professor said only scientific calculators allowed wtf?

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Dumac

Dumac

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
9,391
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In my highschool calculusglass we are only allowed to use a graphing calculator everyonce in a while. The teacher is a big fan of doing work by hand :)
 
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ailetlvo

Member
Jul 24, 2005
174
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You get to use calculators?

We're lucky if we get a note sheet, let alone a programmable device that can be used to conquer exams.
 
C

Cruisin1

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,119
0
71
Originally posted by: mariok2006
is this normal? I have a Ti 89 that i used in HS, this professor said no graphing calcs at all...wtf is up with that? There is no way im finding the graph of all the derivatives by hand.

I need some input on this...should i just drop the class and look for another professor or is this perfectly normal?
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Makes perfect sense, when you get into a higher level math class they'll allow you to bring in the graphing calcs. Calc I-III are all fundamental Calculus classes where they want to see you write out the derivatives and integrals by hand, as opposed to using the button on the TI-89 :)
 
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IamElectro

Golden Member
Jul 15, 2003
1,470
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76
Originally posted by: Savij
Wait, you need a calculator for calculus? As dumb as it sounds, I thought the calculus classes required the least calculating of all my math classes.
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I was thinking the same exact thing.

To the OP welcome to college.
 
U

Umberger

Golden Member
Apr 13, 2005
1,710
0
76
What's the point of using an 89 for calc? it does it for you! learn your math. i wasn't allowed to use a graphing calc in H.S. calc or any of my college math classes until after muitivariable calc and differential equations.
 
Rumpltzer

Rumpltzer

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2003
4,815
33
91
Originally posted by: mariok2006
is this normal? I have a Ti 89 that i used in HS, this professor said no graphing calcs at all...wtf is up with that? There is no way im finding the graph of all the derivatives by hand.
I need some input on this...should i just drop the class and look for another professor or is this perfectly normal?
Click to expand...
I really can't believe you just said that.


Okay.

One of my EE roommates at UIUC took all of his Calc requirements as part of a pilot program class where they used PCs for most of the homework and exams. I don't remember if it was Matlab or Mathematica or what. He said that he hardly learned anything, but the class wasn't hard. That was like mid-1990s. I don't know if they kept the class going or not.
 
Born2bwire

Born2bwire

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2005
9,840
6
71
Originally posted by: Eeezee
Originally posted by: MS Dawn
When I was in school they considered the slide rule as cheating. Stop whining. :p
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No way, every time I proctor a physics exam I state that if anyone can effectively use the slide rule to solve the problems that I'll give them extra credit. We have one slide rule sitting in the back of the room.
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Heh, I have my dad's slide rule. I can do basic stuff like multiplication, division, square roots, etc. on it. But I wouldn't trust my engineering degree on it.

But anyways, as to no graphing calculators, GOOD. Might as well actually learn something in the class. People rely on calculators too much that they don't know the math. It's always a trip to see the old guys around campus who can spout off logs and crap off the top of their heads before you can punch the keys. It's not just mindless memorization, it gives you a much better understanding of the math and the numbers. Helps you get a better grasp on how things should work out and if your results are going the right way. I have had students ask me what the equation for the RC time constant is. And this is with a circuit that has kohms and microFarads, I mean is it really hard to work out in your head that one way the equation comes out with a time constant of 1000 seconds and the other 1 millisecond.
 
M

Mathlete

Senior member
Aug 23, 2004
652
0
71
The day that a TI-1337 can whip out an epsilon delta proof I quit.

<----knows how to use a slide rule

No I am not that old I just did if for a math methods class in college.
 
Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Hmm . . . every math class I've ever taken has allowed the use of calculators, including graphing calcs. Most usually draw the line at the TI-86 level, and ban TI-89s and above, which is justifiable. Played with a TI-92 that a friend had, that thing made doing almost any math a breeze, you had to do almost nothing by hand.
 
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txrandom

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2004
3,773
0
71
I couldn't use Ti-89s in high school on tests. In college I can use them for Calc 2, but I still have to show the work. It helps for double checking and that's about it. The professor is smart and makes problems where a Ti-89 won't help you much anyways.
 
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