This blog will be very short. I don't even have a question to write at the end of it.

2 new epic-sauce studying methods on the study page!

Now, if you people comment on this blog I'm gonna be sad cause you don't comment on the other ones and you choose the one blog where I'm not saying anything interesting to comment. Well, with the exception of April, who is just really cool and comments on my blog posts :o)

QUIZZERS UNITE!!!

Maegan
 
Skip the first paragraph if you're not just bored.
So, guys, I posted this literally minutes after posting the blog about the meet, because it was a draft before and I hadn't finished it when I wanted to post it so if you want to read about how the meet went, read the blog.
Yeah... you have to read to blog to find out how NEXT did. I'm not spoiling ANYTHING for those who actually care.
Too bad everyone who actually cares probably already knows.
BUT the blog post has the STORY... *nobody moves* FINE! Don't read my blog.

Anyways, the purpose of this blog is to let you all know that I think I just found a place where being an obsessive quizzer is a good thing. I was just talking to my friend from dancing (If you're reading this, I hope you don't mind that I'm talking about you on my blog, you know who you are...) about theory and she said something about using flash cards for Highland theory... memorizing definiteions and stuff... and I, myself using flashcard machine for my Highland theory, directed her to the website that I use. Then it kind of clicked in my head... Quizzing... theory... Quizzing... theory... WOAH!!!!! IT WORKS! It is terribly pathetic that it took me THIS LONG to figure it out...

So, I was going over my study methods and I realized just how obsessive they all sound when all you're trying to do is memorize a few, or a few hundred (or so it seems) definitions of movements you can execute no problem. I mean, the flashcards with push-ups... that'd work fine... I think I'm gonna use that one with steps of a dance for my theory since I have to up my pracitce time anyways, but most of them are totally... like, unrelated! No key words, although you oculd try to find words that you constantly forget, so that takes out a chunk of them. No verse numbers, so that takes out high lighting. Trouble spots... those I can maybe use but most of the study methods would SUCK for Highland theory.

The tips, too, I just realized how obsessive I am! "Make sure you eat while you're studying" "If your eyes are closing on their own, take a nap" "Schedule study times with friends!" And the new one I just posted "Make a schedule with when you're going to do each method that you use to study"... WHAT? I laughed SO HARD comparing how much I study Quizzing with how much I study theory... I mean, I don't think I've touched my theory book since last week, and its a MIRACLE if I can keep my hands off of my quizzing work for more than an hour or two.

BUT! As different as the two are, from the work ethic I learned from Quizzing, listening to my body when I'm studying for a long time and learning what works best for me, to working as a team, calming myself down and eating the right 'brain foods'... its all thanks to Quizzing, and without it, I probably would've failed my last few theory exams. Badly. So, Quizzing is pretty cool that way. And many other ways but don't get me started.

Questions: Where do you see skills obtained in Quizzing reflect in real life? (Yes, there IS a world out there for all you study-a-holics) And... was this too much of an essay for you to bother reading this far? *sigh* Oh well.

Quizzers... UNITE!

Maegan
 
Okay guys. Quiz meet. You knew that this blog was coming. You knew it... its the blog about the quiz meet. And boy, do I have a blog for YOU!

Okay, so, chapter one: Arrive. Talk to friendly people who I like talking to until my parents arrive... my dad actually came for Friday night! Not as freaked out as I was last meet, finally spot my team and stand around talking about how pumped we are and playing cat's cradle (or attempting to, in my case). Sit down in the sanctuary, choose a stress ball for the night, hand out some blueberry-pomegranite gum and sit, talk, and wait for announcements to start with a huge case of the butterflies. We. Were. Ready.
Chapter two: After waiting around, watching quizzes, and running through a few dances in the hallway to get my blood pumping and get excited and stuff, we sit down to quiz. I, of course, MUST have the seat furthest away from the quizmaster or I get a bit freaked out. We did well that quiz... Finishing with 180 points, we did well and my dad was proud.
Chapter three: Fast forward to Saturday morning. My dad unfortunately couldn't be there, but we, NEXT 1, were determined to do well. First quiz of the day was a perfect quiz. Like, it couldn't have gone any better for our team. We all quizzed out with no errors, finishing with a score of 300! This gave us the confidence boost that we so needed for the rest of the day... and believe me... that little boost was all we needed.
Chapter 4: Last preliminary quiz, 170 points. Happy face :o) The rest of my team went to Ikea for lunch, but my mom and I went to Fat Burger, and that was the best veggie burger EVER! Just saying. I got a new fidget toy from Education Station (a didget fidget... look em up. They're fun!) and arrived back to find out that we, NEXT 1, had actually placed 1st in the morning. I did, in that moment, feel unprepared for this, so I went and studied until Alannah and Jessica from Edson 1 came and said hi to me. Then all of the sudden there was, like, a party in room 7. That was fun. At 2:00, though, with dropped jaws and twinkling eyes, we headed to our first quiz of the afternoon. We had a great afternoon after that... We all had those moments where we got questions that we thought otherwwise impossible and were happy to have some very close quizzes with neck-to-neck competition. After a few of these quizzes, we had done what in previous years, and even just moments before, we would've thought impossible. We actually made it to finals!!!!
Chapter 5: After running outside for a little bit to cool down, eating some fruit and freaking out a bit more, it was time. We were called to the sanctuary for announcements. I was dying on the inside. I really was. I just wanted to get this over with... we had already decided as a team that now nothing mattered. Even if we all erred out, it wouldn't matter. So we walked in, jumped fast (but smart), respected eachother's specializations, and started the quiz strong. John got an impossible quote (number wasn't really even close to finished)... We were feeling good, but we didn't really take the quiz seriously until we got third person in. Now the rubber met the road. Question 11. We can actually do this... we can do this because we really actually don't care. We're not freaking out. We're not stressed. I answered the last question. Multiple answer. What came... grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. They said I was right. My face went beet red and I ran back to our seats crying. We did it. We actually did it. We prayed and thanked God for giving us the opportunity and putting us on such a great team together... still couldn't believe it!
Great meet... I placed 10th, Jon placed 8th, Patricia placed 13th... and we're all VERY happy! :oD! Teamwork is a valuable thing!
NEXT 2 did really well too! Shoutout to Lana for placing 14th in Consolation... we're all, at NEXT, doing a lot better than we ever have before. I think I speak for everyone at NEXT when I say that we all did our personal bests. (patricia says that best i

Question: How was YOUR quiz meet?

Quizzers UNITE!!!
Maegan
 
So... first of all... I thought it'd just be responsible of me to say this... My Nerves page is not a cure for anxiety disorders, nor is however the advice works for you diagnostic of an anxiety disorder, however, if you are experiencing extreme anxiety that cannot be subdued, or the anxiety is unexplainable or continues even when you're not quizzing, if it is interfering with your life or if you have to sit out quizzes because it gets that bad, you may want to consider talking to your doctor about the possibility of an anxiety disorder. They won't judge you... in my experience, my doctor was impressed that I brought the issue up on my own and helped me find the help I needed. If you need advice or support in doing so, feel free to email me at [email protected].
I'm also going to copy/paste this to the Nerves section... but seriously. If you have anxiety that you suspect is a problem, even if it isn't a treatable illness, just asking your doctor for a referral to a psychologist or group therapy IS A GOOD IDEA.

Now that I'm done telling you about that, let's move on to the issue of the week.

In case you didn't notice in my last post, its the quiz meet.

I did, and I am proud of this, talk to a Kids Help Phone counsellor this morning and recieved some great advice on how to avoid getting myself worked up so I'm not freaking out as much as I usually am. Extra practice today went well, and I feel like I'm prepared for (almost) anything. Team strategy is getting worked out for NEXT 1 (we're all shooting for Great West) and we are READY! Yes, yes I did actually just say that. We're ready. Are you?

Question of the day: What is the first thing that goes through your mind when you've just quoted a loooong verse and the quizmaster says the dreaded word: "Again"?
For me, I think, "My. Life. Is. Over." For half of a second, then I realize that self-pity never helped anyone and start going over the verse again, and super slowly.

Quizzers UNITE!!!!

Maegan
 
Yes, an entire blog just to let everyone know that I'm done my flashcards for up until this weekend's quiz meet as of last night and they are ready for use!

Here's the link again:
http://www.flashcardmachine.com/891179/5q5v

Thanks for nobody yelling at me :o)

I'm reserving all of my freaking out energy for the next blog... you have been warned. That's why I'm not freaking out on this one :o) Quiz meet this weekend... who's ready????

Quizzers UNITE!

Maegan