PSA--take a non-graphing calculator

[8filltheheart]

We really didn't think about it bc Dd is not a STEM major. I knew most math and science courses don't allow graphing calculators. But turns out even her accounting and finance courses don't allow a graphing calculator. Amazon Prime to the rescue.

[hopskipjump]

So funny to read this here tonight! DD was just grumbling about having to pick up a regular scientific calculator at Target because her stats class doesn't allow her graphing calculator.

 

(Would've been nice if that had been noted anywhere on the class listing since we have about 10 of those things floating around our house that she could have taken with her!!) At least, as far as surprises go, it's a relatively small expense. 😄

Edited August 27, 2017 by hopskipjump

[hopskipjump]

P.S. wait a second.... most science and math classes also don't allow graphing calculators? Did I buy her this thing literally so she could take the ACT with it? Yikes! (She still has to take

Calc. Has already taken Bio but Chem and Physics are next year...)

 

I just bought our third graphing calculator recently. Maybe should've given ds dd's old pink one instead (he *hates* the graphing calculator. I told him he neeeeeds to learn to use it so he can use it in college!! lolol Joke might be on me!)

 

At least dd will be prepared with both types of calculator for the next few years! lol

[8filltheheart]

So funny to read this here tonight! DD was just grumbling about having to pick up a regular scientific calculator at Target because her stats class doesn't allow her graphing calculator.

 

(Would've been nice if that had been noted anywhere on the class listing since we have about 10 of those things floating around our house that she could have taken with her!!) At least, as far as surprises go, it's a relatively small expense. 😄

Same here. When she called, I looked over at the desk that has 3 sitting in the drawer. She doesn't have a car and the student book store was her only shopping option. Not the place to buy a cheap scientific calculator. Amazon was definitely cheaper.

 

But in terms of unplanned expenses, definitely one I can live with. ;)

[8filltheheart]

P.S. wait a second.... most science and math classes also don't allow graphing calculators? Did I buy her this thing literally so she could take the ACT with it? Yikes! (She still has to take

Calc. Has already taken Bio but Chem and Physics are next year...) l

Some upper level classes will allow typically allow them. I know ds actually upgraded his beyond what he originally had. (Don't know if it was for UG or grad level classes, though.) I know that our kids have had upper level classes that didn't allow any calculators in exams, ever.

 

But introductory level courses like cal and physics, definitely no graphing calculators have been allowed.

[Caroline]

My DS used his at Georgia Tech.

 

P.S. wait a second.... most science and math classes also don't allow graphing calculators? Did I buy her this thing literally so she could take the ACT with it? Yikes! (She still has to take

Calc. Has already taken Bio but Chem and Physics are next year...)

 

I just bought our third graphing calculator recently. Maybe should've given ds dd's old pink one instead (he *hates* the graphing calculator. I told him he neeeeeds to learn to use it so he can use it in college!! lolol Joke might be on me!)

 

At least dd will be prepared with both types of calculator for the next few years! lol

[cbollin]

P.S. wait a second.... most science and math classes also don't allow graphing calculators? Did I buy her this thing literally so she could take the ACT with it? Yikes! (She still has to take

Calc. Has already taken Bio but Chem and Physics are next year...)

 

I just bought our third graphing calculator recently. Maybe should've given ds dd's old pink one instead (he *hates* the graphing calculator. I told him he neeeeeds to learn to use it so he can use it in college!! lolol Joke might be on me!)

 

At least dd will be prepared with both types of calculator for the next few years! lol

 

My oldest dd had to use graphing calculator in quite a few of her STEM classes.  She also took a scientific calc with her (one of those inexpensive ti30 kinds).  But not only were graphing calc "allowed", they were required in some of the courses.  There were also times that "no calc use" was allowed. But yeah, in her Calc 1 class one of the listed materials was a graphing calculator. 

 

mileage will vary. Check with specific location prior to start of first class.  Her professors were easy to ask this stuff.  (ps. her majors are: math, computer science, and electrical engineering if that info is helpful about varied experiences on the thread including if anyone talks about the FE exam for engineers.  No graphping calc on that as far a I understand. so that cheap non graphing ti36 or 30 whichever it was I bought will be used.)

 

by the way,  depending on the model, you might be able to get a different cover to cover up the old pink one. I've seen something like that in stores.

Edited August 27, 2017 by cbollin

[regentrude]

P.S. wait a second.... most science and math classes also don't allow graphing calculators? Did I buy her this thing literally so she could take the ACT with it? Yikes! (She still has to take

Calc. Has already taken Bio but Chem and Physics are next year...)

 

My physics major DD  has never used a graphing calculator in her life. Many physics courses do not allow any calculator at all.

 

I do not see any reasn to buy a student a graphing calculator for the ACT; it is not needed for it.

[Gwen in VA]

My STEM kids talk about graphing calculators as the things high schools require their students to buy that have no connection to college.

 

None of them was ever allowed a graphing calculator in college. In fact, many classes were "calculator-free". If graphing or programming was required they used MatLab or something related.

 

YMMV

[Julie of KY]

A calculator was the thing we left off the packing list - luckily we saw his sitting out and took two - graphing and non-graphing anyhow.

 

Agreeing that a graphing calculator is a beast pushed by some high school classes and really unnecessary for most things.

[City Mouse]

My DD used hers in college.

[Arch at Home]

My DD has a TI30 but used a graphing calculator app as recommended by the instructor when she needed it in Calc 1 and 2.

[hopskipjump]

My physics major DD has never used a graphing calculator in her life. Many physics courses do not allow any calculator at all.

 

I do not see any reasn to buy a student a graphing calculator for the ACT; it is not needed for it.

LOL - well, we didn't buy it FOR the ACT, specifically. She just took it because we knew it was on the approved list and I can't remember another occasion when she used it specifically. lol

 

Everyone has always told me that the kids had better get used to using graphing calculators because they will absolutely NEED to know how to use them in college. So it's just funny to see that it's a mixed bag as to whether or not she'll ever use the thing again.

 

This realization makes me less insistent that ds become fluent in using the graphing calculator vs his trusty old scientific one.

[kiana]

Just for what it's worth.

 

The reason I now disallow any graphing calculator in any class except advanced ones is because I found someone using an app called ZoomMath for the TI-84 that does the math for the student. With enough students in the class I can't police use of apps, and if I write the test assuming everyone is using this app it really isn't fair to those who don't have a graphing calculator. I know a fair few people at other schools who have stopped allowing them with the proliferation of algebra apps. 

 

Not having the graphing calculator also lets me ask easier graphing problems in precalc/calc classes, knowing that they cannot copy the graph off their calculator to get a rough idea of what's going on and then check the numbers to make it work. 

 

It is absolutely worth e-mailing ahead and asking the instructor if the graphing calculator will be required or permitted, or if the instructor is not assigned yet, the department. 

 

I do think they're useful in some limited circumstances (the AP calc test is written to make use of them for calculating integrals, which irritates me greatly, but that is a side note) but in general, understanding the concepts and knowing how to use a basic calculator will be plenty.

 

As a random side note, there are an amazing number of students who have this fancy calculator with all these buttons and don't know how to use it beyond the stuff that you could do with any scientific calculator. For example, if you have a problem where you need to evaluate the same function at many different places, you should not be typing it in repeatedly, but writing a quick program to do it for you. This is especially useful on homework for calculus where it's quite common to ask students (in early limit stages) to evaluate a function like x/x-1 at 1.1, 1.01, 1.001, 1.0001, etcetera. 

[RootAnn]

We were required to use a graphing calculator (provided by the high school, could be purchased by students or given back to the school at the end of the year) in Pre-Calc in high school. I was the only kid in the class (of roughly 20) who didn't end up purchasing it. I got by with my scientific calculator in Calc and through my BS in Mechanical Engineering. Many of the kids had 'cheater' programs programmed into their graphing calculators.

 

I'm anti-graphing calculator (and anti-calculator at all early in math), but understand that kids need to learn how to use them for some classes. I just hold off as long as possible!! DD started using her scientific calculator regularly when she took Derek Owens physics.

[Arcadia]

I'm so used to living in big cities that I was thinking just walk to the nearest Target/Walmart or Staples/Office Depot to get a scientific calculator.

 

The university bookstores here charge higher than Walgreens or CVS for calculators.

Edited August 28, 2017 by Arcadia

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Just for what it's worth.

 

The reason I now disallow any graphing calculator in any class except advanced ones is because I found someone using an app called ZoomMath for the TI-84 that does the math for the student. With enough students in the class I can't police use of apps, and if I write the test assuming everyone is using this app it really isn't fair to those who don't have a graphing calculator. I know a fair few people at other schools who have stopped allowing them with the proliferation of algebra apps. 

 

Not having the graphing calculator also lets me ask easier graphing problems in precalc/calc classes, knowing that they cannot copy the graph off their calculator to get a rough idea of what's going on and then check the numbers to make it work. 

 

It is absolutely worth e-mailing ahead and asking the instructor if the graphing calculator will be required or permitted, or if the instructor is not assigned yet, the department. 

 

I do think they're useful in some limited circumstances (the AP calc test is written to make use of them for calculating integrals, which irritates me greatly, but that is a side note) but in general, understanding the concepts and knowing how to use a basic calculator will be plenty.

 

As a random side note, there are an amazing number of students who have this fancy calculator with all these buttons and don't know how to use it beyond the stuff that you could do with any scientific calculator. For example, if you have a problem where you need to evaluate the same function at many different places, you should not be typing it in repeatedly, but writing a quick program to do it for you. This is especially useful on homework for calculus where it's quite common to ask students (in early limit stages) to evaluate a function like x/x-1 at 1.1, 1.01, 1.001, 1.0001, etcetera. 

 

That is what I suspected-the extent to which they can be programmed and download information from a  computer would make them helpful for cheating.

[regentrude]

That is what I suspected-the extent to which they can be programmed and download information from a  computer would make them helpful for cheating.

 

which is why we do not allow any calculators on tests in our introductory physics classes. Students programmed the complete homework into their calculators.