In high school, where every grade counts and homework can make or break your GPA, small choices like which writing utensil you choose can play a surprisingly big role. The pen vs. pencil debate has been persistent, but the consensus between both students and teachers is clear.
“When students make mistakes they can’t erase them, making their work messy,” said math teacher Mrs. Nowak. “When you turn work into a teacher or boss, it’s a reflection of who you are, and you want to present the best image of yourself.” Mrs. Nowak’s message is firm—precision matters. In math, errors are inevitable, and corrections are necessary. The permanence of the pen can lead to frustration and cause an inability to fix mistakes, leading to scribbling out wrong answers and turning in assignments that are less neat and organized as would be expected.
“Using pen hinders my work because I would not be able to erase my mistakes if I made them,” said junior David Hosnedl. He reaffirms Mrs. Nowak’s claims. Hosnedl echoes the importance fixing errors in a neat manner, an aspect of completing homework that permanent ink holds back. Matthew Wallace is another junior who repeats an eerily similar claim.
“I do not think using pen hinders my work because I can not erase mistakes I have made,” said junior Matthew Wallace.
Mistakes are a part of learning and the ability to erase, and adjust your work plays into the process of growing as a student: resulting in learning. Overall, math isn’t just about getting the right answer but also the journey a student must go through to get that answer. So next time you sit down with your math homework, consider ditching the pen, maybe a clean slate is the key to solving that complex equation.