Calling recent STEM majors/graduates.

[Ruptga]

I'm going back for a BS in CS, so I know I'm looking forward to a crap-ton of math and physics courses. I know about Wolfram Alpha, but are there other quality tools like that, and what opinions can I expect my professors to have on their use?

On the one hand, WA is basically just a nice graphing calculator UI for my PC. On the other hand, I could see snobby types disliking it "on principle", and practical types not allowing its use on tests, etc., since it requires internet access. Right now I think I'm going to get WA pro even if all my profs hate it, it's too cheap and handy not to, unless there's something better or more accepted that I don't know about.

I do also have a ti-83+ laying around somewhere, but I've been living in the 2010s for a while now and have gotten pretty fond of it.

 

[Imp]

Civil grad... Probably one of the least math-heavy STEM degrees, so good luck!

 

[Printer Bandit]

CS math probably doesn't need a fancy calculator. I'm thinking more good will hunting math.

 

[brianmanahan]

ti-89 > ti-86 > ti-83

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I did aero engineering and we didn't even touch calculators in any of my math classes.

Even when we DID use them, a basic scientific calculator was enough for 100% of everything.

 

[ussfletcher]

We weren't allowed to use calculators on any exams. On homework you can use whatever you want. Best bet though is to let your professors tell you.

 

[Fenixgoon]

materials science and engineering.

the most important part is that you understand the math, not that you get the right number. you really don't need calculators for 99.99999% of the work.

 

[Dsmos]

Currently doing CSE. I sure wouldn't plan on using that for exams. The step by step feature would be a bit too helpful here. I've never needed any of the features of WA pro, the only pro feature I have cared for is unlimited step by step solutions (while complicated sometimes, they can be helpful). One little known fact is that the WA app will give you unlimited step by step solutions, which are otherwise limited to 3 a day or something, and is only $3. It extends the keyboard to include all of the symbols you will ever need, so don't worry about that.

I use WA more than most students, not just for math but for logic as well. You can use it to create truth tables and simplify equations. Try it without Pro, buy the app if you want step by step solutions, and then see if you actually need Pro.

Now back to my regularly scheduled lurking.

 

[Ruptga]

Currently doing CSE. I sure wouldn't plan on using that for exams. The step by step feature would be a bit too helpful here. I've never needed any of the features of WA pro, the only pro feature I have cared for is unlimited step by step solutions (while complicated sometimes, they can be helpful). One little known fact is that the WA app will give you unlimited step by step solutions, which are otherwise limited to 3 a day or something, and is only $3. It extends the keyboard to include all of the symbols you will ever need, so don't worry about that.

I use WA more than most students, not just for math but for logic as well. You can use it to create truth tables and simplify equations. Try it without Pro, buy the app if you want step by step solutions, and then see if you actually need Pro.

Now back to my regularly scheduled lurking.

I'm in a summer course right now and the free version has already been very helpful in testing solutions, simplifying equations, and visualizing graph behavior. I can see the value of also having step-by-step solutions and the extended keyboard.

I'm actually surprised it has taken this long for someone to come in saying that they use WA. Anything that can be done on a graphing calculator can be done on WA, it's just faster and easier to use.

 

[postmortemIA]

pen + paper is all I needed, as others said, tech can't help you with calculus much.

BTW math does not change much, recent or 50 yrs ago would be pretty much the same thing.

 

[Jeff7]

ti-89 > ti-86 > ti-83

This.
TI-83? Buy a Fisher Price calculator.

TI-86: Functional.

TI-89: I still have mine and use it on a regular basis at work. Others are advised against removing it from my desk, lest evil find them in the dark of the night.
But I couldn't use it in some college classes, since it can do some calculus.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

CS is one of the least math/physics intensive STEM majors. Don't stress about it.

 

[Ruptga]

CS is one of the least math/physics intensive STEM majors. Don't stress about it.

I'm not stressing per se. I just want to know what to expect, and it's already on my mind since I'm wrapping up an online math course this week.

Ok that's only mostly true. I am a little intimidated by Calculus. I'm not real worried about Physics, since I'm already familiar with a lot of the concepts.

 

[DCal430]

LOL I was a stem major, all we had was basic scientific calculators, and in some classes no calculators.

 

[halik]

ti-89 > ti-86 > ti-83

this

 

[Obsy]

ti-89 > ti-86 > ti-83

What do you guys think about the Nspire CX CAS?

 

[Obsy]

CS isn't all that much math, and a lot of schools around here will take chemistry or even biology in lieu of physics.

 

[Aikouka]

I didn't have a graphing calculator as a CS major nor did most that I knew. The most advanced math course that you'll probably take is Calc 3.

 

[arkcom]

I was a Physics major / Math minor. Did lots of physics/math for those. Didn't use any calculator all that much.

 

[TridenT]

CS isn't all that much math, and a lot of schools around here will take chemistry or even biology in lieu of physics.

This...

I was a math major. If you're just doing a simple calculus series then it's fine. Just use it to verify your work. Don't rely on it, otherwise you won't learn anything and you'll fuck up on the exams.

But what do I know. I used solution manuals and googled the shit out of problems as a math major. But that was standard protocol... And I graduated with minimal focus on school.

 

[slugg]

Am I the only CS grad who had a ton of math? Algorithms, automata theory, formal languages, linear systems, vector calculus, computational geometry, graph and set theory, plus all the application of these in the practical classes like Machine Learning, Digital Image Processing, and so on.

Anyway, a calculator didn't help one bit in the CS-specific courses, but there was still tons of math for me. Most of it was discrete math, which calculators don't typically help with, other than to help you cheat by storing info on them. Professors always banned calculators for this reason.

My ti89 that I bought from Keith Talent here on these forums helped me get through calc 2, and that's about it. I used MS Excel for my multivariate statistics class. But the ti89 is still really freaking cool and I love it.

 

[Dari]

why would you need a graphing calculator if you are studying computer science? Unless you haven't done the basic math requirements, I doubt it'll be of any use.

 

[_Rick_]

Am I the only CS grad who had a ton of math? Algorithms, automata theory, formal languages, linear systems, vector calculus, computational geometry, graph and set theory, plus all the application of these in the practical classes like Machine Learning, Digital Image Processing, and so on.

Math not found.
Most of that is just calculations, some not even that. Most is pretty basic stuff.

Math is when you have to obtain general solutions, and show under which constraints these solutions hold.
That barely gets scratched upon, there are maybe some proofs to be done in the context of formal languages, but rarely.

As to OP: I doubt Wolfram Alpha will be much help. Most math problems you will face will either be very small proofs, or some calculation. If you lack a solution, the recommended way of dealing with it, is to ask the lecturer for clarification or a hint on what you should review to get started.

You may want instead to get some introductory works on Linear Algebra and Calculus, as a way of having a secondary source, in case you don't follow the way something is presented in a lecture.

 

[Legios]

What was needed for mech engineering.

 

[jman19]

Math not found.
Most of that is just calculations, some not even that. Most is pretty basic stuff.

Math is when you have to obtain general solutions, and show under which constraints these solutions hold.
That barely gets scratched upon, there are maybe some proofs to be done in the context of formal languages, but rarely.

As to OP: I doubt Wolfram Alpha will be much help. Most math problems you will face will either be very small proofs, or some calculation. If you lack a solution, the recommended way of dealing with it, is to ask the lecturer for clarification or a hint on what you should review to get started.

You may want instead to get some introductory works on Linear Algebra and Calculus, as a way of having a secondary source, in case you don't follow the way something is presented in a lecture.

Er, yeah no what he mentioned is indeed math.