Financial Calculator Rant

[jadechow]

Can I just vent for a minute, guys? Ok, so I'm taking Finance on 1/22 and prepping like a maniac. Have gone thru IC twice, read the Hirt text, viewed the Chairman's greeting, etc.

So, I got my new TI BAII Plus Professional calculator a couple of days ago thinking "Yippppeee, here's gonna be some free points on those nasty TVM questions". Yeah, that level of enthusiasm had a shorter life span than a chocolate chip cookie here at my house. Roughly 2 seconds.

I think I am working harder at figuring out the darn calculator than I did on reading the whole Hirt textbook. I have just started some of the online tutorials geared for this calculator and hope they will help - but dang - it's a lot of memorizing what key to push when. And, there's hundreds of them! Well, not really but it feels like it, right Categ??? :eek:

Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. I feel (somewhat) better now. Back to the grindstone. I hate this test already by the way.

Happy New Year to all,
Kelly

[bricabrac]

Try for helpful hints TI BA II PLUSâ„¢ PROFESSIONAL - Atomic Learning
And be glad you didn't get the ti83 graphing. I put that thing on a shelf never to look at again. Just to darn confusing even with all the software tutorials; could not take it. :confused:
Me think no one told you TI is to calculators what MS is to software. It is designed to live and operate in a universe all to itself.

I actually use both the TI-34II and the Sharp Scientific (IMO easier to navigate than the BAII). After four years I'm still finding little shortcuts.

Good Luck!! Keep in mind once you get it, its like riding a bike!!

Can I just vent for a minute, guys? Ok, so I'm taking Finance on 1/22 and prepping like a maniac. Have gone thru IC twice, read the Hirt text, viewed the Chairman's greeting, etc.

So, I got my new TI BAII Plus Professional calculator a couple of days ago thinking "Yippppeee, here's gonna be some free points on those nasty TVM questions". Yeah, that level of enthusiasm had a shorter life span than a chocolate chip cookie here at my house. Roughly 2 seconds.

I think I am working harder at figuring out the darn calculator than I did on reading the whole Hirt textbook. I have just started some of the online tutorials geared for this calculator and hope they will help - but dang - it's a lot of memorizing what key to push when. And, there's hundreds of them! Well, not really but it feels like it, right Categ??? :eek:

Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. I feel (somewhat) better now. Back to the grindstone. I hate this test already by the way.

Happy New Year to all,
Kelly

[categ]

I've taken it out, pushed a few buttons and put it away again......about five times. I am thinking it might not be in the cards for me. If anyone can do it though, you can.

[marianne202]

Don't feel bad, I also bought the TI-BAII for ALEKS Stats and haven't been able to figure it out! It was supposed to come with a quick start guide, but it didn't. Every time I try to open the book and figure out the stats formulas, I just want to run screaming like my brain is on fire! I might like stats better if I didn't fell like I was fighting with my calculator too!

[jadechow]

I just want to run screaming like my brain is on fire! I might like stats better if I didn't fell like I was fighting with my calculator too!

My thoughts exactly!!

Categ, I did watch some of the online tutorials at the atomic learning site Bricabrac provided (thanks so much - by the way ) and they were helpful. I also found a site in the feedback section that is really great - TVMcalcs.com

This site actually has me thinking that I might be able to do this. Emphasis on might. And if I can, I KNOW you can. Check out that site. It really breaks things down. Oh, except the whole annuities due thing. They still suck.

[IrishJohn]

Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. I feel (somewhat) better now. Back to the grindstone. I hate this test already by the way.

I understand completely. You do know of course that this can all be traced to a dastardly plot by that iniquitous, perfidious site called ALEKS? No wait, I'm not crazy it's all true! Think of ALEKS as sort of the online version of the Illuminati.

[categ]

Jadechow, are you sure we can use the BA II Plus for the exam? The DSST fact sheet says non-prorgammable calculator, does this qualify? Do you have anything in writing that I can give to the test center? I don't want to spend all this time figuring out how to use this thing only to find out the proctor nixes it.

[jadechow]

Jadechow, are you sure we can use the BA II Plus for the exam? The DSST fact sheet says non-prorgammable calculator, does this qualify? Do you have anything in writing that I can give to the test center? I don't want to spend all this time figuring out how to use this thing only to find out the proctor nixes it.

Unfortunately I don't. I just know the people at my local testing center really well (from taking so many tests there) and they would never question the use of a calculator. In fact, at my last test a woman was using a calculator for the Intro to Religions exam. I couldn't imagine what she was calculating - but hey she passed so it's all good.

I probably just jinxed myself :eek: but I am really hoping that they won't even think twice when I pull out my calculator. I know on the exam specific feedback it seems as if most people have been able to use their BaII's without any problem. There may be 1 or 2 where they weren't allowed to but for the most part it seems like we've been able to "get away with it". Although I really have to say that with the 2 billion other formulas that you need to memorize for Finance, I don't really think that having a calc to help with TVM is a big deal. Show me a finance manager who is calculating that by hand and I'll show you a finance manager who will be looking for a new job soon.

I am sorry to have been no help whatsoever. What's the "general atmosphere" like where you test? Are they really super strict or have you observed anyone else using a calc on other tests? Have you tested there before?

Keep the faith!!
Kelly

[ivanjak]

Unfortunately I don't. I just know the people at my local testing center really well (from taking so many tests there) and they would never question the use of a calculator. In fact, at my last test a woman was using a calculator for the Intro to Religions exam. I couldn't imagine what she was calculating - but hey she passed so it's all good.

I probably just jinxed myself :eek: but I am really hoping that they won't even think twice when I pull out my calculator. I know on the exam specific feedback it seems as if most people have been able to use their BaII's without any problem. There may be 1 or 2 where they weren't allowed to but for the most part it seems like we've been able to "get away with it". Although I really have to say that with the 2 billion other formulas that you need to memorize for Finance, I don't really think that having a calc to help with TVM is a big deal. Show me a finance manager who is calculating that by hand and I'll show you a finance manager who will be looking for a new job soon.

I am sorry to have been no help whatsoever. What's the "general atmosphere" like where you test? Are they really super strict or have you observed anyone else using a calc on other tests? Have you tested there before?

Keep the faith!!
Kelly

TI BAII is not a programmable calculator thus it is allowed on the test. Just took and passed the exam and used the Beast for it. My Accounting text had the keystrokes for an HP to solve IRRs and NPVs that just required me to hit compute key for totals on my TI, so that was helpful.

[jadechow]

TI BAII is not a programmable calculator thus it is allowed on the test. Just took and passed the exam and used the Beast for it. My Accounting text had the keystrokes for an HP to solve IRRs and NPVs that just required me to hit compute key for totals on my TI, so that was helpful.

Oh, just goes to show what a goof I am - wouldn't know a programmable from a non-programmable calc. Hmmm, maybe that's why I was having such a hard time figuring out how to use the darn thing.

Nah, I think it just sensed my fear - kind of like horses.

Hey, Ivanjak, if you're not too busy, would you mind send me a PM about the keystrokes to solve for IRRs and NPV?