By Ivana Ng | @deca.ivana | Westwood DECA, TX
It’s that time of year! Chapters are gearing up for district competition, and stepping in as a first-year competitor can feel intimidating. Here are some tips to help you calm your nerves before the big day.
Preparing for Competition
Start Early and Plan Ahead
Whether you are participating in a role-play event or a written competition, starting early and coming prepared will reduce stress leading up to competition day. If you are in a written event, prepare your poster or slideshow and all your presentation materials in advance. If you are competing in a role-play event, practice a few role-plays with a friend, teacher, or chapter officer ahead of time. Additionally, take a few practice tests to become familiar with the testing style and vocabulary.
Get Plenty of Sleep and Fuel Up
A common myth is that to succeed at competitions, you need to stay up all night practicing your presentation or cramming for practice tests. In reality, that's the key to feeling irritated, tired and competing poorly at the conference. Instead, spend a few minutes reviewing your materials the night before and get a good night's sleep. Good rest will help you feel rejuvenated, confident, and ready to power through the day.
On Competition Day
Use Your Time Effectively.
Standing in line at Starbucks with 27 other students may not be the best use of your time when your competition time slot is 30 minutes away. Instead, focus on preparing for your event during that time.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Last-minute preparation isn't always recommended, but last-minute prep can help you advance to state and national competitions. If you’re in a written event, find a quiet corner and run through your presentation from start to finish. Practice from entering the room, greeting the judges, presenting, answering potential questions, and exiting. For role-play events, grab some earbuds and study for your test, or ask a friend to judge a final practice role-play and give you last-minute feedback. If you prepared thoroughly in advance, these last-minute practices should feel like a breeze.
Arrive Early.
You will receive a competition card that indicates your presentation room and time or lists your roleplay and testing times along with their locations. If the conference venue is confusing, use the first few minutes to find where you will be competing. Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to give yourself a buffer in case you need to grab something you forgot or the conference runs ahead of schedule.
Now it's time for your presentation or roleplay! All your hard work over the past few months has led up to this moment. You've got this!
