Familiarize yourself with the calculator zones on the TI-83 Plus. The calculator is divided into four zones: graphing keys on the top row for accessing the graphing features, editing keys on rows 2 and 3 (below the graphing keys) for editing expressions and values; advanced function keys (row 4) and scientific calculator keys, which make up the remainder of the keyboard.
Turn your calculator on. The On button is at the bottom left of the keyboard. To turn the calculator off, press the "2nd" button (at the top left of the keyboard) and then press the "On" button.
Perform a few basic calculations to familiarize yourself with the calculator. To enter an exponent, enter the base followed by the ^ symbol (located on the top row of the scientific calculator keys), followed by the exponent. To enter a log, press the "LOG" key on the scientific calculator keyboard followed by the number you want to evaluate the log for.
Access the catalog by pressing the "2nd" key and then pressing the "0" key. The catalog is an alphabetical list of every function available on the calculator. Use the arrow keys on the top right of the calculator to scroll through the menu to highlight an item. Press the "Enter" key to insert the catalog item into the home screen.
Practice solving a variety of one-variable algebraic problems to get used to the keyboard. For example, to solve 4^2, first press the number "4" key, press the "x^2" key, then press the "Enter" key to obtain the answer 16.