Note sheet

Note Sheets, also known as Cheat Sheets, are often allowed in Study and Lab Events. Such events call for a certain number of (typically 1) 8.5" by 11" (Letter) sheets of paper (also known as regular printer paper; both sides may contain notes). A note sheet may be laminated, or placed in a sheet protector sealed by tape (the purpose of sealing by tape being to prevent competitors from sneaking extra note sheets or usable surface area). Labeling and annotating on the note sheet is allowed, although labels (typically by affixing them to the sheet of paper) that increase the amount of usable surface area are not.

General Tips

Include as much information as possible while keeping it easily accessible and readible. While more information means more possibilities for attainable knowledge (which is beneficial), information that cannot be found, read or understood is practically useless.

Include diagrams. This is useful for diagram labeling questions, although diagrams take up proportionally more space at smaller font sizes.

Use colors and highlighting. Colors organize and make information easier to find.

Eliminate articles and common words. The words "the", "and", "a", "an", and other similar words can be eliminated if you still understand what the text is saying, although the spacial benefit is practically negligible.

Decrease the font size. This provides space at the cost of readability.

Use abbreviations. For example, w/ instead of with and b/c instead of because, although the spacial benefit is practically negligible.

Use sheet protectors. This is in case of incidents such as rain or spills.

Know how many note sheets are allowed for the event. This prevents the situation of not expecting to be unable to use a note sheet(s) without the risk of disqualification.

Miscellaneous Edited Tips Compiled from Various Scioly.org Articles

Disclaimer: The following tips are unsorted by aspect and vary in quality. A majority of the tips were not edited with this article in consideration, but rather, for the article from which they were from.

Anatomy and Physiology:

Due to only being granted one piece of paper, the "cheat sheet" is commonly laminated and filled with content at a very small size, in order to maximize usage.
Remember the charts and diagrams. They often account for a majority of the questions on the test. Simple diagrams often help with studying more than the complicated ones do.
Source-check before adding information. Putting incorrect information on the notes can be devastating.
Color code the information, such as by topic or section level (e.g., heading, section, subsection). This makes finding information easier during competition. Also color-code diagrams for maximum efficiency. Keep the coding consistent to help with associating colors to correspondences.
Make sure both partners are familiar with the note sheet, for better cooperation during the competition.
Make your own diagrams, either by hand or with an image editor, such as GIMP for Mac/Linux, Paint for Windows, and Adobe Photoshop.
Use as small of a font as possible, but keep it readable. There's no point in having volumes of information if it cannot be interpreted. Serif fonts are considered easier to read in print than sans-serif fonts.
Type the sheet, then hand-write extra notes in the margins where the printer might not be able to print. Pencils are easier to erase, while pens do not smudge. A two-sided page can fit a lot of information.
Use laser printers to improve the readability of the notes when the font is very small.
Prioritize information to put on. Include the information you have the most trouble remembering first, then add additional information.
Include charts. The act of making a chart can also be greatly beneficial.
Include diagrams often to maximize your note sheet. Try to find ones with big font, so you can minimize it while keeping the text readable. Colored diagrams are generally easier to use. Overall diagrams are very useful, as are ones that specify in a particular function/part.
Include formulae. Some tests will have calculations-based questions.

Microbe Mission:

Note sheet layout: Knowing the layout of your note sheet and how to quickly locate information is the most important part of the note sheet. Especially when using small font size, it can be good to practice locating certain information on the sheet with your partner prior to the competition. If only one partner in the team helps to create the note sheet, the other partner may be unsure where to find certain pieces of information.
Communication between partners: Effective communication between event partners also important. Often, teams will be allowed to disassemble tests and work on separate sections simultaneously. If this happens, there will often be moments in which team members both want to look at the note sheet (sometimes different sides of the sheet) at the same time. Also, if one team member forgets whether a piece of information was included or left off the note sheet, it is helpful to ask their event partner instead of wasting time searching through the note sheet.
Color coding. Consider using different, readable colors for different topics in order to make locating information during the test easier and faster. Keeping the color coding consistent will allow you to automatically associate colors with different topics by the end of the season (e.g., pink = archaea, light blue = bacteria, green = viruses, orange = fungi, gold = microscopes etc.). Also, color-coded diagrams may increase efficiency and ease of in interpretation compared to diagrams only in black/white.
Font size, spacing, and margins: Use as small of a font as possible in order to fit more information, but keep your notes readable. There's no point in having volumes of information if it is impossible to interpret. Fonts recommended by various users include BenchNine, Calibri Light/Narrow, and Times New Roman with a size of 4-7 depending on what is legible to your team. Teams often use single or 0.9x spacing as well as 0" margins to reduce white space on the page.
Diagrams: It can be helpful to create your own diagrams, either by hand or with an image manipulation program (e.g., paint, inkscape). It's also acceptable to include diagrams from the web, though making ones yourself can enrich your understanding.
Charts: In addition to diagrams, teams can create custom charts that include specific information and help to maximize space. By personally making charts, teams also gain a better understanding of the material.
Handwritten notes: While the note sheet is most legible when printed, additional notes can be handwritten in the margins or between lines where the printer might not be able to print. This is time-consuming but well worth the time spent, especially if you want to add something on the competition day after you've already printed your note sheet.
Fact checking: Source-check before putting anything on the note sheet to avoid using incorrect information during tests. It can be good to have your event partner review any changes you have made to your note sheet to help with this.
Prioritize topics: Use space efficiently by prioritizing which material to include and which material to leave off. It is generally best to include the material that is most challenging to understand or recall for your team specifically, as different teams with have different background and strengths. Extra information can be added later if there is additional space. Also, as you learn more throughout the season, it can be smart to remove any pieces of information from your note sheet that you have since memorized.
Printing: Laser printers are recommended for smaller font sizes (size 6 or less). If you do not have a laser printer, some community and school libraries may have one that is free to use. Also, UPS and FedEx stores have laser printers that you can use at a small cost. Font sizes can technically be reduced manually if you treat text like a picture (by typing it into an image manipulation program and then shrinking the image), though this often reduces the readability of the notes.

Materials Science:

Graphs are important, but only so long as they are useful---too many basic graphs take up valuable space. Also, note sheets can contain large tables of information that would otherwise be impossible to memorize. Many teams have found an optimal layout of 0.5" margins, 3 columns, and Times New Roman font. The font size will depend largely on the amount of information contained, but teams should be cautious to still keep their cheat sheets readable. The best competitors will know their cheat sheets extraordinarily well, such that they can find small bits of information quickly. Less competitive teams will either rely on their cheat sheets for basic information or rely on the find function during practice and become lost in actual tests. Lastly, screen protectors are incredibly useful for protecting cheat sheets from any damage or spills in the lab section of the event.

Dynamic Planet:

Be careful of what is put on the sheet. Only put on what is needed. Don't waste space with memorized information. It is advised to type the notesheet and to have important vocabulary and information highlighted.

Meteorology:

Participants can make their note sheets using OneNote (which can fit a lot of information on one page) or similar programs.