Division C events

[quizbowl]

On the other hand - C usually has very difficult builds compared to B. C has Sumo this year (and by the videos online, its pretty competitive) and Sounds (which is always competitive and very time-consuming). Yes, Battery Buggy and Storm the Castle might be a bit straining on middle schoolers, but in C, almost everyone would do well, because they are not at the same caliber.
EDIT: Fishman - not to burst your friend's bubble, but ecology usually changed little throughout the past three years. In each year, 75% of the material stayed the same, making it easy to do well consistently. That's the problem with study events that don't have many changes, like fossils and rocks - if you can do well in its first year, you are pretty much set for the next two years.

[Schrodingerscat]

For example in Optics, division B and C rules include mostly the same topics, but division C requires extensive calculations behind some of the concepts. (Several event tests I have taken were nearly all calculations.)

[lolliexdd]

I agree with the points above, except at my regional competition, I think the B test for ornithology was harder than the C test. I talked to the B team about it, and we both came to this conclusion. We only had bird calls as a tie breaker, they had it as part of the actual test. And we had barely any passerines on the C test, and they did. They must not have been in communication at all...

[French_Toast]

I definitely noticed the difficulty jump coming up to C this year. Disease was definitely a bigger challenge, and while I could easily do well in B without a partner, this year I'm having trouble finishing tests, and I only managed to scrap a 5th at regionals. Ecology is still basically the same though. A test on ecology concepts can't really be super difficult.

[amerikestrel]

I definitely noticed the difficulty jump coming up to C this year. Disease was definitely a bigger challenge, and while I could easily do well in B without a partner, this year I'm having trouble finishing tests, and I only managed to scrap a 5th at regionals. Ecology is still basically the same though. A test on ecology concepts can't really be super difficult.

Holy pigeon, how many events do you have?

[The Eviscerator]

I definitely noticed the difficulty jump coming up to C this year. Disease was definitely a bigger challenge, and while I could easily do well in B without a partner, this year I'm having trouble finishing tests, and I only managed to scrap a 5th at regionals. Ecology is still basically the same though. A test on ecology concepts can't really be super difficult.

Yeah C is quite a bit harder. I did Disease in middle school too and barely knew anything to tell you the truth; I hardly knew the difference between case-control and cohort studies and didn't even know what cross-sectional studies, randomized clinical trials, and ecological trials were, and yet I medaled easily. I think, generally, there are more serious people in C than in B. I know when I was in middle school, Science Olympiad was really just extra time to hang out with my friends.

Also, French_Toast, your signature says you have 9 events!!! How is that even possible?

EDIT: I didn't see amerikestrel's post because I was typing this one, but I repeat, how do you have 9 events?

[gneissisnice]

While most events are harder at the high school level, there are a couple that aren't much different; mostly the ID events.

The only difference between B and C for Fossils is suture patterns on cephalopods, which isn't that complicated. Otherwise, the events are pretty similar. The same goes for the other ID events. Ecology also isn't significantly harder, in my experience. You might be expected to know a few more formulas for C than B (like biodiversity and growth rate), but that's really it, I think.

[French_Toast]

Also, French_Toast, your signature says you have 9 events!!! How is that even possible?

EDIT: I didn't see amerikestrel's post because I was typing this one, but I repeat, how do you have 9 events?

I list all the events that I've done over the course of the season, even if I only did them once. My role on the team, as I say it, is "Life Science...and stuff". If there's a person who needs a partner and I've got that time slot open, then I do the event. I've never done more than 5 at a tournament before though.

That, and it helps that I'm in Ohio, and we went to 4 invitationals(which is less than we were physically capable of going to) before regionals.

[fishman100]

Wait what are "ID" events?

[zyzzyva980]

Identification events, such as Ornithology.