A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ...
It's hard being a beginner in Division C Science Olympiad. If you did Science Olympiad in most middle schools in San Diego, chances are that you had coaches, scheduled meetings/practices with the rest of your event teams, and so much more.
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Unlike those schools, many high school teams do not have coaches or scheduled meetings. All participants are expected to self-study -- and along with being in a new school, difficult classes, and adjusting to a higher workload, it can be daunting to get started. And that's why we've made a handy guide to getting started. Whether you've done SciOly for 3 years or 0, here's all the information you'll need to know!
... SELF-STUDYING
Unlike most middle school programs, we do not teach weekly classes for events. That means that you are responsible for studying and finding resources to aid you before the competition. This may sound intimidating at first, but we believe that all of you are capable of studying hard and winning some medals! :)
Once you find out what events you're competing in, you should check out their rules to know what topics you need to study. It's a good idea to print out your events' rules to use as a checklist as you study! Throughout the season, look over the topics listed on the rules, so you can track your progress. Make sure to pace your studying! Rushing everything right before the competition won't do you any favors. This year, top team created pacing guides for EVERY EVENT, which are all available in your event folders.
Obviously, you can't study without having any resources to refer to! It's important to look at reliable sources as you study to avoid misinformation. Here are some useful (and credible!) resources you can check out:
We also have our Scioly Google Drive! Here, you can post any helpful event resources, and check out other resources that fellow SciOly participants post. PLEASE take advantage of the resources that get posted in the Drive!!! Since they come from people who have done the event before, they are extra guaranteed to be relevant to your study topics :)
If you ever have any questions or concerns about events, you can contact someone who has past experience with them, or the top team members currently participating in the events! We're happy to help.