The course ID's tell MEL what section you are in, so that you can be added to that section's rolls. The course IDs are below the sections. Click on the appropriate Course ID for enrollment and registration instructions. If you enroll in the wrong section (several do every semester), don't worry about it. When you login, you should see a link that will allow you to enroll in another course. There are also several students each semester that are taking me for Econ 2105 and Econ 2106. I have been told that you will be able to enroll in both sections at the same time. I you have problems with that, please let me know.

Required Text

The required text is Economics Today, 16th Edition by Roger Leroy Miller, published by Pearson.

Before we start. If you haven't learned this yet: college textbooks are very pricey compared to the regular fiction and nonfiction books you might buy at Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. If you bought all of your books new from the bookstore it is very likely that you would spend more on books than on tuition (here at GPC, not Emory). The bookstore does offer rentals on certain texts, but you will have to check to see if our text is currently available to rent.

You cannot always count on the campus bookstore buying back your book at the end of the term. In economics, We will be adopting a new book for fall, so this book will be used only spring and summer semester. For the bookstore will probably not buy many books back at the end of spring. You can always sell your book to another student, or on the Web. But, all these factors probably make purchasing a used book an attractive option. It is up to you. Although I am requiring the 16th Edition, I have no problem if you want to purchase an earlier edition, BUT the chapters have changed from the 15th to the 16th Edition, and it will be YOUR responsibility to figure out which chapter you need to be reading

Book Purchase Options

1. Economics Today plus NEW MyEconLab with Pearson eText Access Card (2-semester Access)

There are other options available direct from the publisher at www.myeconlab.com. Unless you buy the book new from the bookstore, you will have to purchase the MEL access code, by going to www.myeonclab.com, click on the Register bar, enter the course ID number, (provided on another page on the class Web site) and then you can choose option 2, or 3.

2. MyEconLab Student Code: Good for TWO semesters
Just the Access Code-- for Economics Today, 16/E
Roger LeRoy Miller
Price: $65

3. MyEconLab Student Code: Good for TWO semesters
MyEconLab with Pearson eText -- Access Card -- for Economics Today, 16/E
Roger LeRoy Miller

ISBN-10: 0132769417
ISBN-13: 9780132769419
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2012
Price: $130

Once you have the MyEconLab access code, register, and then once in the program itself, you can click on the Student Center bar, and purchase an e-text.

4. Student Value Edition: Three hole punch of full color textbook. This can be purchased from the MyPearsonStore. The shipping is free, and usually very quick, like several days. You can download the first two chapters of the text in pdf format, to use until you get your package.

ISBN-10: 0132772744
ISBN-13: 9780132772747
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2012
Price: $75

If you want a new text, options 2 and 4 together are the most cost effective, at $140, a lot less than the approximate bookstore price of $247.

If this is still too expensive for you, then buy the MyEconLab access code for $65 (option 2) and then rent a book, or buy a used text.

Some students elect not to buy a book; I strongly suggest that you DO buy one.

There are two copies on reserve in the Dunwoody campus library.

If you are looking for a used book on the Web, Do not worry about the ISBN, many of those numbers are created to specify a specific collection of materials, such as with or without the MEL access code. You probably won't find any used 16 Editions. If you buy an earlier edition, be advised that the chapters are rearranged some in the 16 Edition. It will be up to you to keep it straight.

If you buy online, don't choose the "slow boat from China" delivery option. Pay the extra few dollars and get it delivered before the class starts.

Using Your GPC Student Email

GPC wants all email communication between you and the school (including professors) to be via your GPC email address. You don't need to check it 15 to 20 times a day like you do hotmail, gmail, yahoo, sina.cn, etc., once a day should be sufficient. I hear it is pretty easy to automatically forward email from your student account to the one you regularly use. Just remember, that any official notification to you from the school will be via your student email. So if you miss something important, like having been purged from all your classes, it will be your problem. I probably will not be using iCollege during this short summer term.