Is this allowed?...(important)

[maggymay]

i know but will you get DQ'ed if you put stuff in the side pockets of your binder or will they just make you take it out?

Buy a big box of page protectors at Office Depot or Staples, etc. Put every single page of info in a page protector. It will save your information from getting torn when you're in a hurry on event-day, plus you won't have to 3-hole punch every single stinkin' sheet. For Fossils, for example, put a copy of the Official rules in a page protector(so you can argue your case if the event supervisor doesn't know the rules), put the official list of fossils in a page protector(so if you have to guess, you'll have a choice of what to guess from. *Why* chance getting disqualified and put put things in side pockets? The page-protector-route is so much easier.

Yes, everything MUST be in either page protectors or hole-punched. I just didn't have the patience to hole-punch everything, so used page-protectors.

Oh, and consider ponying up the $ to get an over-sized presentation-style notebook, look for something that is supposed to take 200-400 pages and is at least 2 or more inches wide. Don't use a cheap/small binder that will only hold 50 pages, you'll probably regret it. It's nice to have more space than you need and not have the problem of what you have to take out because everything you need won't fit.

[andrewwski]

I'll remember that. but will you get DQ'ed if you didn't holepunch stuff, of will they just make you take it out?

Don't take the chance to find out. Be safe and follow the rules: hole punch everything or put it in page protectors.

I don't know why it is so hard for some people to follow the event rules.

[Phenylethylamine]

I believe he knows, in principle, that it's not a good idea to play around on the edge of the rules- but nobody answered his actual question. Does anyone actually know whether most event sups will DQ you for having non-hole-punched pages, or whether they'll just make you take out the pages?

[andrewwski]

That would most likely depend on the individual supervisor. Don't risk it.

[maggymay]

I believe he knows, in principle, that it's not a good idea to play around on the edge of the rules- but nobody answered his actual question. Does anyone actually know whether most event sups will DQ you for having non-hole-punched pages, or whether they'll just make you take out the pages?

There is an answer. It's kind of been addressed already & here it is....
It depends.

You might get an event supervisor who's a real stickler, who would DQ the event-team for having unauthorized materials. or who would knock you down to a lower Tier.

You might get an event supervisor who's really laid-back, won't give you any points off, but just tell you it's not allowed.

There is simply no answer for what *most* event supervisors will do. The event supervisors are all-powerful, they are judge & jury and they can be capricious. (Believe me, I *know*.) If you abide completely by the letter of the rules as written, then you have a chance of (nicely) arguing your case with the event supervisor or appealing to the on-site people in charge of the entire competition. If you are in possession of materials that could be construed as being against the spirit of the rules or even in clear violation of the written rules (using an I-Phone for your calculator in events that just need a simple calculator), you MIGHT or COULD or WILL be disqualified.

Why waste all the rest of your hard work for a few pieces of paper for want of some hole-punching or some page-protectors?

[sachleen]

In the additional rules for Astronomy(somewhere under FAQs or maybe Rules clarifications), they say you can remove the pages from the binder while you're doing the event. Just stick everything into page protectors that you think you might need - problem solved.

For the 3 hole punch thing, i know someone who took an entire book and put it in the binder. What he was tape a ruler to both covers of the book and put that into the binder. I asked him about the pockets and he said they can just hold the binder sideways/upside down and shake it a little. whatever falls out, you cant use. Now obviously that wont always take out every loose paper in the pockets, but just sharing what I know.

[doctor]

are u allowed to laminate ur cheat sheets??

[robotman]

read the rules some of them it tells you if you can or cant for example science crimbusters says that it can be laminated but Dynamic planet doesnt even mention it so you might chek the rules and if it doesnt say it email/call/text/etc. to your state director

[zeldamaniac95]

I would think you would be able to laminate sheets. I laminated my dynamic planet sheets.

[2win]

Well then, I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I put my en.chem. notes in a page protector, right?