Well all get attached to one favorite writing utensil: It’s the one we carry with us to all of our classes, the one we reach for when we’re about to take a quick note, the one we feel a pang of grief about when it suddenly runs dry. That pen becomes our partner in crime and reminds us of our own inherent work ethic. I know I personally don’t like starting to use a new pen until my current one dies, but in the event that you’re looking for a new one to try, I’ve decided to use my expertise as a former Staples employee to give some advice for your next pen option.

1. Bic Cristal Pens (I prefer the black ink)

I’m usually pro-ballpoint pen anyway, and Bic has been making the Cristal pens since post-WWII. Pros: They’re cheap as sin, and they generally write thin (even for medium tips) and clearly.

2. Papermate InkJoy

The thing about InkJoy pens is that they’re usually overpriced, mostly because Papermate can get away with it (they’re one of the giants in the pen world—who’s going to challenge them?). Also, when you’re looking at InkJoy pens, you might not automatically know that there are several different RT numbers, which could be really confusing and annoying. If you go out to buy them, remember this: The higher the RT number, the better the ink flows. 550 RT would be a better pen than 300 RT, and it continues upward.

3. Poppin Ballpoints

I have a gentle love affair with all Poppin products (they’re so clean looking! They’re aesthetically appealing!) so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I love their ballpoint pens. Pros: They write well, and you can get the pens in a variety of colors. Cons: Those pens usually only have black ink, they’re pricier, and I went through five in one semester (then again, I also write my notes out by hand). If I had another coupon for 20 percent off all Poppin products, though, I’d splurge and buy them again in a heartbeat.

4. Pilot G-Knock (Fine Point)

For the record, I probably would not have bought this pen, mainly because it costs almost 11 bucks for five of them. I’m a stingy type of gal. For another thing, I usually stay away from gel pens; I’m a naturally messy writer, and I tend to smear the ink. That said, I’m not sure where mine came from, but I hope another finds its way into my bag again soon because Pilot pens work really well, write sharply (which is something ballpoint pens sometimes lack for me), and the G-Knock dries pretty fast. If you don’t want the investment of five, buy the two-pack.

5. Bic Cristal Fashion/Shimmers

“But Jill,” you might be saying, “you’ve already put Cristal pens first!” Yes, I did. But the Shimmer pens are different in that a lot of stores have stopped carrying them in favor of the far less superior Xtra-Bold ones (which is honestly a goddamn shame), and also because Shimmers defined my homework and notes from middle school through the first semester of my freshman year in college. They’re pretty! They used to be pretty cheap (if you could find them)! Maybe the purple pens always gave me trouble, but there’s a permanent place in my heart for the neon pink ones.

6. Sharpies

Okay, so the Sharpies I’m talking about aren’t technically pens (though there is such a thing as Sharpie pens). That said, these markers are ideal for everything from labeling the food that belongs to you in your shared dorm fridge to marking up a Post-It note.

7. Parker Pens

These are actually extremely pricey (mine was a gift and is one of the older, skinnier models). Hear me out though: They’re refillable, if you’re into making slightly less plastic waste in the grand scheme of the environment, and you can keep the actual pen itself for decades. I especially like the arrow that’s on them.

8. Stabilo Pens

Again, these are pricey because they’re mainly aimed at and towards art students—they’re art tools. I still really like Stabilo pens, though, for their aesthetic quality (they look really cool) and because I like color coding my notes, which is what a lot of “studyblr” Tumblr blogs tend to use them for. A cheaper alternative if you’re not using them for art would be the multicolored pack of InkJoy pens.

9. Promotional Pens

Okay, okay, not an actual brand here. Pens from hotels, universities, doctors’ offices, banks, or pharmaceuticals might not even actually work that well all the time. They are, however, free, and it’s always fun to use a pen branded with “Viagra” on its side.

10. Staedtler

This is another instance of pricy art pens, and to be honest, I don’t like the way they look as much as I like the Stabilos. Depending on your notebook paper, they might even bleed through, which is something you don’t have to worry about with most ballpoints. But, as with the Stabilos, we’re all about that image of false productivity, and when we take pictures of our school supplies, our notebooks look so much better next to Staedtlers.

11. Quill Pens

Annoying? Yes. Messy? Sure. Hermione Granger as hell? You know it.