The Science Olympiad


My 7 yo daughter wanted to sign up for the Olympiad exams, both Science and Maths. Ok, the choice of subjects were mine. Once I saw the course material, I decided to focus only on the Maths and ditch the Science since the latter was just about mugging up stuff. Some things never change.

On the day before the Science Olympiad exam, she announced:
“It’s your fault that I will do badly in the exam tomorrow. You didn’t teach me anything.”
I was not surprised. After all, this is the same kid who gives me grief for forcing her to learn stuff for her tests (“You made me learn 4 questions; they only asked 2 of them in the test.”). It’s not only teachers who teach to the test; students want to learn to the test too.

Surprisingly, she came back from the Science Olympiad in a triumphant mood:
“I managed to attempt all 35 questions. Last year, I couldn’t even try all the questions.”
I guess she is ready for corporate life: after all, this is the same way most employees handle the “continual improvement” mantra, right?

Then she insisted that I see the question paper. As I glanced over it, she said she’d picked option (b) for Q2. I pointed out that was the wrong answer. Without batting an eyelid, she replied:
“That’s OK. I am fine with a bronze medal.”
She certainly doesn’t lack in confidence. Or delusions.

So how did she fare in the Olympiad? Aha, some things are best left to the reader’s imagination, a la the Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie story.

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