<p>School starts in a week and is there any large benefit to a graphing calculator for Precalc? If I get one this year, it'll be a Ti-82 from eBay. So can I get some pro's and cons?</p>
<p>You can sometimes use a graphing calculator to “cheat” on a test if you forgot how to draw a certain kind of graph, but they are more expensive and the teacher will probably pass them out if s/he wants you to have them.</p>
<p>Eh, it helps. Graphing calculators aren’t truly necessary until Calculus, honestly.</p>
<p>At my school we get TI 83 Plus’s in Precalc and we keep them for both Calc AB and BC. If you know how to use a graphing calculator, it can be a HUGE help in precalc. Many times, I was able to solve problems in unconventional ways by using a calculator, usually by looking at the graph of the function. It’s only helpful if you are very good at using it. However, I would hold off on buying one until you know your teachers calculator policy. She may not give them to you for a reason.</p>
<p>If I had to use a scientific calculator for Alg2/Trig or precalc I would have died. Graphing calcs can do so much more than just graphing.</p>
<p>^ My PreCal teacher didn’t allow calculators on tests. We only used a scientific calculators and I definitely didn’t die. </p>
<p>It’s better in the long run to learn how to find what a graohy looks like (zeroes, points of change, etc) with a scientific then lean on a graphing calculator so early in the game.</p>
<p>I haven’t hand drawn a graph without a calculator since Geometry. Graphing Calculators are very useful.</p>
<p>As long as you know how to…without typing it in…</p>
<p>*When I say “hand-drawn”, I don’t mean put every point of the graph on an interval of [5,5]. That futile and elementary. If you’re going to hand draw a graph just put the important points: zeroes, y intercepts, vertex (if any), or point of change. That’s all we label. You could easily have a graph that only has a standard parabola with the point (0,0) and a 1 on the y axis. Quite simple.</p>
<p>Ti-89 = class killed. And AB and BC die too.
Things solved, factored, programs downloaded to cope with trigonometry etc.
If you learn to use it, you’ll have a huge edge.</p>
<p>And they say you’ll rely on it too much? Well do the problems then “check” your work I say :)</p>
<p>If you become an expert at both the calculator and doing the problems without it, you’re bound for rank 1 in the class :P</p>
<p>calculators don’t matter in HS at all until maybe calculus/stats where it just becomes a pain time-wise to graph stuff</p>