How to study - Revision history

Kevin Wang: /* Consider your own experiences */

2026-06-25T15:50:14Z

Consider your own experiences

Kevin Wang at 01:25, 11 June 2026

2026-06-11T01:25:12Z

Kevin Wang: /* Introduction */

2026-02-11T22:28:19Z

Introduction

Kevin Wang: /* Introduction */

2026-02-11T22:28:01Z

Introduction

Kevin Wang: /* Introduction */

2025-11-16T19:13:48Z

Introduction

Kevin Wang: /* Putting in the time */

2025-10-11T04:19:28Z

Putting in the time

Kevin Wang: /* The physical */

2025-10-11T03:51:17Z

The physical

Kevin Wang: /* Find love for the game */

2025-10-11T03:27:11Z

Find love for the game

Kevin Wang: /* Go beyond the question */

2025-10-11T03:25:23Z

Go beyond the question

Kevin Wang: /* How to study */

2025-09-15T01:39:40Z

How to study

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 Think about how you've studied in other situations. When preparing for exams, what worked for you. Lean on your past - if you have a tried-and-true method for studying for math or what have you, it'll work for quiz bowl too.
-If you've already started studying, take a moment and think critically about your approach. Have you found a routine that you can keep up with? If you're planning on learning a new topic before a tournament, try estimating how long it'll take based on the scope of other gins you've studied before.
+If you've already started studying, take a moment and think critically about your approach. Have you found a routine that you can keep up with? If you're planning on learning a new topic before a tournament, try estimating how long it'll take based on the scope of other things you've studied before.
 ====Build the habit====

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:25, 11 June 2026
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	{{c\|How-to}}		{{c\|How-to}}
		+	{{c\|Essays}}

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 # Read through older sets and past questions to familiarize yourself with the game and with what it expects you to know about various topics
 # Establish a routine that includes taking down new information and retaining things
-# Start doing this stuff now
+# Start doing this stuff now and don't stop til you're done
 For some steps you can work on right now, '''read the exercises in each section''' or visit the '''[[How to study#Other workflows|example workflows]]'''. Consider also watching [https://youtu.be/8uuRHq2g4KI?si=NsVqVQlKS7EU4zhR this amusing video] from chess grandmaster Ben Finegold giving general advice on improving in any activity.

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 # Start doing this stuff now
-For some steps you can work on right now, '''read the exercises in each section''' or visit the '''[[How to study#Example workflows|example workflows]]'''. Consider also watching [https://youtu.be/8uuRHq2g4KI?si=NsVqVQlKS7EU4zhR this amusing video] from chess grandmaster Ben Finegold giving general advice on how to improve.
+For some steps you can work on right now, '''read the exercises in each section''' or visit the '''[[How to study#Other workflows|example workflows]]'''. Consider also watching [https://youtu.be/8uuRHq2g4KI?si=NsVqVQlKS7EU4zhR this amusing video] from chess grandmaster Ben Finegold giving general advice on improving in any activity.
 ==The mental==

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 The first is how you ''get'' good, but the second is how you ''stay'' good. This guide is meant to provide concrete exercises for the first angle and mental models for the second. The goal is to prepare a player for success at their current level and beyond.
-If you just want the '''two-step guide to success''', here it is:
+If you just want the '''three-step guide to success''', here it is:
 # Read through older sets and past questions to familiarize yourself with the game and with what it expects you to know about various topics
 # Establish a routine that includes taking down new information and retaining things
-For some steps you can work on right now, '''read the exercises in each section''' or visit the '''[[How to study#Example workflows|example workflows]]'''.
+For some steps you can work on right now, '''read the exercises in each section''' or visit the '''[[How to study#Example workflows|example workflows]]'''. Consider also watching [https://youtu.be/8uuRHq2g4KI?si=NsVqVQlKS7EU4zhR this amusing video] from chess grandmaster Ben Finegold giving general advice on how to improve.
 ==The mental==

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 ===Putting in the time===
-First, an important reminder: the primary limitation on your growth as a player is the amount of time you put in. You may think there is a magic trick or a super-tool you can use to become better overnight and beat your rivals but there isn't - you win by putting in more hours than your opponent. There are definitely marginal improvements to be made - refining your workflow and choosing high yield topics to focus on can multiply your efficiency by several times - but it's primarily a numbers game.
+First, an important reminder: the primary limitation on your growth as a player is '''the amount of time you put in'''. You may think there is a magic trick or a super-tool you can use to become better overnight and beat your rivals but there isn't - you win by putting in more hours than your opponent. There are definitely marginal improvements to be made - refining your workflow and choosing high yield topics to focus on can multiply your efficiency by several times - but it's primarily a numbers game.
 The direct result of this is that, as a player starting out, you are guaranteed to see enormous improvement immediately after you start to study. Because of the game having a well-defined [[canon]] and strict difficulty control, there are individual clues that might net you dozens of competitive buzzes over your career - all you have to do is seek them out.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:51, 11 October 2025
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	All of these stages happen in parallel. This guide will discuss "What" and "How".		All of these stages happen in parallel. This guide will discuss "What" and "How".
		+
		+	===Putting in the time===
		+	First, an important reminder: the primary limitation on your growth as a player is the amount of time you put in. You may think there is a magic trick or a super-tool you can use to become better overnight and beat your rivals but there isn't - you win by putting in more hours than your opponent. There are definitely marginal improvements to be made - refining your workflow and choosing high yield topics to focus on can multiply your efficiency by several times - but it's primarily a numbers game.
		+
		+	The direct result of this is that, as a player starting out, you are guaranteed to see enormous improvement immediately after you start to study. Because of the game having a well-defined [[canon]] and strict difficulty control, there are individual clues that might net you dozens of competitive buzzes over your career - all you have to do is seek them out.

	===What to study===		===What to study===

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 :*Stop if you want: Attending tournaments isn't mandatory. Going to practice isn't mandatory. Playing quiz bowl isn't mandatory. If you've spent the time and decided the best choice is to step away, do it. Don't stay out of an obligation, only out of enjoyment.
 :*Learn because you love it: One of the unfortunate facts of quiz bowl is that it doesn't always award points for our interests. It can be easy to set aside things you enjoy to maximize points. Consider just learning about material you actually want to learn about for a bit - maybe write a [[vanity set]] (at your own pace).
 ====Exercises====
 <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
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 #Spend a day reading about a pet subject of yours, regardless of what merit it may have. Take personal pride at learning about something. Do this intermittently until you no longer have any qualms about doing so and would be willing to defend it to others.
 </div>
 ===Separate testing from teaching===

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 |}
-====Go beyond the question====
+====Go beyond the gameplay====
 Newer players often fall into the trap that one must "practice the way they play" and will study exclusively by playing tossups or bonuses in practice or online. While it is possible to get very good doing this (especially at lower difficulties) it is not nearly as efficient or robust as engaging with questions as a text and directly reading them rather than only engaging with them in the context of the game. Constructs like "buzzer races" and "celerity" are merely distractions during studying, where the focus should be on learning more information rather than "where you would have buzzed".

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 ===How to study===
 ====Consider your own experiences====
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 Nevertheless, flashcards are ''not'' strictly necessary - many strong players have never used flashcards, or have tried them and found them lacking. The key is to do what works for you: the goal is simply to retain information and whether that's by carding or rereading notes or writing questions doesn't matter.
-====Example workflows====
+====Other workflows====
-The previous sections are intentionally very general, as one size will not fit all - what works for one will not work for another. However, it may be useful to have a few concrete examples of what studying can look like.
+The previous sections are intentionally very general and are meant to address the average person. Here are a few more hypothetical workflows to consider incorporating into your own:
 # For 30 minutes a day, you play questions in a [https://www.qbreader.org/singleplayer/tossups QBReader singleplayer room] and write down answers you neg in your notebook. Once a week, you look them all up on [https://en.wikipedia.org/ Wikipedia] and try to remember them.
 # During every tournament, you write down all the bonus parts you missed and a clue you remember. You go back and add them to a [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets Google Sheet], then color in the cell after you find out what the right answer is.