The worse you are the chess, the more you want to keep pawns on the board since they tactically restrict the game. The more pawns that go off, the more the game opens up into sharp tactical lines which give experienced players an enormous advantage.

All of that leads into my recommendation for getting good at Chess as a beginner: Don't waste any time with opening preparation. Pick two openings you like (one for white, one for black) and stick with them. All your time and effort should go into tactics.