Originally Posted by intparent
Also... what about a recommendation for a calculator? Assuming the student would like to go on to higher level math beyond calculus, and possibly some advanced physics courses?

I do a lot of number-crunching, but always with a spreadsheet or a custom-built program, never a calculator. The SAT and some other standardized do allow calculators, though. You could search online to see what calculators are recommended for standardized tests.

"To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." - George Orwell