Heading into my first year of an engineering program and trying to figure out which calculator to buy. What do you guys think is the best calculator to deal with engineering calculations in college?
Engineering courses tend to include complex calculations, so a scientific calculator will be essential. Specifically, the Texas Instruments (TI) calculators, particularly the TI-36X Pro Scientific Calculator and the TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator, are highly recommended models, having proven their worth to many engineering students.
The TI-36X Pro is a powerful scientific calculator with a numeric solver and the capability to compute fractions and decimals, as well as complex number calculations, which would be useful for your electrical engineering modules. It also includes features that allow you to perform matrix and vector operations, ideal for mechanical and civil engineering courses.
The TI-84 Plus, on the other hand, is a high-performance graphing calculator that can graph functions, plot data, and perform matrix operations. It also comes with robust software features that allow statistical modeling and calculus functions, which will be handy for your engineering modules.
Do ensure that you check with your professors first, though, as some may have specific recommendations or restrictions on calculator models for their course or the university may have certain guidelines you need to follow.
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