Which U.S. President has a city and holiday named after him in Paraguay? If you answered Rutherford B. Hayes, you could be a member of Northwestern’s Quiz Bowl team. These students know more about everything than anyone should ever know. Using their knowledge of literature, science, history, arts and everything in between, the team competes against other colleges around the Midwest in tournaments throughout the year. Quiz Bowl President Anant Shah, a Weinberg sophomore, and two freshmen members reveal their secrets for quick memories and steadfast concentration in high pressure situations.
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition: If you want to actually learn and retain knowledge, Shah says, you must repeatedly look at the information over a period of time. Studying the information over and over again will help you remember it quickly and effectively.
The big picture: To perform well during stressful situations, Shah suggests thoroughly understanding what you’re getting yourself into. By analyzing the situation rationally, you will know what you need to do in order to be successful. For example, on a test if you understand you have to pull concepts from different parts of the course and fit them all together, you will prepare properly and ace the exam. “If you understand the big picture, the little picture is not all that hard to get,” Shah says.
Chill out: Team members all agree that in order to be successful, you’ve got to relax. Focusing on the pressure will only make you more nervous and will prevent you from concentrating on what you want to achieve. “Relax your mind going into it,” Weinberg freshman Cory Haala says. “You’re not going to do as well as you think if you stress about it.” Haala finds talking to people, grabbing a bite to eat or playing cards calms him down between Quiz Bowl matches.
Know your learning style: Everyone learns using different methods, explains McCormick freshman Alex Cash. Find what works best for you and use that to your advantage. Cash says he distinguishes information on the Internet based on the properties of the individual Web sites, such as the font. Shah, on the other hand, takes classes on subjects that will help him perform well in Quiz Bowl.