Calculator for College

[Jeff7]

It depends on the class.

Calc I: No calculators on tests
Calc II: Up to and including a TI-86 was allowed
Differential Equations: No calculators


However, I also have a TI-89, which I use for all other classes.

 

[neutralizer]

If you're gonna take a stats class, the TI-83's stat package is awesome. Otherwise, get the 89, although the things that the 89 can do over the 83, you should be learning to do in class anyways.

 

[Ricemarine]

TI-83 is pretty helpful for the calculus course, but everyone else uses TI-89's. Check what your teacher accepts.

 

[esun]

I think it's worth having an 89 for any engineering or physics class (and I haven't encountered one where it wasn't allowed). I don't remember if calculators were allowed in my math courses. Sure you could rely on Maple or Mathematica (and I still do--some integrals even the TI-89 can't solve), but the convenience of quickly solving problems in such a small package means having both is still extremely useful.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: nkgreen
I've got an 89 Platinum, but I haven't been able to use any calculator in any math classes so far. I actually haven't taken a class that I needed it at all.

<- Incoming sophomore, CS major, math minor

I have an 89 Platinum. I went a year without a calculator (my 83 was passed down when I finished HS, didn't need one what with access to MATLAB). However, the 89 is fantastic. I love it. It's been a huge help to me, and I'd recommend it to any engineering majors.

 

[EpsiIon]

Seriously, use whatever you want. I used college as an excuse to buy a TI-89, which I was happy with. Rarely used its features, though.

 

[Special K]

I would just get the TI89. None of my math classes allowed a calculator, but most of my engineering ones did. Once you get used to the TI89's pretty print notation and 100-entry history, it will be impossible to go back to the primitive TI86

 

[DrPizza]

It really depends on your major. If you're a math major, a TI83+ is sufficient. For some majors, such as engineering, by the time you get to your senior year, you may have problems that rely on the calculus - at which point they might allow you to have a TI89 to just "give you the answer" rather than having to do the calculus work. If you're a Psych major, save your money - you'll need it to supplement your McD's income in a few years.

Regardless, wait until you're at college, see what you need then. Colleges have a knack for screwing students on semi-minor expenses. Before you know it, you'll be faced with buying brand new texts because yours is the wrong edition, or making other purchases to meet professors' inflexible demands.

 

[sunzt]

TI-89 Platinum. Great for exams (if allowed) and HOMEWORK! Does all your derivatives, integrals, equations, and some fancy engineering calculations in a simple interface.

 

[kami333]

Originally posted by: Special K
I would just get the TI89. None of my math classes allowed a calculator, but most of my engineering ones did. Once you get used to the TI89's pretty print notation and 100-entry history, it will be impossible to go back to the primitive TI86

That's pretty much the only reason I use my TI-89, 9years old now. At work no one cares what I use, I just find it easier to double check my work quickly when I can easily see what I typed in.

 

[Colt45]

Get some ancient thing, with RPN, and a red LED display.

 

[orakle]

Any other engineering students feel free to chime in, but if you need a TI-89 (or whatever graphing calculator you choose) to get through calculus classes, you're doing it wrong. The arithmetic is always dead simple -- they test you more on the specific concepts that they teach and less on being able to crunch numbers.

I'm two years into mechanical engineering, and I haven't touched my TI-83 since grade 10 when we had to buy them for our math class to do analytical geometry and stuff. In fact, we're not allowed to use programmable calculators for tests/exams, so if you do use them for homework you just end up crippling yourself for later. I get by just fine with my TI-30XII -- it's got everything you need.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Unless you're really looking to spend money, just keep the TI-83.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: orakle
Any other engineering students feel free to chime in, but if you need a TI-89 (or whatever graphing calculator you choose) to get through calculus classes, you're doing it wrong. The arithmetic is always dead simple -- they test you more on the specific concepts that they teach and less on being able to crunch numbers.

I'm two years into mechanical engineering, and I haven't touched my TI-83 since grade 10 when we had to buy them for our math class to do analytical geometry and stuff. In fact, we're not allowed to use programmable calculators for tests/exams, so if you do use them for homework you just end up crippling yourself for later. I get by just fine with my TI-30XII -- it's got everything you need.

Most engineering-level math classes don't allow calculators to begin with. However, you may still be required to do lots of calculations for projects and homework in other engineering classes where you are allowed to use a calculator. That's where the TI-89 comes in handy. Sure I could do all that stuff on paper if I wanted to, but why?

Also like I said earlier, once you get used to the TI-89's pretty print notation and 100 entry history, you won't want to go back.

 

[bonkers325]

just get a scientific calculator and learn a powerful math program like Matlab, MathCAD, Mathematica, etc.

i use a Casio fx-115ES, it does what most graphing calculators do except graph. it does statistics, matrices, simple derivatives and integrations, etc. and only costed me $15

 

[slpaulson]

I went through most of college using a TI-83+, then got a hot deal on a TI-89 Titanium. Unfortunately I couldn't use either of them in math classes, bu t the TI-89 was nice to have for classes that allowed calculators.

 

[drinkmorejava]

Like everyone already said, most college math classes won't let you use a calculator, but I use my 89 all the time for my engineering classes. It's also very nice for physics and working out airflow formulas (I'm an aero major) when I don't have the time nor desire to work out the derivatives. I also took AP Stats in high school, and like someone also already said, the stats package is amazing.

 

[Goosemaster]

The fist time I have ever used an 89 (or been required) one is in circuit analysis, which I am taking right now. Otherwise an 83 + some pencils and paper have allowed me to do everything

 

[Chaotic42]

The 83 is probably fine. You might be interested in getting Matlab or something,since it's so cheap for students.

 

[Jmmsbnd007]

If you're allowed to use it, get a TI-89. There is absolutely no reason to not get a TI-89 if it is permitted in your course(s). You will thank me later

 

[0roo0roo]

its amazing how little these calculators change.
i think they changed the colors a bit is all
and they can still charge the high prices for them, its quite the racket!

 

[ghostman]

I was a CS and Econ major and never used a graphing calculator in college. I'd suggest you hold off buying any calculator and seeing what, if any, is required for class.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Jmmsbnd007
If you're allowed to use it, get a TI-89. There is absolutely no reason to not get a TI-89 if it is permitted in your course(s). You will thank me later

unless you don't want to learn anything*


*take that with a grain of salt.....generally, using calculators too early on will turn you into a pot spoking hippie slacker**



**also take that with a grain of salt

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Special K
I would just get the TI89. None of my math classes allowed a calculator, but most of my engineering ones did. Once you get used to the TI89's pretty print notation and 100-entry history, it will be impossible to go back to the primitive TI86

100-entry history? Mine only goes back 30. Maybe we're thinking of different things.

Originally posted by: orakle
Any other engineering students feel free to chime in, but if you need a TI-89 (or whatever graphing calculator you choose) to get through calculus classes, you're doing it wrong. The arithmetic is always dead simple -- they test you more on the specific concepts that they teach and less on being able to crunch numbers.

Agreed. Calculus can be done without a calculator. My professors expected certain basic things to be memorized, such as values of sine and cosine at a few select angles, as well as derivative and integral tables. Tests were of course crafted such that they could be done without a calculator, so there'd be nothing like "find the numerical value of the integral of the log of 2.53 divided by the sine of 3.119 radians."


But for engineering problems, I do love the TI-89's ability to store previous answers and equations. It made homework problems a lot quicker, as many of them just involved plugging loads of numbers into a calculator. The tricky part of course was determining which numbers to enter, which equations to use, and the order in which to put everything. To hammer home the point that it wasn't all just mindless number-crunching, one of my professors gave his tests open-book. If you weren't prepared, there'd be no way in hell you'd be able to get a passing grade, at least not in the 2hrs allotted.

 

[Adn4n]

I got through all my math as an engineer with a TI-83. Btw, taking online classes is usually a sure way of assuring that you'll be allowed to use your calculator on tests. Some classes that I had let me use a calculator on certain sections. They were prohibited in classes such as ODEs and PDEs however.