Note sheet

Note Sheets (often called Cheat Sheets) are often allowed in Study Events. Usually, the event will call for a certain number of double-sided, 8.5" by 11" paper (regular printer paper). In general, the strategies for making these note sheets are as follows:

• Get as much information as you can! Research your event, and try to put everything on the note sheet. If you run out of the room, take out extraneous info that you already know. With that said...

• Keep information readable, neat, and easy to access. Remember that you will be taking a timed test! If you are unable to find a piece of information, it's just as useless as not having it in the first place. Experiment with tables, font size, and formatting to fit your needs.

• Have diagrams! Often the test will have a section or two with labeling, so having diagrams on your note sheet will help you immensely.

• Use colors. Colors aid in visually organizing your information, making it easier to find and more appealing to the eyes.

• Use highlighting to sort information! This lets you find information easily and saves the space taken by indenting and multiple paragraphs.

• Eliminate articles and common words! The words "the", "and", "a", "an", and other similar words can be eliminated if you still understand what the text is saying.

• Shrink the font! Shrinking fonts by even 0.5 points can give you an amazing amount of space.

• Use abbreviations for the most common words on your cheat sheet. For example, say w/ instead of with and b/c instead of because.

• Use sheet protectors, in case of bad weather or other potential threats.

With that said, be sure to not bring more than the allowed number of note sheets. Teams have been disqualified for things like this in the years past, and it is a disappointing experience for both the student and the event supervisor.

Events that Allow Note Sheets

2023

• One per team
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Bio-Process Lab
  • Cell Biology
  • Disease Detectives
  • Green Generation
• One per participant
  • Chemistry Lab
  • Crime Busters
  • Forensics
• Two per team
  • Solar System

2022

2022 One per team Anatomy and Physiology Bio-Process Lab Cell Biology Disease Detectives Green Generation One per participant Chemistry Lab Crime Busters Food Science Forensics Two per team Meteorology Solar System Four per team Remote Sensing

2021

2021 One per team Anatomy and Physiology Designer Genes Disease Detectives Heredity Water Quality One per participant Chemistry Lab Crime Busters Food Science Forensics Protein Modeling Two per team Meteorology Reach for the Stars

2020

2020 One per team Anatomy and Physiology Designer Genes Disease Detectives Heredity Water Quality One per participant Chemistry Lab Crime Busters Food Science Forensics Protein Modeling Two per team Meteorology Reach for the Stars

2019

2019 One per team Anatomy and Physiology Chemistry Lab Crime Busters Designer Genes Disease Detectives Forensics Heredity Potions and Poisons Protein Modeling Water Quality Two per team Solar System Four per team Dynamic Planet Meteorology

2018

2018 One per team Anatomy and Physiology Ecology Microbe Mission Disease Detectives Two per team Solar System Materials Science Four per team Dynamic Planet Meteorology Remote Sensing Five per team Crime Busters Potions and Poisons Chemistry Lab Forensics

2017

2017 One per team Anatomy and Physiology Bio-Process Lab Cell Biology Designer Genes Disease Detectives Entomology Heredity Hydrogeology Microbe Mission One per participant Crime Busters Meteorology Remote Sensing Technical Problem Solving Two per team Solar System Four per team Dynamic Planet Five per team Chemistry Lab Materials Science Forensics

See Also

Binders

Calculators