Hello readers! I am Katherine Zhang from the United States
of America. I was a Silver Medalist at the International Earth Science Olympiad
2016, Mie, Japan. In this article, I will suggest to the future
participants of USA and around the world some preparatory guidelines based
on my own experience.
1. Start Early
The
IESO covers a broad range of topics, including but not limited to: geology and
mineralogy, sedimentology, meteorology and climatology, solar system astronomy,
and remote sensing. You may not have even heard of nor studied some of these
areas. Beginning early and establishing a schedule by which you’ll study is the
basis for succeeding in the IESO.
2. Focus on application
of material, as opposed to memorization
Of
course, you’ll need to know the basics of every topic you study. And learning
essential information may involve an initial period of memorization which
precedes internalization of that information. But beyond that period, pure
memorization won’t take you far; most of the competition is based on
application of material. For example: rather than asking you to regurgitate the
percentage composition of basalt, a question might ask you to identify a type
of rock based on the nearby structural geology. Then (in multiple parts), it
might ask you to use the information and data you’ve gathered to address real
societal needs and concerns, such as disaster relief.
3. Use Practical Aides
Reading
textbooks isn’t enough. Invest in kits, especially for rocks and minerals, to
help you learn hands-on. The IESO competition involves identification of rocks
and minerals samples, and your first-hand experience is vital in helping you
complete those sections. Kits are not always available nor affordable, so if
they’re beyond your reach, use visuals to aid you in your studying.
4. Search for
application in your daily life in order to strengthen and supplement the
information you’re learning
Hey,
maybe I’m just a weird rock person, but I look for application of my knowledge
wherever I go. Transfer the information from your computer screen to a tangible
platform. Keep your eyes open; identify instances in your everyday life in
which you can stop to visualize the information you’ve learned. For example, at
the beach, you can see ripple marks in action. Pause to identify the rocks at
the side of the road (or maybe in a safer place). Quite possibly, there’ll come
a time in which you’ll recall vital information by remembering a specific time
you applied your knowledge in a real-world setting.
5. Look at old IESO Tests
Refer
to past tests to get an idea of the types of questions you’ll be asked. See the
bottom of this post for links to those resources.
6. Recognize that the
IESO is based in cooperation
Medals
are great and shiny, but they represent only individual accomplishment. Team
achievement is equally, if not more, important. During the IESO, you will
participate in the International Team Field Investigation and the Earth Science
Project. Both of these require you to work in a group. If you refuse to
recognize that the basis of your success in these portions of the competition
is your ability to compromise and connect with your global peers, then you’ll
have walked away from the competition with a fraction of the knowledge and
benefit you would have otherwise gained. This focus on international
camaraderie is what will get you not only titles in the competition, but also
bring you into a global network of friends that you’ll come to treasure, and
that will take you farther than any medal will.
A list of books that I’ve used
Smithsonian Fossil
Guide
Meteorology Today by
C. Ahrens
The Complete Guide to
Rocks and Minerals by Hermes House
Syllabus: Link Past Tests/Papers: Link
