Is Science Olympiad worth it?

[penelope]

That is definitely a plus!

By the way, love your Owl City signature!!

[Entomology]

God, this is an old thread, but it was exactly what I needed.

Science Olympiad is so, so worth it. It is worth every bitter moment and every sour experience. I spend more time studying than sleeping, I have superglue on my hands permanently, I break down every other day, but I wouldn't trade scioly for the world.

I know disappointment well. My school has gotten 2nd at state for over seven years, always barely missing the cutoff for nationals, one year by only 2 points. I haven't made my schools A team or the state team ever until this year. I've been half a point away from a gold medal. This year, everything finally seemed to start off okay. The powerhouse school was weakened by a large margin- and our team was the strongest it has been in a long time. Everyone was fueled by euphoria and teamwork; we had won 1st place at a competitive invitational containing multiple powerhouse schools that consistently placed at nationals. We thought this year would finally be the year--but we were so wrong. A vehicle malfunctioned, a trajectory device missed its mark after hitting it 50 times in a row during practice. A station was skipped, a mission possible violated the rules. We had worked so hard-- and everything just fell apart at the last moment. We broke our 2nd place streak, but instead of getting first, we got 4th. Everyone was devastated. Crushed. Our short lived success had come to such an abrupt stop. What happened now? Do we just go back to being strangers?

And this is what made all the black holes, all the bitter experiences worth it. It wasn't just about the placings for me--granted, that was a large aspect-- but it really was the team factor that made it so enjoyable. At the beginning of the year, my scioly state team consisted of one friend, and the other 13 people were complete strangers. Fast forward 6 short months, and I can't imagine what I would do without any of them. And I know it sounds cliche, but my team really was my family. We brought each other up when we were down, and we cried on each other's shoulders. We supported each other. I got to meet so many new people and learn so many new science topics that I would have never been exposed to if it were not for scioly. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You obtain people skills and learn how to work with others. You bond with people and you gain confidence. You learn to accept that things don't always go your way, and you learn to keep going, to keep working. You learn how to study effectively. Scioly gave me so many valuable life lessons, competition days, good memories with good people, among other things that I will never be able to put into words. You bond with people and you get to study and focus on your passions- and to me, that is one of the most valuable things a person can have. My only regret is that I did not realize this earlier and savor the moments I had with my team members and friends while they lasted.

And I won't lie- the medals are nice. But in 20 years, I probably won't remember winning a first in fossils at state. I do know for sure that I will remember running around with my teammates beforehand, laughing as we tried to push each other into the lily pond. I know for sure that I will remember my partner enveloping herself in a furry blanket to receive her medal, and the face the event coordinator made when he saw her looking like a human burrito. It's not winning medals that makes scioly worth it-it's the journey working for that medal, and all the memories and things you learn along the way that count.

And since I'm already jumping all over the place, I thought about it some more and also realized why I wanted to make nationals. It wasn't just for the sake of winning medals and performing well. I just wanted to stay with my team for longer, make more memories, take more tests, have more fun. Success is sweet, but the people around me were sweeter and they mean more to me than any medal or trophy ever will.

Were we happy about not making nationals? Of course not. Embarrassed? Plenty. I moped around for days after state- were all those all nighters and 8 hour study sessions for nothing? But after one of my team members came up and talked to me, I realized that you can’t just remember the broken bitterness of that singular sour experience-- that bitterness will dilute and eat away at all the sweet things and all the good memories you gained from walking that journey, and eventually, you will be left with nothing but a empty stomach and a hollow feeling. Don’t let one bad irregularity ruin the whole picture for you-- that’s not the right mindset and it won't help you at all.
So focus on all the good things, all the good memories and fun times. When your medals tarnish and your trophies rust, in the end, it's all you've got.

[asthedeer]

God, this is an old thread, but it was exactly what I needed.

Science Olympiad is so, so worth it. It is worth every bitter moment and every sour experience. I spend more time studying than sleeping, I have superglue on my hands permanently, I break down every other day, but I wouldn't trade scioly for the world.

I know disappointment well. My school has gotten 2nd at state for over seven years, always barely missing the cutoff for nationals, one year by only 2 points. I haven't made my schools A team or the state team ever until this year. I've been half a point away from a gold medal. This year, everything finally seemed to start off okay. The powerhouse school was weakened by a large margin- and our team was the strongest it has been in a long time. Everyone was fueled by euphoria and teamwork; we had won 1st place at a competitive invitational containing multiple powerhouse schools that consistently placed at nationals. We thought this year would finally be the year--but we were so wrong. A vehicle malfunctioned, a trajectory device missed its mark after hitting it 50 times in a row during practice. A station was skipped, a mission possible violated the rules. We had worked so hard-- and everything just fell apart at the last moment. We broke our 2nd place streak, but instead of getting first, we got 4th. Everyone was devastated. Crushed. Our short lived success had come to such an abrupt stop. What happened now? Do we just go back to being strangers?

And this is what made all the black holes, all the bitter experiences worth it. It wasn't just about the placings for me--granted, that was a large aspect-- but it really was the team factor that made it so enjoyable. At the beginning of the year, my scioly state team consisted of one friend, and the other 13 people were complete strangers. Fast forward 6 short months, and I can't imagine what I would do without any of them. And I know it sounds cliche, but my team really was my family. We brought each other up when we were down, and we cried on each other's shoulders. We supported each other. I got to meet so many new people and learn so many new science topics that I would have never been exposed to if it were not for scioly. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You obtain people skills and learn how to work with others. You bond with people and you gain confidence. You learn to accept that things don't always go your way, and you learn to keep going, to keep working. You learn how to study effectively. Scioly gave me so many valuable life lessons, competition days, good memories with good people, among other things that I will never be able to put into words. You bond with people and you get to study and focus on your passions- and to me, that is one of the most valuable things a person can have. My only regret is that I did not realize this earlier and savor the moments I had with my team members and friends while they lasted.

And I won't lie- the medals are nice. But in 20 years, I probably won't remember winning a first in fossils at state. I do know for sure that I will remember running around with my teammates beforehand, laughing as we tried to push each other into the lily pond. I know for sure that I will remember my partner enveloping herself in a furry blanket to receive her medal, and the face the event coordinator made when he saw her, looking like a human burrito. It's not winning medals that makes scioly worth it-it's the journey working for that medal, and all the memories and things you learn along the way that count.

And since I'm already jumping all over the place, I thought about it some more and also realized why I wanted to make nationals. It wasn't just for the sake of winning medals and performing well. I just wanted to stay with my team for longer, make more memories, take more tests, have more fun. Success is sweet, but the people around me were sweeter and they mean more to me than any medal or trophy ever will.

Were we happy about not making nationals? Of course not. Embarrassed? Plenty. I moped around for days after state- were all those all nighters and 8 hour study sessions for nothing? But after one of my team members came up and talked to me, I realized that you can’t just remember the broken bitterness of that singular sour experience-- that bitterness will dilute and eat away at all the sweet things and all the good memories you gained from walking that journey, and eventually, you will be left with nothing but a empty stomach and a hollow feeling. Don’t let one bad irregularity ruin the whole picture for you-- that’s not the right mindset and it won't help you at all.
So focus on all the good things, all the good memories and fun times. When your medals tarnish and your trophies rust, in the end, it's all you've got.

This was beautiful. Wow.

[[NerdyTotoro]]

IDK how to reply to Entomology... but dang, that was deep^ and relateable (states at CalTech was fun).

[samlan16]

God, this is an old thread, but it was exactly what I needed.

Science Olympiad is so, so worth it. It is worth every bitter moment and every sour experience. I spend more time studying than sleeping, I have superglue on my hands permanently, I break down every other day, but I wouldn't trade scioly for the world.

I know disappointment well. My school has gotten 2nd at state for over seven years, always barely missing the cutoff for nationals, one year by only 2 points. I haven't made my schools A team or the state team ever until this year. I've been half a point away from a gold medal. This year, everything finally seemed to start off okay. The powerhouse school was weakened by a large margin- and our team was the strongest it has been in a long time. Everyone was fueled by euphoria and teamwork; we had won 1st place at a competitive invitational containing multiple powerhouse schools that consistently placed at nationals. We thought this year would finally be the year--but we were so wrong. A vehicle malfunctioned, a trajectory device missed its mark after hitting it 50 times in a row during practice. A station was skipped, a mission possible violated the rules. We had worked so hard-- and everything just fell apart at the last moment. We broke our 2nd place streak, but instead of getting first, we got 4th. Everyone was devastated. Crushed. Our short lived success had come to such an abrupt stop. What happened now? Do we just go back to being strangers?

And this is what made all the black holes, all the bitter experiences worth it. It wasn't just about the placings for me--granted, that was a large aspect-- but it really was the team factor that made it so enjoyable. At the beginning of the year, my scioly state team consisted of one friend, and the other 13 people were complete strangers. Fast forward 6 short months, and I can't imagine what I would do without any of them. And I know it sounds cliche, but my team really was my family. We brought each other up when we were down, and we cried on each other's shoulders. We supported each other. I got to meet so many new people and learn so many new science topics that I would have never been exposed to if it were not for scioly. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You obtain people skills and learn how to work with others. You bond with people and you gain confidence. You learn to accept that things don't always go your way, and you learn to keep going, to keep working. You learn how to study effectively. Scioly gave me so many valuable life lessons, competition days, good memories with good people, among other things that I will never be able to put into words. You bond with people and you get to study and focus on your passions- and to me, that is one of the most valuable things a person can have. My only regret is that I did not realize this earlier and savor the moments I had with my team members and friends while they lasted.

And I won't lie- the medals are nice. But in 20 years, I probably won't remember winning a first in fossils at state. I do know for sure that I will remember running around with my teammates beforehand, laughing as we tried to push each other into the lily pond. I know for sure that I will remember my partner enveloping herself in a furry blanket to receive her medal, and the face the event coordinator made when he saw her, looking like a human burrito. It's not winning medals that makes scioly worth it-it's the journey working for that medal, and all the memories and things you learn along the way that count.

And since I'm already jumping all over the place, I thought about it some more and also realized why I wanted to make nationals. It wasn't just for the sake of winning medals and performing well. I just wanted to stay with my team for longer, make more memories, take more tests, have more fun. Success is sweet, but the people around me were sweeter and they mean more to me than any medal or trophy ever will.

Were we happy about not making nationals? Of course not. Embarrassed? Plenty. I moped around for days after state- were all those all nighters and 8 hour study sessions for nothing? But after one of my team members came up and talked to me, I realized that you can’t just remember the broken bitterness of that singular sour experience-- that bitterness will dilute and eat away at all the sweet things and all the good memories you gained from walking that journey, and eventually, you will be left with nothing but a empty stomach and a hollow feeling. Don’t let one bad irregularity ruin the whole picture for you-- that’s not the right mindset and it won't help you at all.
So focus on all the good things, all the good memories and fun times. When your medals tarnish and your trophies rust, in the end, it's all you've got.

This was beautiful. Wow.

Amen. I read this on the bus home from state (my last tournament ), and it summed up everything.

[Entomology]

God, this is an old thread, but it was exactly what I needed.

Science Olympiad is so, so worth it. It is worth every bitter moment and every sour experience. I spend more time studying than sleeping, I have superglue on my hands permanently, I break down every other day, but I wouldn't trade scioly for the world.

I know disappointment well. My school has gotten 2nd at state for over seven years, always barely missing the cutoff for nationals, one year by only 2 points. I haven't made my schools A team or the state team ever until this year. I've been half a point away from a gold medal. This year, everything finally seemed to start off okay. The powerhouse school was weakened by a large margin- and our team was the strongest it has been in a long time. Everyone was fueled by euphoria and teamwork; we had won 1st place at a competitive invitational containing multiple powerhouse schools that consistently placed at nationals. We thought this year would finally be the year--but we were so wrong. A vehicle malfunctioned, a trajectory device missed its mark after hitting it 50 times in a row during practice. A station was skipped, a mission possible violated the rules. We had worked so hard-- and everything just fell apart at the last moment. We broke our 2nd place streak, but instead of getting first, we got 4th. Everyone was devastated. Crushed. Our short lived success had come to such an abrupt stop. What happened now? Do we just go back to being strangers?

And this is what made all the black holes, all the bitter experiences worth it. It wasn't just about the placings for me--granted, that was a large aspect-- but it really was the team factor that made it so enjoyable. At the beginning of the year, my scioly state team consisted of one friend, and the other 13 people were complete strangers. Fast forward 6 short months, and I can't imagine what I would do without any of them. And I know it sounds cliche, but my team really was my family. We brought each other up when we were down, and we cried on each other's shoulders. We supported each other. I got to meet so many new people and learn so many new science topics that I would have never been exposed to if it were not for scioly. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You obtain people skills and learn how to work with others. You bond with people and you gain confidence. You learn to accept that things don't always go your way, and you learn to keep going, to keep working. You learn how to study effectively. Scioly gave me so many valuable life lessons, competition days, good memories with good people, among other things that I will never be able to put into words. You bond with people and you get to study and focus on your passions- and to me, that is one of the most valuable things a person can have. My only regret is that I did not realize this earlier and savor the moments I had with my team members and friends while they lasted.

And I won't lie- the medals are nice. But in 20 years, I probably won't remember winning a first in fossils at state. I do know for sure that I will remember running around with my teammates beforehand, laughing as we tried to push each other into the lily pond. I know for sure that I will remember my partner enveloping herself in a furry blanket to receive her medal, and the face the event coordinator made when he saw her, looking like a human burrito. It's not winning medals that makes scioly worth it-it's the journey working for that medal, and all the memories and things you learn along the way that count.

And since I'm already jumping all over the place, I thought about it some more and also realized why I wanted to make nationals. It wasn't just for the sake of winning medals and performing well. I just wanted to stay with my team for longer, make more memories, take more tests, have more fun. Success is sweet, but the people around me were sweeter and they mean more to me than any medal or trophy ever will.

Were we happy about not making nationals? Of course not. Embarrassed? Plenty. I moped around for days after state- were all those all nighters and 8 hour study sessions for nothing? But after one of my team members came up and talked to me, I realized that you can’t just remember the broken bitterness of that singular sour experience-- that bitterness will dilute and eat away at all the sweet things and all the good memories you gained from walking that journey, and eventually, you will be left with nothing but a empty stomach and a hollow feeling. Don’t let one bad irregularity ruin the whole picture for you-- that’s not the right mindset and it won't help you at all.
So focus on all the good things, all the good memories and fun times. When your medals tarnish and your trophies rust, in the end, it's all you've got.

This was beautiful. Wow.

Amen. I read this on the bus home from state (my last tournament ), and it summed up everything.

yep. The ride home from the last tournament of the season already sucks so much; I can't even imagine what it feels like when its ur last tournament ever

[chalker]

Just wanted to point out that while it may be some of your last tournaments as competitors, that doesn't mean it has to be the end of your involvement in Science Olympiad. We always need volunteers to help run events and tournaments at all levels. There are numerous examples (myself included) of people who have transitioned from the competitor to supervisor side. And from at least my perspective, it's just as engaging and rewarding!

[Entomology]

Just wanted to point out that while it may be some of your last tournaments as competitors, that doesn't mean it has to be the end of your involvement in Science Olympiad. We always need volunteers to help run events and tournaments at all levels. There are numerous examples (myself included) of people who have transitioned from the competitor to supervisor side. And from at least my perspective, it's just as engaging and rewarding!

Sounds like fun, but I would still miss competing way too much.

[taliazee]

God, this is an old thread, but it was exactly what I needed.

Science Olympiad is so, so worth it. It is worth every bitter moment and every sour experience. I spend more time studying than sleeping, I have superglue on my hands permanently, I break down every other day, but I wouldn't trade scioly for the world.

I know disappointment well. My school has gotten 2nd at state for over seven years, always barely missing the cutoff for nationals, one year by only 2 points. I haven't made my schools A team or the state team ever until this year. I've been half a point away from a gold medal. This year, everything finally seemed to start off okay. The powerhouse school was weakened by a large margin- and our team was the strongest it has been in a long time. Everyone was fueled by euphoria and teamwork; we had won 1st place at a competitive invitational containing multiple powerhouse schools that consistently placed at nationals. We thought this year would finally be the year--but we were so wrong. A vehicle malfunctioned, a trajectory device missed its mark after hitting it 50 times in a row during practice. A station was skipped, a mission possible violated the rules. We had worked so hard-- and everything just fell apart at the last moment. We broke our 2nd place streak, but instead of getting first, we got 4th. Everyone was devastated. Crushed. Our short lived success had come to such an abrupt stop. What happened now? Do we just go back to being strangers?

And this is what made all the black holes, all the bitter experiences worth it. It wasn't just about the placings for me--granted, that was a large aspect-- but it really was the team factor that made it so enjoyable. At the beginning of the year, my scioly state team consisted of one friend, and the other 13 people were complete strangers. Fast forward 6 short months, and I can't imagine what I would do without any of them. And I know it sounds cliche, but my team really was my family. We brought each other up when we were down, and we cried on each other's shoulders. We supported each other. I got to meet so many new people and learn so many new science topics that I would have never been exposed to if it were not for scioly. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You obtain people skills and learn how to work with others. You bond with people and you gain confidence. You learn to accept that things don't always go your way, and you learn to keep going, to keep working. You learn how to study effectively. Scioly gave me so many valuable life lessons, competition days, good memories with good people, among other things that I will never be able to put into words. You bond with people and you get to study and focus on your passions- and to me, that is one of the most valuable things a person can have. My only regret is that I did not realize this earlier and savor the moments I had with my team members and friends while they lasted.

And I won't lie- the medals are nice. But in 20 years, I probably won't remember winning a first in fossils at state. I do know for sure that I will remember running around with my teammates beforehand, laughing as we tried to push each other into the lily pond. I know for sure that I will remember my partner enveloping herself in a furry blanket to receive her medal, and the face the event coordinator made when he saw her looking like a human burrito. It's not winning medals that makes scioly worth it-it's the journey working for that medal, and all the memories and things you learn along the way that count.

And since I'm already jumping all over the place, I thought about it some more and also realized why I wanted to make nationals. It wasn't just for the sake of winning medals and performing well. I just wanted to stay with my team for longer, make more memories, take more tests, have more fun. Success is sweet, but the people around me were sweeter and they mean more to me than any medal or trophy ever will.

Were we happy about not making nationals? Of course not. Embarrassed? Plenty. I moped around for days after state- were all those all nighters and 8 hour study sessions for nothing? But after one of my team members came up and talked to me, I realized that you can’t just remember the broken bitterness of that singular sour experience-- that bitterness will dilute and eat away at all the sweet things and all the good memories you gained from walking that journey, and eventually, you will be left with nothing but a empty stomach and a hollow feeling. Don’t let one bad irregularity ruin the whole picture for you-- that’s not the right mindset and it won't help you at all.
So focus on all the good things, all the good memories and fun times. When your medals tarnish and your trophies rust, in the end, it's all you've got.

okay, now I'm starting to cry. Thanks a lot, Entomology. For real though. I know Science Olympiad will always be a big part of my life and it doesn't matter what other people think about that. I only hope that after high school I can still be involved in as an alumni and go home to write tests for the little children.

[samlan16]

Just wanted to point out that while it may be some of your last tournaments as competitors, that doesn't mean it has to be the end of your involvement in Science Olympiad. We always need volunteers to help run events and tournaments at all levels. There are numerous examples (myself included) of people who have transitioned from the competitor to supervisor side. And from at least my perspective, it's just as engaging and rewarding!

Of course. I've already gotten my foot in the water for D Division by coaching and will help run (likely poorly run, since I'm going to be an undergrad) events at various tournaments in the future.