3 ms·

>burn time plugging things into (-b +- sqrt (b2-4ac)) / 2a I swear to god, I had so much of that to do, I got tired of it and learned enough python in one nigh

by auxym 10y ago

>burn time plugging things into (-b +- sqrt (b2-4ac)) / 2a I swear to god, I had so much of that to do, I got tired of it and learned enough python in one night, at 15, to get the computer to do my homework for me.

noxToken 10y ago
I wonder how kids who aren't interested in rote math (e.g. 10 quadratic equations 5 nights in a row) bother to learn anything with tools like Wolfram Alpha available for free. I spent so much time on Wolfram Alpha for parts of Calculus II, Chem I and Chem II while in college. Those classes gave mountains of homework, so after I understood how to do them, I just plugged the questions into W|A for a quick answer. In high school, I would have never had the restraint to learn the material first. All of my homework would have been copy-paste jobs from W|A.
bendykstra 10y ago
I did that too, though in BASIC on a TI-83+. When I showed it to my math teacher, she said that I could use the program on any future homework and tests as long as I turned in a paragraph explaining step-by-step how the program worked.
- yolesaber 10y ago
  Ah looks like you actually had a smart math teacher. Mine retroactively failed all my take-homes and homework after I showed her the program I used and explained why I did it (rote memorization is terrible, I was more interested in the theory and algorithms). I had to appeal to the CS teacher and principal at my school to reverse the grade which would've prevented me from graduating
- seanp2k2 10y ago
  Same. For me, it was physics and the teacher was interested in how I did it, so I brought in my laptop and showed him the Visual Basic IDE and explained how it worked. He wasn't questioning that I had done it as much as he was intrigued that I had made such a thing. I wasn't allowed to use it on tests (laptops weren't allowed in class back then) but I didn't mind that much since I knew the formulas forward and backward by then. I also typed all my papers and assignments because my handwriting was atrocious. Only a few teachers took issue with this, and as an adult, I can't say I've had to do any cursive or write out an essay on paper for any reason.
ghaff 10y ago
Some of us didn't have the option of using either computers or calculators :-)

by auxym 10y ago

noxToken 10y ago

I wonder how kids who aren't interested in rote math (e.g. 10 quadratic equations 5 nights in a row) bother to learn anything with tools like Wolfram Alpha available for free. I spent so much time on Wolfram Alpha for parts of Calculus II, Chem I and Chem II while in college. Those classes gave mountains of homework, so after I understood how to do them, I just plugged the questions into W|A for a quick answer. In high school, I would have never had the restraint to learn the material first. All of my homework would have been copy-paste jobs from W|A.

bendykstra 10y ago

I did that too, though in BASIC on a TI-83+. When I showed it to my math teacher, she said that I could use the program on any future homework and tests as long as I turned in a paragraph explaining step-by-step how the program worked.

yolesaber 10y ago
Ah looks like you actually had a smart math teacher. Mine retroactively failed all my take-homes and homework after I showed her the program I used and explained why I did it (rote memorization is terrible, I was more interested in the theory and algorithms). I had to appeal to the CS teacher and principal at my school to reverse the grade which would've prevented me from graduating
seanp2k2 10y ago
Same. For me, it was physics and the teacher was interested in how I did it, so I brought in my laptop and showed him the Visual Basic IDE and explained how it worked. He wasn't questioning that I had done it as much as he was intrigued that I had made such a thing. I wasn't allowed to use it on tests (laptops weren't allowed in class back then) but I didn't mind that much since I knew the formulas forward and backward by then. I also typed all my papers and assignments because my handwriting was atrocious. Only a few teachers took issue with this, and as an adult, I can't say I've had to do any cursive or write out an essay on paper for any reason.

ghaff 10y ago

Some of us didn't have the option of using either computers or calculators :-)