A calculator that will last you through college!

I bought this calculator when my TI-83 finally died. I got it at Wal-Mart two years ago for about $120. And I recently saw them there for about $95, so the price of it has gone down. But it pays to look around too. (Also, when it comes to electronics, I just don't trust Ebay so I wouldn't advise looking there...) I wouldn't suggest going to an electronics store like Office Max or something, they're even more expensive. I only trust TI calculators because they last really long and are simple and easy for most people to use. The buttons on the calculator make the functions pretty self explanatory. This is a very good calculator for high school students, especially those in advanced classes. It will last through high school and into college, and you won't have to keep updating to adapt to the college classes - as long as you take care of it, that is. It's very nice to transition like this because if you go much higher on calculators, they're not allowed on the ACT or SAT, such as the TI-89.

Also, this calculator can show your personality because it has changeable face-plates, just pick your favorite color. The original face-plate snaps off - it's a little difficult at first and it feels like you're going to break it, but it's pretty easy - and then you just snap the new one on. The lid on the calculator has four little grips on it so the calculator will never slide around on your desk. The back of it has two small and one big rubber grip.

The calculator is very fast with all of its functions. Its screen is very easy to read. It has noticeably clearer image than the older calculators. It is fairly light-weight and extremely durable. My husband has this calculator as well and he's quite rough on things. He has dropped it before and it works just fine!

The ergonomic look and feel of the calculator and buttons makes it very comfortable to use overall.

The calculator comes with many functions, a few games (you can add more), and much more. My favorite applications are the periodic table and the Sci-Tools. The Sci-Tools includes a Sig-Fig Calculator, - I use that all the time in chemistry - Unit Converter, Data/Graphs Wizard, and a Vector Calculator. Another useful one is you can make study cards. It comes with tons of applications; some are even in different languages if you need them. However, several are quite useless or you have to read the manual to know how to use them. Also, it has a hook-up for a little USB cable it comes with, or it has a hook-up that suits older calculators so you can transfer and receive things from them too. This calculator has a vast amount of functions! It has a clock and the date, you can put a calendar/planner on it, there's just so many things!

However, I will warn you, you have to be careful when changing the batteries. A lot of calculators are like that now unfortunately. But just make sure you take the batteries out one at a time and then put the new one in its place. If you take them all out at the same time, it will erase your programs and possibly your applications too. The TI 84 Plus SE takes four AAA batteries. It does have a back up battery but it doesn't do much. The nice thing though is the batteries last a really long time and you can tell when they start to die because to writing on the screen lightens. You can make it darker by hitting the "2nd" button then "up" on the arrows, and if it's too dark, lighten it by doing the same except you hit the "down" arrow.

It would be extremely helpful to you to glance over the owner's manual anyway because there are some things that are quite complicated, but once you get used to it, this calculator is a blast!