Really stressed out about the college process - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by logwed 
The TI89 is amazing in that it can do symbolic manipulation, which you can get on your iPod Touch for 2 bucks with the Wolfram Alpha app... I dunno if they'll let you use a 89 on the SAT because it has a keyboard and can do symbolic manip, though. the T1-84 can do everything else that you have listed, and it even looks like a TI89 with the software update.

The 89 doesn't have a keyboard, which is why you can use it during the test.  I haven't taken an SAT in three years, but I'm pretty sure iPods aren't allowed during the test.  Yeah, I know that the ti84 can do almost everything that the SAT can throw at you, but the 89 is easier to use, in my opinion.  But I also have friends who think the 84 is easier so whatever floats your boat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by feh1325 

The 89 doesn't have a keyboard, which is why you can use it during the test.  I haven't taken an SAT in three years, but I'm pretty sure iPods aren't allowed during the test.  Yeah, I know that the ti84 can do almost everything that the SAT can throw at you, but the 89 is easier to use, in my opinion.  But I also have friends who think the 84 is easier so whatever floats your boat.

Mah bad, it's the 92 that has the keyboard. My former calc teacher had an extensive calculator connection with five TI92's...

Buy the cheapest one, because for most of your college career, u won't be using a calculator. Any good math department will train you in Mathemathica,Maple, and logger pro. Hell, even Excel is getting good, and there is always wolf ram alpha. Seriously, calculators are useless for almost every class except stats and first semester calculus. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott_Tarlow 

Buy the cheapest one, because for most of your college career, u won't be using a calculator. Any good math department will train you in Mathemathica,Maple, and logger pro. Hell, even Excel is getting good, and there is always wolf ram alpha. Seriously, calculators are useless for almost every class except stats and first semester calculus. 

Not true at all for engineering!  I was using TI89 (it came out when I was in college...oh the times) up until the day I graduated.  Probability, diffeq, all my circuit classes, quantum physics, DSP, etc

If you want to be a REAL engineer, you want to learn RPN and use an HP calc - truly distinguish your average EE and the hardcore gEEk

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert 

Not true at all for engineering!  I was using TI89 (it came out when I was in college...oh the times) up until the day I graduated.  Probability, diffeq, all my circuit classes, quantum physics, DSP, etc

 

If you want to be a REAL engineer, you want to learn RPN and use an HP calc - truly distinguish your average EE and the hardcore gEEk

When did you graduate? Again I have spent hours helping my friends on Maple and Mathematica.  My dad is an engineer, and he still uses the HP calc. So if you were to get one, I guess thats the one to get. But really I couldn't imagine solving all those equations with variables based on differential equations in quantum without Mathematica. People did it.... but fuck it still takes hours. 

Graduated in 2007 in Electrical Engineering. Used Mathematica, Matlab and Excel throughout all 4 years. Still, I ended up using my calculator much more. The only time I wasn't allowed to use a calculator was during math classes. Like Chesbert mentioned, I used an HP48g+ and one of the first things I learned going into 2nd year was how to operate in RPN mode.

hmm, perhaps its because all my upper level classes give take home exams? (don't say lucky, most of the time they take over 25 hours to complete). 

The big thing here is to just relax.

#1.  In addition to the chess club, maybe like one or two more clubs, like math club or something (stuff in the same general subject field such as academics).  You want to seem focused and sure on what you like to do, so reflect that in your choice of clubs to join.

#2.  Join an athletic team.  It doesn't matter if you only make JV.  I did track, because it's literally you show up, you're in at my school.  The schools don't give a rat's ass how well you do in these things, only that you were dedicated enough to be a member of the team for a whole season.

#3.  RELAX during the SAT and ACT.  Don't freak out if you don't know too much.  And don't stress out about it beforehand, either.  You can maybe do a prep book, I don't know.  I didn't and I did pretty damn well.  These tests are NOT as hard as you think.

I've got a question though: why stay in NYC?  If it's to stay near home then trust me, home's not going to be a big deal at all once you make friends and go to some parties.

Oh and ah... once you get into college, you're gonna see its very different from the hellhole your teachers likely painted.  it's mostly half assed studying, and when that's done, partying =]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feh1325 

The 89 doesn't have a keyboard, which is why you can use it during the test.  I haven't taken an SAT in three years, but I'm pretty sure iPods aren't allowed during the test.  Yeah, I know that the ti84 can do almost everything that the SAT can throw at you, but the 89 is easier to use, in my opinion.  But I also have friends who think the 84 is easier so whatever floats your boat.

iPods aren't even allowed in the testing room during the SAT. The TI-84/TI-89 preference is simply based on whichever one you use the most and therefore are more comfortable with. Bring the one that you are most familiar with - there's no advantage to having the TI-89. All math SAT questions are designed to be solvable without a calculator and most of them are designed in such a way that using a calculator will only bog you down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik 

Scott, calculators are still widely used in some classes. A HP 12C was with me through every accounting class. I still keep a 12C on my desk and have the 12C app on the iPhone, too. Can't live without one. :)

My instructor for calc said that really, one only needs a cheap scientific for trig and such, but the ability to graph opens up plenty of shortcuts for problems.