<p>I just used my Christmas money to purchase a graphing calculator, a TI-84 Plus. My goal is to be ready for the April ACT. I thought you guys could maybe help me out. How should I start learning how to use it, since I have never used a graphing calculator before? I am really hoping this can help me on the ACT, but I know if I am not comfortable with it that it could cost me more time. Please help! I am ready to get to work, but don't really know where to start.</p>
<p>Ask a teacher or a tutor to show you.</p>
<p>Trying through text on a forum would be incredibly difficult. If you don’t know anybody, PM me, and I can find somebody who might be able to show via Skype.</p>
<p>I don’t really have a teacher or a tutor to show me. I am home educated and I have never used a graphing calculator in my math classes. My brother is in college and he is very proficient with the TI-89, but it is a lot different than the 84 plus. I found this website last night – has anyone else used it? </p>
<p>[Using</a> the Graphing Calculator - Table of Contents](<a href=“http://mathbits.com/MathBits/TISection/Openpage.htm]Using”>Using the Graphing Calculator - Table of Contents)</p>
<p>It looks pretty good, so I think I will get started with this. I also ordered the TI-84 Plus for Dummies book from Amazon last night. </p>
<p>Thanks, Preply for offering to help. I will contact you definitely if these resources don’t work. </p>
<p>What have you all found to be the kinds of math problems that you used the calculator for on the ACT that saved you time?</p>
<p>It takes time to learn how to use a graphing calculator…I basically self-taught myself most of how to use a TI-NSpire (which is similar to the 84 in functionality, but better user interface and higher resolution).</p>
<p>Certain 84/NSpire functions that really help are:</p>
<p>*nsolve, e.g. nsolve(5x+2 = 17, x, 5) returns 3. nsolve(x^2 = -1, x, 0) might only return “i” (not -i).</p>
<p>*Graphing capability. 84 and NSpire can graph rectangular, polar, parametric plots.</p>
<p>*Defining your own function – you may define f(a,b,c): = (-b + sqrt(b^2 - 4ac))/2a if you have to find the positive root of a quadratic, for example.</p>
<p>*Statistics – don’t know how much this occurs on the ACT, but graphing calculators can do statistical analysis, including finding regression lines as well as z-, t-tests, f-tests, etc. I once had to construct a linear regression for an SAT math II problem, already knowing how saved me quite a bit of time.</p>
<p>Oh Wow… I’m a pro at the Ti-84, in all modesty. If you need ANY help with it, feel free to email me at desitutor @ gmail dot com. I’ll help you in a quick amount of time and show you all you need to know!</p>