The Most Important Thing in Your Pencil Case, or Calculators Ain't Bad

I have a friend who's starting secondary school in September. Her mum sent me this:

I need your opinion on something. B████ is laughing at me because I said that choosing a new pencil case is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing about a new school year. I messaged my English dept, but she said they’re bound to agree and I needed to message a Maths teacher. Thoughts?

I responded with:

I nearly agree... THE MOST IMPORTANT thing is assembling your pencil case kit, which includes choosing a new pencil case, but you have to make sure the right kit is in there - non-exploding pens, for example. The stuff that goes inside is important because that will help to inform which pencil case is the right one. It might feel right for a moment, but if it doesn't fit what you need, or allow you to arrange it how you want to then it's not the right one.

Two calculators that have stood the test of time from my own school days. I've just noticed that the batteries haven't, though.

I then listed my essential pencil case kit. That's not really what this post is about, but of course I have included it at the bottom for all and sundry to disagree with. 

The final thing on the list, THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to go in your pencil case, is a calculator.

And that's something I really do believe.

Calculators are not the enemy

Maths is such a misunderstood subject: I'm always coming up against the assertion that being good at maths means doing calculations quickly in your head (or the converse; that I'm not good at maths because I'm not quick at doing calculations in my head). For me, that's totally not the point of maths. Yes, being able to do some stuff in your head gets some of the more (in my opinion) boring stuff out of the way a bit quicker but that doesn't make you a brilliant mathematician, and struggling with it doesn't mean you can't be one.

But this misconception about maths seems to give calculators a bad rap. Like they're a sign of weakness; a set of stabilisers that we need to grow out of as soon as possible.

No.

Calculators are a tool like any other. Sure, you might be able to pull a loose nail out with your fingers, but if you're desperate to throw away that hammer because you're beating yourself up over not being able to put together a coffee table using only your forehead you're going to be forever disappointed*.

As with other tools a decent calculator will serve you well, and for a long time. A poorly-built hammer won't last long, but a well-constructed one will last a lifetime. The same is true of a calculator! As you prepare for secondary school it's well worth thinking ahead and getting a decent one that will last you until you leave, as opposed to a piece of tat that will need replacing every term.

The real meat of what I want to say, though, is in the functionality. A simple four-function solar-powered rectangle of plastic may serve you well in the short-term, but a well-chosen scientific calculator will be your mathematical companion throughout your school career, and as you develop more of its secrets will become available to you. And it won't just be useful in your maths lessons, either: you'll find yourself powering up in lessons across the curriculum and, if all goes as it should, when you've got problems to solve outside of the classroom as well. 

Why bother now though? Why not wait until I need it?

A really good calculator is something you can grow with. Invest in a decent one now and you'll get to know it; discover its abilities and eccentricities, understand it as it begins to understand you and... I've been writing this as if I'm addressing new secondary school students but we all know I'm really talking to parents here, so it's not too much of a problem if I take a left-turn and paraphrase Full Metal Jacket:

This is my calculator. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My calculator is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my calculator is useless. Without my calculator, I am useless**. I must operate my calculator well. I must calculate more accurately than my examiner who is trying to fail me. I must calculate before the exam ends.

No? OK then. But you get my drift, right? A calculator is a complicated piece of kit and if you're going to get the best from it you're going to have to spend some quality time together. Building up that experience gradually over a handful of years is a lot less stressful than feverishly pouring over the tiny-print instruction manual the night before your first A-Level exam.

OK then, I'm sold! How do I choose my calculator?

Unfortunately it's not as simple as heading down to Ollivander's and letting it choose you***. A good place to start is to see what your school's maths department recommends: some even have bulk-bought stock that you can buy at a reduced price. This is often a good route to follow as the teachers will likely model calculator methods with the recommended unit, and some functions differ quite a bit depending on the calculator being used.

Failing this, ask some other teachers: if you have a twitter account fling a message out into the ether asking if any maths teachers can recommend a calculator and you'll get a raft of responses****, most of which flatly contradict each other, but at least you'll have something to work with.

For my money, I'd suggest that you can't go wrong with something from the Casio FX range.

One really important thing...

... that you need to do before you hand over any money is to check that your chosen device is allowed in exams. One way to do this is to find the manufacturer's official product page for your chosen model(s): any that are worth their salt include this kind of information and if they don't you probably want to stay away.

And another one: Money. Decent calculators can be expensive, but they're often on sale, especially in the run-up to the new school year, and especially in supermarkets. One way of finding out when a decent calculator is on sale is to follow a load of maths teachers on twitter: edutwitter goes BONKERS over a decent calculator price reduction.

Bonus content!

I said I'd include it, and here it is: my Essential Pencil Case Kit list, as sent to my young friend!

• Pencils (natch).
• A FAVOURITE pencil (shaped like a wand, or with a Dalek on the end, or something. Whatever shows people who you are.)
• A big, meaty rubber that you can draw a face on.
• A pencil sharpener with NO LESS THAN two differently-sized holes and a detachable (but sturdy) sharpenings-catching receptacle (a pencil case full of pencil shavings is an unhappy pencil case).
• A decent pair of compasses (you can also include a compass if you think you're going to get lost). None of that cheap rubbish. Something sturdy. As few plastic bits as possible. If it uses its own lead rather than fitting a pencil you're just being flash but that's ok (just don't forget spare leads or you'll look like a twonk).
• [I forgot this one:] A tiny screwdriver for tightening up your pair of compasses to get the best circles and arcs in a 20 mile radius.
• Protractor. Again, not a cheap one because it'll be chipped and broken in no time.
• Set square. Nobody has ever used one of these in the history of time***** but they keep gremlins away.
• Ruler. Not a rubbish one: one of those "shatterproof" ones would be great, but predictable. A wooden one with a list of Britain's Kings & Queens works well. Not too short (you can get natty folding ones these days).
• Pen. A nice one, but not too nice or it'll get nicked.
• Less nice pens (but not ones that explode) for people to borrow. (Same for pencils).
• Colouring pencils. You don't want your planner to be boring, do you? Also for colour coding your work because it's helpful to you and nice for teachers when they're marking.
• Finally, the MOST IMPORTANT thing to go in your pencil case is a calculator. A good one. Something from Casio's FX series, and get your parents to start saving for a TI-86 (or whatever the most up to date version is). Seriously, this is the most important thing to have in a pencil case. They should really be called calculator cases because everything else is just in second place.

Once you've got this all sorted then you can choose your pencil case: the awesomest one that fits everything. It's like going to Ollivander's for a wand: there's a perfect case for everyone, and everyone's is different.

• Addendum Re: rulers: You can get floppy ones that won't snap, but they also won't do the "budubdubdubdurrrrr" thing on the edge of the table and that's no fun at all.

Go on then: What have I missed?

*Not to mention in a lot of pain.

**OK, maybe not this bit.

*** Gah, why didn't I think of the wand analogy before I started talking about hammers?!

**** If you don't get a raft of responses copy me into it (I'm @TeaKayB) and I'll retweet. I know loads of maths teachers.

***** It was pointed out that nobody has ever used the large second hole on a pencil sharpener in the whole history of time either. I didn't realise that it wasn't common knowledge that these holes catch the pencil case gremlins that get past the set square.