Preparing for Competition

These are some tips to help you prepare for any type of Science Olympiad competition. They will help you stay focused and organized and will make sure that you perform your best.

Before the Competition

 * Have Goggles! Goggles are required for many build/lab events, and you can get DQ'ed for not having them. It is good to have a box full of them for the whole team instead of bringing them individually. See Safety Glasses for more information about goggles.
 * Lab coats are also necessary for some lab events. Treat them in a similar way that you treat goggles.
 * Make Extra Copies of Cheat Sheets - Just in case you lose your cheat sheet, it is good to have a few spares lying around. Also, protect them with sheet protectors, so the sheets remain in good condition. For more information about cheat sheets, see Cheat Sheet.
 * Have a Tool Box - for major build events like Storm The Castle and Trajectory. If the car ride was very bumpy, screws could get loose, or you may need to add a nail or two.
 * Know the Layout of the Competition Site - Most tournaments, especially the State and National tournament, will provide you with a map of the campus before the tournament. Take some time to locate your events and any other important rooms (team rooms, etc.). This will lessen the probability that you get completely lost on the day of competition.
 * Practice Your Events - Yes, this should go without saying, but you should practice your events before the competition. Research your information, take some practice tests, and make sure you are all-around solid in your events. It will help your confidence the day of, and will save time over someone who has all of the resources while taking a test but knows nothing about the event, and has to keep searching through the papers for information. It will also help you practice your Test Taking Skills.

The Day Before the Competition

 * Review your Information - Check over any cheat sheets you have to make sure you haven't left any important information out, so you are prepared.
 * Check Your Building Events - Re-measure any thing you built for an event, such as Mission Possible, Storm the Castle, etc. Also check that you meet all of the requirements, and read over the rules again if you need to. No one wants to make last-minute changes on their towers the day of the competition because they did something wrong.
 * Talk to Your Partner - Talk to all of your partners for your events, and make sure that they are just as prepared as you are for the competition tomorrow. Also remind them of the time to be at the meeting place and what to bring.
 * Make Plans For Tomorrow - Look over your schedule and plan out what you will do for the day, including how you will get to each of your events, where you are eating lunch, who you are eating lunch with, and when to arrive and leave. Ask for people's phone numbers, if needed, so if you need help getting to an event, you can just call them. Make sure they aren't in an event, however, if you do call them!
 * Get a Good Night's Sleep - Falling asleep during a test is probably not the greatest idea. Sleeping well will help you concentrate and focus. Having at least 6 hours of sleep is more important then cramming in extra information. This is especially important if you have to get up early the next morning to catch a bus.

Competition Day

 * Eat! During competitions, it is not a rare sight to see team bases with snacks, brownies, and sodas. Don't skip breakfast and then plan on shoving snacks down your throat - you will get hungry later, and get a stomachache now. Try eating healthy fruits, grains, and drinking water or milk for breakfast. This will help you perform better on events, if you have eaten a good breakfast and are full. Also make sure you eat a good lunch.
 * Bring More Then one Pencil! This is even more important when you have a non-mechanical pencil. Sometimes, test examiners will not provide spares or sharpeners, forcing you to take a zero. Also, bring an eraser in case you make a mistake. If you use pens, bring extra pens in case they run out. In this case it's also ideal to bring an emergency pencil just in case.
 * Walk With a Buddy! Although it may sound childish, you should always be with someone from your team, or at least in an area with lots of people. This is especially important if you are on an unfamiliar campus in an unfamiliar town, as your friends might not just be able to protect you, but also know their way around better than you (although if you studied your map, you should know your way around). Don't take any questionable shortcuts - if you don't know for sure that it leads to the right building, it may just cause you to end up even more lost than you were before. If bad goes to worse and you have no idea where you are, call someone who might be able to help you (like a teacher).
 * On the flip side, if you are very familiar with your surroundings (like if you have attended the tournament several times before), help teammates who may not be as familiar if you can, instead of just going it alone. This will alleviate their stress and help them focus on competing. After all, every event counts!
 * Show Up Early! When it is time for you to attend an event, it is best if you show up at least 3-5 minutes before the scheduled time. You'll be able to get settled and organize your resources if you have any, and you'll be mentally prepared once the event officially starts.
 * Don't Dwell - If, by chance, one of your events does not go as planned, you will understandably be disappointed. However, if you have other events to go to, you will have to call upon an inner mental strength and focus on the next task instead of dwelling on what could have been. What happened in the past cannot be changed, so you just have to make the best of what you can. And after all, mistakes happen to everyone and Science Olympiad is meant to be fun, so enjoy yourself and appreciate the atmosphere of science!
 * Have Fun! One of the great aspects of Science Olympiad is that it brings people who are passionate about science to the same place, so when you have free time, don't hide in a corner. Hang out with your teammates and meet other people who may have similar interests as you! If your competition is on a college campus, go outside and get some fresh air, and maybe throw around a ball or a Frisbee. Who knows, you might end up making some new friends, and that's really in the true spirit of Science Olympiad, isn't it?