learning supplies are like that strange old radio you find in a toolbox, full of static and strange frequencies, waiting to be picked up if you're lucky enough. you don't usually buy a whole set for your desk, but you do end up buying a few of those random things that look like tools or gadgets but are actually just stuff you use to get things done, mostly because everyone around you is using them and you're trying not to look like an idiot. let's talk about the ones you've probably seen at a school fair or in a liquor store window, where they're lined up next to actual pencils or maybe some weird origami cranes. the first ones are those giant highlighters with that bright, neon-looking liquid inside. they don't actually contain ink; they contain a giant blob of liquid color that looks like water, but it's made to stay on your paper without smearing. you hold it up to the light and it looks like a glowing star, a glowing eye, or maybe just a bunch of random letters. the plastic barrel is usually bright red or blue, and when you squeeze the little plastic nozzle, that color oozes out like it's melting. it's not precise. you have to guess where the line is going, and if you squeeze too hard, a little bit of that gooey mess escapes. you can't really write with it. you can mark something, maybe leave a rude comment on a graph or doodle next to a boring study guide. but if you try to draw a straight line, it just smears and then you have to start over from scratch. it's basically a marker for making art or making things look messy, not for reading or serious work. then there are these colorful pencils that look like weird versions of a standard pencil. the eraser is usually a different color than the wood, and the tip is sometimes a weird flower or a tiny pin. the wood feels thick and squishy, not like wood. they feel like a giant plastic toy wrapped around a graphite stick. when you sharpen them, it's impossible. you need a heavy-duty pencil sharpener that looks like a toy gun, and even then, they often just come out messy. you have to cut them again and again until they're just black mush in your hand. nobody actually writes on them. they exist more as novelty items, like a piece of candy. buy one, play with it for a minute, then throw it in the trash or hide it in the drawer. it distracts you from the real stuff or makes you feel like you're wasting money on something that feels wrong. there's also the whiteboard marker stuff, which is basically just liquid that you spilled on a surface. it's supposed to be dry after a few seconds, but sometimes you have to wait twenty minutes for it to just... not happen. it leaves this green or blue smudge that looks like it was left by a bored squirrel. if you try to wipe it away, it's like trying to clean up a mess from a movie scene. the ink doesn't come out cleanly. you have to use a special cloth and a lot of force, and even then, it usually smudges. you can't use it to write, you can only use it to mark something and then pretend you don't care about what you just marked. it's more of a decoration for a wall, or maybe just for someone else's frustration. the real weird stuff is probably the digital stuff, like those "adsorbency pencils" or those "sticky markers." the name itself makes you say something wrong. "absorbency"? you don't absorb anything, you just stick to things. it feels like you're pressing a rubber stamp onto paper. you can press it hard and it leaves a permanent mark that won't come off, no matter how much you rub or scrub. sometimes the ink dries before you use it, and then you have to wait an hour to find out if you actually made your mark. it's frustrating and useless. you spend ten minutes pressing it down and then realize you haven't written anything, just a blob of plastic. you can't erase it, couldn't even tell. it's just a tactile toy for your finger. and then there are the actual "learning tools" you bought online or at the store to help you study, like these fancy flashlights or these little sensors that light up when you touch a specific word. they're cool. they're shiny and sound like a toy. you turn them on, and they make a little beep or a bright flash, which makes you feel smart. you remember the word. it's a funny little thing. you might even buy a whole bunch of them just to have them around. you don't use them to study. you use them to hold your hand while you stare at something complicated, or to turn it on when you're hungry and can't focus. it's a little gadget, not a serious piece of equipment. it's like buying a rose for a dog. it gives you a feeling, it's shiny, maybe it helps you remember something for a second, but it doesn't actually teach you anything. the most common purchase people make is the "multipurpose" items, like those thin sticks that look like a pen, a ruler, and a strainer all rolled into one. you hold it in your hand and you wonder if it's a tool or just another plastic stick. you can measure a cup of water, draw a picture of a dog, or maybe even make a little mark on a wall to tell someone where to put the trash. it's a "might as well" item. you buy it because it looks cool or because you're trying to get rid of something you don't need, or maybe because you're trying to look like you're studying when you're actually just holding a weird stick. if you use it for anything real, it's going to fail. you won't be able to write with it. you won't be able to measure accurately. you won't be able to hold a pencil. it's just a plastic thing. but people love plastic things. they're cheap, they're colorful, and they look like they belong in a school setting, which is the only setting where they're supposed to be useful. you might find these in a classroom or a library. you see a kid holding one, doing a weird scribble in the air. you see an adult holding one next to a textbook, looking confused. you see a person holding one over a whiteboard, maybe trying to mark a timeline, but it just smears. you see them everywhere. they are the universal language of "what do you do with this weird plastic thing?" it's the sound that gets repeated when someone asks "what is this?" and you just say "oh, the multi-use stick." it's a piece of memorabilia. it's proof that you were there, that you looked around, that you saw the weird lights and the bright colors and the strange shapes. it's a souvenir of a place where things aren't usually useful, but they're fun to touch and look at. so, if you're buying something from this store, don't be surprised if they say "this is great for learning." you probably won't learn anything from it. you might learn that it's cool, or maybe you might learn that you're holding a plastic stick that's got a hole in the middle or a flower on the end. it's not a tool. it's a toy. and if you buy a bunch of them, don't be embarrassed. people will see the ones you're holding, and they'll be like "oh, that's a learning tool," and maybe you'll feel a little better for a second before realizing you're just holding a plastic toy that makes noise and squishes. but hey, at least the plastic doesn't break your hand like a real pencil would.