Choose the right calculator for your classes. Texas Instruments provides information on its web site, categorized by academic level, which will help you pick the calculator best fitting your needs.
Turn your calculator on using the [On/Off] key located at the lower left side of the keypad. If anything displays on the screen, you can press the [CLEAR] key to clear the screen.
Set the date and time. Press the [MODE] key, and use the arrow down key to highlight "Set Clock" on the menu. Use the arrow down key to choose formats for time and date, and enter time and date information where needed.
Use your TI-83/84 as if it were a simple calculator, for basic calculations. For example, to calculate a basic expression, such as 5 + 5, simply enter the expression (5 + 5) and hit Enter.
Use the [2nd] and [Alpha] keys to do ore complex calculations such as square root, or to insert letters for variables. The [2nd] and [Alpha] keys are located on the upper left of the key pad. Each key on the key pad has a corresponding second use, and an alphabetical value. The corresponding second use and alphabetical value for each key is located above the key, in green, on the calculator. For example, the key with a primary use of x^2, has a second function to insert the mathematical square root symbol, and a third function to insert the alphabetical symbol "i".
Clear the memory of your TI-83/84 calculator by using the [2nd] key, then [Mem] and choose option 7 on the screen: "Reset." Then choose option 1 "All Ram," followed by option 2 "Confirm."