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I just had this revelation the other day, that the whole semester, we were not allowed to use calculators, on any test/quiz.

In class and on homework, was free game.

I know using my 89 is kinda unfair since it really does just spit the answer out some time, but it's super helpful even just finding deriviates and cleaning up stuff.


I just find it odd in our school's toughest math class, we're not allowed calcs, maybe I'm just looking for an excuse on why I'm retaking 2nd semester.

By Neo (Neo) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 09:08 pm: Edit

Haha...

We're allowed to use it all the time...but I stopped using mine when we got to Derivatives.

Those things (Derivs) aren't bad...

By Fiza (Fiza) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 09:13 pm: Edit

We cant use em either.

I feel for ya.

By Stupidfool (Stupidfool) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 09:14 pm: Edit

Well, as long as the tests are designed so that you don't need a calculator, I don't see why it should matter. It's true that a calculator might be helpful for some things, but remember that you need to be able to do things without the calculator for the AP. The AP syllabus has a very specific list of appropriate uses for calculators, and any other use may result in deductions.

I'm also taking an AP Calculus BC class but I am allowed to use a calculator on some tests. I find I do significantly better on the non-calculator ones, actually.

By Mike28 (Mike28) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 09:20 pm: Edit

I suck at algebra, well, I suck at all math and the 89 combines all that garbage for me.

By Averagemathgeek (Averagemathgeek) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 10:33 pm: Edit

Not to sound old-fashioned,
but Newton didn't have a calculator and he was able to discover Calculus.
I know I am a hypocrite, I have an 89 also. Laughing out loud.

By Ecismyhome (Ecismyhome) on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 03:03 am: Edit

I don't use an 89. I use an abacus!
Heh.

Seriously though, using a calculator is fine. NOT using one is also perfectly valid. Both, I feel, definitely enhance one's knowledge of calc. The problem? As stated prior to me, there are those whose usage of a calculator becomes a crutch for them. This is inexcusable. When any instrument bars the path of learning, obviously it is foolish for a student, much less a teacher, to allow its utilization.
However, there comes a time when the use of a calculator is trivial. Until the Mathematica 5.0 Calculator or the Maple 7.0 Calculator come out (what a nice thought...), after about midway through Calc BC, the calculator becomes increasingly trivial.
Sure, you can find derivatives and integrals, but once you hit power series, that's not really too useful. Ditto for multivar and lin.alg - unless your calculator's loaded with some incredibly powerful applications, it's not much use. i suppose you could occasionally use it to find tricky partial derivatives, but beyond that its use is minimal.

Therefore, the use of a calculator on tests really is up to the teacher, and you can't fault them for that. Their purpose is to make sure that you're learning. There's a reason it's called AP Calculus AB/BC, and not AP TI-8n.

" just find it odd in our school's toughest math class, we're not allowed calcs"
-At Harvard, in the school's toughest math class, calculators are useless ;)

By Fiza (Fiza) on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 02:01 pm: Edit

I'm done with my AP CALC exam !


Wooo hooo!

I'm basically done with all exams of my highschool career.


Next endeavor: buying stuff for dorm room ;)

By Mike28 (Mike28) on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 06:18 pm: Edit

Good thing i won't have to look at a math problem at Harvard =)

By Ecismyhome (Ecismyhome) on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 06:18 pm: Edit

Which AP Calc exam?
:-*

By Fiza (Fiza) on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 07:39 pm: Edit

AB.

Yes, the "lower" but I took ap stats last year and i dont think i need more than 6 years of highschool math ;)

By Ratrace02 (Ratrace02) on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 03:58 pm: Edit

What is the difference between a TI-89 and a TI-86 Plus? I'm just curious because TI-89's are banned in my school district.

But yeah I'm taking AP Calculus BC now and we can use calculators on all of our tests. However, for most of the tests you don't even need calculators to do the problems. Ah well

By Candi1657 (Candi1657) on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 04:58 pm: Edit

It's foolish for a teacher not to allow students to use calculators...You'll NEED them for the AP exam and if you don't know how to use them, tough noogies. I can understand why your teacher would not allow you to use the Ti-89 (for goodness sakes, it can compute the indefinite integral), but there should be calculator use.

By Ecismyhome (Ecismyhome) on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 05:31 pm: Edit

Fiza-
AB isn't necessarily "lower," just doesn't cover everything.
Don't think of it as "need"ing n years of math. Instead, think of it as you have these marvelous opportunities that other students won't have, or can't have.
Personally, Calc 3 is the most fun and relaxing class I have this year. Not easy - fun. It challenges me, and I learn, and the teacher is totally cool.

By Polka (Polka) on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 09:34 pm: Edit

a good teacher (like my awesome teacher who is the reason i got a 5) teaches how to do things by hand and also calculator shortcuts. there are parts on the ap that need calculators and parts where they aren't allowed. you need to be prepared for both. hey wanna know something sad... i don't know how to do matrices. i guess they aren't necessary, but i never took advanced algebra so i never learned em. well i did learn them one day so i could help my friend but i totally forgot. do matrices ever come up in higher level math?

By Averagemathgeek (Averagemathgeek) on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 10:04 pm: Edit

Polka,
Yes, matrices do come up in higher math. Computer math has a lot of matrix stuff in it (and The Matrix has a lot of computer stuff in it).

By Evil_Robot (Evil_Robot) on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 10:08 pm: Edit

Enjoy linear algebra without matrices

<-- I tried and failed.

By Apathetique_0ne (Apathetique_0ne) on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 10:13 pm: Edit

matrices suck

By Tangobingo28 (Tangobingo28) on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 10:23 pm: Edit

hey. my teacher wont let me use my ti89. i have to hide it from her or else she'll use it herself. but can ya'll tell me where i can find out how to use it to my best advantage on the ap calc bc exam? and how helpful is helpful with this thingamajig? and last one, i am like 70 percent calc dependent. is that gonna hurt me alot on the exam? thanks guys. i'd appreciate it