Is Science Olympiad worth it?

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havenguy
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by havenguy »

Science Olympiad is basically what makes my day. School is boring and not challenging at all, while SO is definitely challenging, but at the same time fun.This is what SO means to me:

As a 6th grader, I was totally confused. I thought that everyone had to learn all 23 events, and all 15 competed in each event. After 2 weeks, I quit. But I decided to give it one more shot. I went back and concentrated on Wright Stuff. I built about 4 model planes, each one better than the last. When I finally reached 1 minute 15 seconds, I was exhilarated. Packing away carelessly, I broke my plane :o It turns out that another group built an even better plane for our team, and our top time was over 2 minutes 30 seconds. So I didn't compete for regionals.

It turns out I was chosen to go to states for our team, but not compete. Our team was going to get a medal at our states for Wright Stuff, until right before the real flight when something was the matter with the wing, and it fell right to the ground. It's time for both flights was 3 seconds. Dejected and defeat, our team dragged ourselves to the awards ceremony. We didn't think we were going to go to nationals. The Bridge had broken on about 4 buckets, and it seemed that everything had just gone wrong.

During the awards ceremony, we were medaling in a lot of events. As our team had about 10 pessimists, we thought about Wright Stuff and Bridge, and weren't concentrating on our medals, but our bombing events (out of top 10). When they started calling the teams, it turned out we had gotten 2nd! WE HAD MADE NATIONALS!!!



This year, I went to the interest meeting with a determined attitude. We were going to make it again. At Bayard Rustin Invitational, we got 1st. At Solon Inviatational, we got 8th and 10th. At regionals, we got 1st by a lot. We are on the right track. States is in 12 days. We will to make it.
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Strath Haven High School Class of 2016

2016 States Results:
Invasive Species: 1st
Dynamic Planet: 1st
Disease Detectives: 5th
Anatomy: 6th

Team Place: 4th
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by zorbsthekitty »

I didnt think science olympiads was worth it because it takes SOOOO much of my time. But when i joined the team i realized, even though sometimes it stinks, it is so much fun to go to the competition. My motivation for going to states was so i could have more fun (getting to miss school, staying at a hotel, cheering for my team, etc.)

I was asked whether i was coming back next year, and i didnt really want to, but then i remembered everything i would miss out on... so yes, science olympiads is worth it for me, but if you're in it only to win it, it might not work out. But if youre looking for friends and fun (and some science :geek:) Science olympiads is it. Because where else will nerds meet up?
is that crosshatching I detect?
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by yogoperson »

zorbsthekitty wrote:I didnt think science olympiads was worth it because it takes SOOOO much of my time. But when i joined the team i realized, even though sometimes it stinks, it is so much fun to go to the competition. My motivation for going to states was so i could have more fun (getting to miss school, staying at a hotel, cheering for my team, etc.)

I was asked whether i was coming back next year, and i didnt really want to, but then i remembered everything i would miss out on... so yes, science olympiads is worth it for me, but if you're in it only to win it, it might not work out. But if youre looking for friends and fun (and some science :geek:) Science olympiads is it. Because where else will nerds meet up?
Maybe Chem Lab. XD
Or the library.

But Science Olympiad is worth it. I mean, why not?
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by penelope »

I agree with yogoperson. So far, I have yet to personally meet someone who doesn't think Science Olympiad is worth it. And yes, Science Olympiad does take a lot of your time and dedication. But so do college, family, etc. Sometimes the most important things in life take the most effort to really get something out of it.
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by multivariable »

Science Olympiad is the worst competition/after school activity I have ever done. Honestly, it is a giant cheating competition. It's all about how much info you can put on a certain amount of pages. It doesn't require effort, but takes up way too much precious time, time in which you can be preping for something that really does matter, like ACT/SAT, finals, etc. Because of Science Olympiad, I am not seeded high on my tennis team (due to the fact that I haven't been attending practice much) even though I am one of the top players. Basically, it is a complete waste of time and not worth it.
Last edited by multivariable on April 23rd, 2011, 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by zyzzyva980 »

Then why are you on here? Obviously, you're passionate enough about it if you want to learn and grow as a Science Olympian through the advice of fellow participants.
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by gneissisnice »

multivariable wrote:Science Olympiad is the worst competition/after school activity I have ever done. Honestly, it is a giant cheating competition. It's all about how much info you can on a certain amount of pages. It doesn't require effort, but takes up way too much precious time, time in which you can be preping for something that really does matter, like ACT/SAT, finals, etc. Because of Science Olympiad, I am not seeded high on my tennis team (due to the fact that I haven't been attending practice much) even though I am one of the top players. Basically, it is a complete waste of time and not worth it.
Sounds like someone's a bitter hypocrite who spends time on a forum for an activity they obviously hate.

If you really feel that way, just quit. Don't waste your time on a club that you don't want to be in, and don't waste our time.

Don't belittle the people who work hard in Scio. It requires immense effort, and not from making notes sheets. People build literally hundreds of bridges/towers for competition, they do research and become experts in things that aren't even taught at the high school level, they do experiment after experiment and learn valuable lab techniques.

And I'll tell you from experience that Science Olympiad is by far the most worthwhile thing I did in school, including the classes themselves. You know what prepared me for my college classes in my Earth Science major? The events Fossils, Rocks and Minerals, Dynamic Planet (glaciers and E & V), Ecology, Food Science, and Entomology. I was the only freshman in a Mineralogy class full of seniors and juniors and I had the highest grade in the class thanks to my prior experience in Rocks and Minerals; I was breezing through mineral ID while everyone else flipping through the books. Fossils, Bugs, and Ecology let me get an easy A in my Bio 201 class (Ecology and Evolution) because of all the phylogeny required. Geo 103 and 113 (Earth Through Time and its lab)were also ridiculously easy thanks to my Fossil background. I can honestly say that I learned so much more in Scio than I ever did in any class in high school, and the leadership qualities I learned from being a captain were invaluable. In fact, it was my time in Science Olympiad that made me realize that I wanted to be an Earth Science teacher, since I loved the Earth Science events and I really enjoyed teaching my events to other people.

But go ahead and play tennis instead, surely that's more worthwhile than something that exposes you to more science in a year than your entire science curriculum combined.
2009 events:
Fossils: 1st @ reg. 3rd @ states (stupid dinosaurs...) 5th @ nats.
Dynamic: 1st @ reg. 19thish @ states, 18th @ nats
Herpetology (NOT the study of herpes): NA
Enviro Chem: 39th @ states =(
Cell Bio: 9th @ reg. 18th @ nats
Remote: 6th @ states 3rd @ Nats
Ecology: 5th @ Nats
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by Paleomaniac »

I get how all these stories of doing really bad and not medalling and everything. I myself had a story like that where NorCal allowed a C-team (a third team per school @ Regionals) was allowed and I wasn't picked onto the normal teams but I finally got onto the C-team. I worked really hard and literally stayed up till 12 every night for the last three weeks before regionals and i didn't even medal. I got fourth and sixth in my only two events Ornithology and Fossils. This was last year. But I stayed with it. I somehow managed to impress the head coach and I was picked onto the A-team which the team that normally advances to states from regionals (only one team per school allowed to go to states) and I did really well!
THe basic moral is that if you stick with it, you can do wonders!

P.S. This is also the first time my school is going to nationals in 15 years and I am on the team which just goes to reinforce my point.
2015 events: Experimental Design, Fossils, Technical Problem Solving
Event Experience: Ornithology, Fossils, Experimental Design, Anatomy, Storm the Castle, Remote Sensing, Thermodynamics, Rocks and Minerals, Technical Problem Solving, Forensics, Anatomy and Physiology
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by Paleomaniac »

gneissisnice wrote:
multivariable wrote:Science Olympiad is the worst competition/after school activity I have ever done. Honestly, it is a giant cheating competition. It's all about how much info you can on a certain amount of pages. It doesn't require effort, but takes up way too much precious time, time in which you can be preping for something that really does matter, like ACT/SAT, finals, etc. Because of Science Olympiad, I am not seeded high on my tennis team (due to the fact that I haven't been attending practice much) even though I am one of the top players. Basically, it is a complete waste of time and not worth it.
Sounds like someone's a bitter hypocrite who spends time on a forum for an activity they obviously hate.

If you really feel that way, just quit. Don't waste your time on a club that you don't want to be in, and don't waste our time.

Don't belittle the people who work hard in Scio. It requires immense effort, and not from making notes sheets. People build literally hundreds of bridges/towers for competition, they do research and become experts in things that aren't even taught at the high school level, they do experiment after experiment and learn valuable lab techniques.

And I'll tell you from experience that Science Olympiad is by far the most worthwhile thing I did in school, including the classes themselves. You know what prepared me for my college classes in my Earth Science major? The events Fossils, Rocks and Minerals, Dynamic Planet (glaciers and E & V), Ecology, Food Science, and Entomology. I was the only freshman in a Mineralogy class full of seniors and juniors and I had the highest grade in the class thanks to my prior experience in Rocks and Minerals; I was breezing through mineral ID while everyone else flipping through the books. Fossils, Bugs, and Ecology let me get an easy A in my Bio 201 class (Ecology and Evolution) because of all the phylogeny required. Geo 103 and 113 (Earth Through Time and its lab)were also ridiculously easy thanks to my Fossil background. I can honestly say that I learned so much more in Scio than I ever did in any class in high school, and the leadership qualities I learned from being a captain were invaluable. In fact, it was my time in Science Olympiad that made me realize that I wanted to be an Earth Science teacher, since I loved the Earth Science events and I really enjoyed teaching my events to other people.

But go ahead and play tennis instead, surely that's more worthwhile than something that exposes you to more science in a year than your entire science curriculum combined.
I couldn't agree more with you on this. I have leaned very valuable lessons being on sci oly and I want to continue my Sci Oly career for my entire high school that is coming up. Evne my coaches think that I know more than they ever did when they took Ornithology classes and Anatomy coarses I have had many valuable experiences and have made true friends. This keeps me in the company of students on the same level as me and I can just talk with them all I want about thngs that are educational which I can't with other friends. I'm not saying that my other friends are not smart or anything but I just feel I can relate to more with my Sci Oly friends. I want to thanks Scil Oly for this great experience.
2015 events: Experimental Design, Fossils, Technical Problem Solving
Event Experience: Ornithology, Fossils, Experimental Design, Anatomy, Storm the Castle, Remote Sensing, Thermodynamics, Rocks and Minerals, Technical Problem Solving, Forensics, Anatomy and Physiology
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Re: Is Science Olympiad worth it?

Post by Kokonilly »

Now, let's see.
multivariable wrote:Science Olympiad is the worst competition/after school activity I have ever done. Honestly, it is a giant cheating competition. It's all about how much info you can on a certain amount of pages.
1. Cheating? Not every event requires a cheat sheet. Dedication and effort are required to succeed; you can't just waltz in and win. Despite the fact that I have a massive fossils binder, I only got 3rd at state, and it was because the other two teams knew more than I did and could do more work in a shorter amount of time.
2. You accidentally a verb.
multivariable wrote:It doesn't require effort, but takes up way too much precious time, time in which you can be preping for something that really does matter, like ACT/SAT, finals, etc.
3. Doesn't require effort? DOESN'T REQUIRE EFFORT? You insult me.
4. Oh, and colleges don't look at extracurriculars? Please. Depth of activity in extracurricular activities is vital to a college application. It's not all about the scores; it's showing that you're also a human being and are involved in things outside of academics.
multivariable wrote:Because of Science Olympiad, I am not seeded high on my tennis team (due to the fact that I haven't been attending practice much) even though I am one of the top players. Basically, it is a complete waste of time and not worth it.
5. I'm sorry, why are you here again? This is clearly a forum for those dedicated to Science Olympiad. Please go find a tennis forum if it's that important to you.

I love Science Olympiad. It's the most rewarding thing I have done in all of high school. I have met so many good friends through the program and I hate to see it insulted. Why even post something that is so obviously inflammatory?
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