Graphical Calculator

Hi,

I am starting AS Maths and Further Maths in September (hopefully!). This means I will be doing modules C2, S1, M1, FP1 and D1 which all require a calculator. The college I plan to go to says it is not a requirement to get a graphical calculator but other colleges say it can make a big difference.

So... should I buy a graphical calculator? I would appreciate some opinions/advice! :smile:

Thanks.

Reply 1

Magicalgeofray

4

Original post by r.cornish

Hi,

I am starting AS Maths and Further Maths in September (hopefully!). This means I will be doing modules C2, S1, M1, FP1 and D1 which all require a calculator. The college I plan to go to says it is not a requirement to get a graphical calculator but other colleges say it can make a big difference.

So... should I buy a graphical calculator? I would appreciate some opinions/advice! :smile:

Thanks.

If you are doing further maths then most definitely. See if you can get one second hand from the collage or wether they loan them out like mine did. They help a lot when visualising graphs so you don't make mistakes. If you don't get a graphical caluculator the second best is the silver Casio one that you can solve quadratics equations and intergration with limits on which really helps when checking your answers. They are a few pounds extra but really worth the money.

Reply 2

B_9710

18

No point. Nothing at A level is complicated enough to justify buying one. Also they can be difficult to use and just unnecessary.

Reply 3

r.cornish

OP

2

Thanks, I have no financial issues with getting the graphical calculator; I just to want to know if it is worth the money and if there is a good chance of getting a better grade with one.

Original post by Magicalgeofray

If you are doing further maths then most definitely. See if you can get one second hand from the collage or wether they loan them out like mine did. They help a lot when visualising graphs so you don't make mistakes. If you don't get a graphical caluculator the second best is the silver Casio one that you can solve quadratics equations and intergration with limits on which really helps when checking your answers. They are a few pounds extra but really worth the money.

Reply 4

r.cornish

OP

2

In what ways are they difficult?

Original post by B_9710

No point. Nothing at A level is complicated enough to justify buying one. Also they can be difficult to use and just unnecessary.

Reply 5

B_9710

18

Original post by r.cornish

In what ways are they difficult?

They're just not as user friendly as many other calculators, although you probably could find one. I doubt they will improve your grade, no graphs are complicated enough to require one.

Reply 6

hellomynameisr

12

This is recommended by a lot of teachers for AS and A2 maths/fm:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-FX-991ESPLUS-SA-UH-FX-991ESPLUS-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B0034BAQS8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470064233&sr=8-1&keywords=fx991es

Reply 7

r.cornish

OP

2

Okay, cheers. I will take that into consideration when purchasing a calculator.

Original post by B_9710

They're just not as user friendly as many other calculators, although you probably could find one. I doubt they will improve your grade, no graphs are complicated enough to require one.