have word 2013 but need 2010

The question is rather whether you can buy 2010, since it is no longer easily available at retail. If the university course requires Word 2010, then (in my view, at least) it is the responsibility of the university to make Office 2010 available for purchase at a student price.

 

In what way is Word 2013 not compatible with your coursework? I know some users have problems getting the document themes required by certain textbook exercises (because MS keeps changing them with every version), but other users here have kindly offered to provide the .thmx files required for given themes.

Word 2013 is compatible with previous Word versions, in the sense that it supports all of their features. Word 2013 does some things a bit differently, though, and some user options found in earlier versions have been deprecated. As well, some 3rd-party addins, such as 'Write-N-Cite' are yet not compatible with Word 2013. So, unless you're required to use out-dated addins or superseded themes as Suzanne mentions, you shouldn't have any particular issues.

 

You can still buy Office 2010 new (or 2nd-hand) on ebay or at, say: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Office-Home-Student-2010/dp/B003FO8956/ref=sr_1_6.

Yes, it sounds like you have to buy a copy of Office 2010 to use your addon.

There are a few sources left that are selling "old stock" of Office 2010, I doubt that any sell standalone Word.

I agree with Suzanne, you should throw this back at the school and your instructor to provide 2010 if they want to teach "historical" <tongue-in-cheek> software. Complain to your student union.

Your best bet is to buy used copy of a "Retail" license (that is the Big ugly yellow plastic boxed CD) version of Office from someone who has upgraded to 2013. There should be lots of them floating around.

Here are some other sources that continued selling 2010 after MS stopped selling it (I don't know if they still are):

 

http://www.123inkcartridges.ca/ still various Office 2007 and 2010 bundle Retail and PKC licenses for sale (as of Sept 2013),  I have made several purchased from the site with no problem ie
http://www.123inkcartridges.ca/accessories/Software.html
http://www.123inkcartridges.ca/accessories-product/SOF_MS_OFF_STUDENT_3USERS_EN.html

<snip http://www.infoworld.com/d/applications/microsoft-discontinues-office-2010-sales-some-retailers-jack-prices-214972

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http://www.pricegrabber.com/software/office-suites++microsoft-office-2010-home-and-student/m-789031864/?no_sps=1#_compare_prices

Giant online retailer Amazon.com

, for example, now lists what Microsoft called the “Full Packaged Product” (FFP) of Office Home & Student 2010 at $170, $20 higher than the former list price, representing a 13 percent surcharge.

One reader reported that Costco was selling retail Home and Student 2010 for $100 (Sept 2013) or maybe it was 3 H&S Product Keys, they weren’t completely clear.

Another seller on the site pegged Home & Student 2010 at $250, or 67 percent above list.

But Amazon also sells Office Home & Business 2010 for $278 and Office Professional for $400, or 1 percent and 20 percent under list, respectively.

Before Microsoft discontinued Office 2010, the FFPs of Home & Student listed for $150, Home & Business for $280 and Professional for $500.

Not every vendor has followed Amazon’s example. CDW, for instance, charges $140 for Home & Student 2010, a 7 percent discount, $248 for Home & Business 2010 (11 percent off list) and $489 for Professional 2010 (2 percent below list price).

in an online forum earlier this year, one commenter said he had received notice from one of his software distributors that Microsoft was calling EOL (end of life) for Office 2010 on Jan. 31, 2013. “This means Microsoft will no longer be producing it for resale,” said the user, Parrish Reinoehl, a co-owner of a Michigan computer store that builds new systems and provides IT services. “Distributors will continue to sell Office 2010 but as soon as their inventory runs out that will be the end of it.”

Enterprises with volume licensing agreements can continue to install and use Office 2010 by tapping the downgrade rights built into the volume SKUs of Office 2013.

</snip>

This last point may be the way for you to go. If you school has the right sort of site/volume license, the can still get "downgrade" copies of Office 2010.