<p>I recently lost my TI 84 and am wondering if it would be advisable to get a TI 89 since I’m going to Cornell next fall. I know that I’ll probably be taking multivar. calculus my first or second year.</p>
<p>Also, should I take Cornell’s calculus class or should I just use my Calc AB AP credit (assuming that I can do that)?</p>
<p>I can’t advise on what calculator is needed for multivar, though I can tell you calculators aren’t allowed on exams for Calc II. In re deciding whether or not to take Cornell’s calc classes, I would say it depends on your major and how much you will truly need calculus for your career plans. I decided to keep up with calc so it would help with economics in the future, even though my good score on AP AB Calc fulfilled my ILR math requirement. I had a pretty rough time in going from AB Calc to Calc II at Cornell (Math 112), and eventually dropped the course after my advisor and others let me know it wasn’t all that necessary for the social sciences (and I got the results of my disastrous first Prelim, haha). For economics and public policy, my understanding of differential calculus from high school was perfectly sufficient. </p>
<p>As someone who’s definitely not a natural at math, I would start with Calc I (Math 111) if I absolutely needed calculus on my transcript. Though doing so would mean that forfeiting my AP credit, I would be gaining a MUCH better understanding of the topics covered in Calc II. There’s quite a lot in Calc II that you don’t learn in AB Calc, and if you’re not a natural, it’s damn near impossible to figure it out on your own. I spend many long nights and office hours trying to work through problems to literally no success. Though I’m willing to guess you’re much better than me 
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<p>[Cornell</a> Math - First Steps in Mathematics](<a href=“http://www.math.cornell.edu/Courses/FSM/index.html]Cornell”>http://www.math.cornell.edu/Courses/FSM/index.html) may give you some good ideas. I also recommend consulting older students in your major. I’m sure there are even some on this message board who would be happy to help.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I’ll look into it.</p>
<p>Calculators aren’t allowed?! Not even scientific ones?</p>
<p>It depends on the class. There are classes where absolutely no calculators are allowed on exams (most math classes), there are ones where basic 4 function calculators are allowed, there are ones where a scientific calculator is accepted and very rarely there are ones where a graphing calculator is accepted.</p>
<p>So are the tests designed so that you don’t have to, let’s say, multiply large numbers?</p>
<p>^BUMP</p>
<p>Also, anyone with advice as to whether an 89 would be more helpful?</p>
<p>If by more helpful you mean more ore less useless, then yes, it is.</p>
<p>Calc I and Calc II do not require calculators. I’ve taken both and never used a calculator once.</p>
<p>Can’t speak for other math classes.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely get a TI-89 if you can afford it. I was an engineering undergrad and am now a grad student in engineering. I attribute at least a full extra point of my GPA to my TI-89 abilities. </p>
<p>Many classes involving math that aren’t in the MATH department don’t care what calculator you use, examples include engineering classes, econ classes, stats and probability classes, etc. The TI-89 can do symbolic solving, for example if you type into its solver sin(x)/cos(x) it will return an answer of tan(x). Even for classes that don’t allow you to use a calculator on exams, the 89 is still invaluable for homework. Furthermore, the TI-89’s screen supports more lines of text then the lower model TI’s and it has a large amount of extra memory. This lets you put cheat notes on it for use during exams using its built in text editor.</p>
<p>With regard to calc, if depends on your major and how much calc you’ll be using later in college/life. I took AP credit for my intro calc classes but still had to take 3 more semesters of more advanced courses. In retrospect my GPA would have been happier if I aced those first semester courses.</p>
<p>will i ever have to take calc if im a Gov major in CAS?</p>
<p>in engineering it’s useless. Cornell math classes are usually not plug and chug, otherwise it wouldn’t be Cornell.</p>
<p>I love my TI 89, but I have not ever used it for classes at cornell. The only times i have used a calculator (and just a plain old scientific one at that) are in science classes (physics and chem). Even my stats class, which in many cases requires a graphing calculator to do distribution stuff, no calculators were allowed (although previous semesters could use a calculator). </p>
<p>I would recommend taking all the AP credit you can get. Everything is harder at Cornell, even if you already know the material.</p>
<p>I am going into ilr next year, would it be odd for me to take calc 1? I am in pre calc now…</p>
<p>when you get the chance to use a calculator in cornell engineering (some physics, ENGRD, etc.) it feels really great to know that instead of studying you compounded the course notes and questions/answers from past exams into a program on your calculator.</p>