Rant: Calculator Use...

[Gamingphreek]

So I got a TI-89 Titanium in my Junior year of HS to use. Occasionally they would let us use calculators on tests. Senior year the same deal. I can understand that as they don't want us simply using the calculator as a crutch.

College of Engineering REQUIRES a TI-89 or equivalent calculator. Excited that I will finally be able to use it in college I am sorely mistaken. We still can't use the f***ing things. Not on HW not on tests NOTHING. Why order us to buy these things and then not let us use it. We are building off of skills we have learned at this point- why do I have to show over and over again that I can graph complex functions that take ~10 minutes while I can graph it on a Calculator in a few seconds.

I know they don't want us to use it as a crutch, but if they are going to make us buy the damn things LET US USE IT ONCE!!

As confident I am in math this is just starting to get old. When I get into Sophomore, or Junior or Senior or Graduate level courses will I finally be able to use this thing!?!?!?!?

-Kevin

(Test is on Solids of Revolution, Area of Solids (etc...) Essentially, stupidly hard to graph x^2+sqrt(x)+1/2x^3 or something without it.

 

[ebaycj]

Engineers should be able to do difficult calculus/diffeq in their heads (or at LEAST on pencil and paper).

Doing it with a calculator defeats the purpose.

If you do not like doing calculus, do not become an engineer.

 

[edro]

We couldn't use ours in Calc 2 or lower classes. All the Physics and higher level math classes, they were allowed.

You have to show your work anyways...

 

[jdini76]

Originally posted by: ebaycj
Engineers should be able to do difficult calculus/diffeq in their heads (or at LEAST on pencil and paper).

Doing it with a calculator defeats the purpose.

If you do not like doing calculus, do not become an engineer.

That has nothing to do with what he is saying.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Oh wow, you aren't allowed to use it in Diffeq either??? That sounds crazy.

I don't have a problem showing my work. I show it regardless because more times than not you have to before you use the calculator.

I do like it that I can use it in Physics. Of course my dumb self forgot it the first quiz and had to do complex trig all on paper. I got all the problems I did right but I just couldn't pump out the numbers fast enough so I missed one lol.

I don't mind calculus, but, correct me if I am wrong, I don't ever see using Revolutions of Solids in EE or CE. Not only that I don't see why I can't graph the damn functions instead of having to solve it a million times and plot the points.

I would feel a little better if they just let us use a TI-83 or equivalent. Hell a BASIC 4 function would help out with some of the calculations.

-Kevin