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This being said, you can enjoy victory without your team. Being straight up honest, I know I will probably never go to nationals. That being said, you can still enjoy the victory. Work on your events, medal and it is one of the most rewarding experiences in the world.Raleway wrote:I'll probably get some flak for this... eh
Science Olympiad, as many have said, is a team effort. You all win or you all lose. Sure, some of us love the grind, studying the most intricate organic structures for five hours a day to prepare for a competition. But that's exactly what Science Olympiad is. A competition. It sure sucks to lose by one point to go to nationals (Montgomery) or two points (Mason), or maybe even worse to be in a region where it is quite difficult (nearly impossible?) to break to nationals (SoCal). Of course, I am grateful to what Science Olympiad has contributed for me, which includes another group of friends that are amazing who I would not have found without Science Olympiad as well as the amazing people I meet at competitions. But Science Olympiad IS a huge investment both monetarily and time-wise. It is near impossible to be competitive at even the regional level without around five hundred dollars for the technology events. It's just how it is. But is it worth it? If you go to nationals yearly or make it quite often, have the funds, the passion and time, then yes. Definitely. Otherwise? That's up to you, but do remember as part of a team, you don't succeed based on your efforts. You succeed based on the efforts of everyone on that 15 person team. That means if you can't pull your weight, you let down the rest of your team. And that applies the other way around.
Per build event, or in total?Raleway wrote:It is near impossible to be competitive at even the regional level without around five hundred dollars for the technology events.
No way this is true. A regional-medaling Mission, even in the more competitive states, can be built off of perhaps $70 (probably less for a very skilled competitor). Helicopters would be hard to scratchbuild, but can definitely be done - even if using the kit, it's only perhaps $90 counting supplies. A decent (albeit inconsistent) tower could be built on $20 wood plus glue. Mousetrap and Hovercraft I'm less knowledgeable about, but I doubt it would reach $300 between the two to build decent devices.Raleway wrote:It is near impossible to be competitive at even the regional level without around five hundred dollars for the technology events.
Maybe its true in New Jersey or a more competitive state. In less competitive states...not so much.Unome wrote:No way this is true. A regional-medaling Mission, even in the more competitive states, can be built off of perhaps $70 (probably less for a very skilled competitor). Helicopters would be hard to scratchbuild, but can definitely be done - even if using the kit, it's only perhaps $90 counting supplies. A decent (albeit inconsistent) tower could be built on $20 wood plus glue. Mousetrap and Hovercraft I'm less knowledgeable about, but I doubt it would reach $300 between the two to build decent devices.Raleway wrote:It is near impossible to be competitive at even the regional level without around five hundred dollars for the technology events.
It depends on what you mean by competitive, to be perfectly honest. I compete in Region 12, which is one of the top regions in MI. My freshman year, I had no idea how to build a mission, and I still knew more about the event than the coaches. As a result of inexperience, we built it out of almost entirely spare parts, spending about $10 on the frame and $20 on a motor system to raise the golf balls. For $30, it placed fifth in the region... (and although I consider my build team fairly skilled now, we/I most certainly were not 3 years ago)Unome wrote:No way this is true. A regional-medaling Mission, even in the more competitive states, can be built off of perhaps $70 (probably less for a very skilled competitor). Helicopters would be hard to scratchbuild, but can definitely be done - even if using the kit, it's only perhaps $90 counting supplies. A decent (albeit inconsistent) tower could be built on $20 wood plus glue. Mousetrap and Hovercraft I'm less knowledgeable about, but I doubt it would reach $300 between the two to build decent devices.Raleway wrote:It is near impossible to be competitive at even the regional level without around five hundred dollars for the technology events.
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