Summer 2022 · Torch: U.S. · HOW TO BE AN EXPERT AT CERTAMEN
12
HOW TO BE AN
AT CERTAMEN
Expert
Expert
by Dr. Ron Roessler
Featuring Advice from Dante Minutillo, Kyle Jain, and Aspen Bombardo
Through my last two articles here in the Torch: U.S., I am sure that I have convinced you that Certamen is amazing, and there are multiple free resources available to guide your studying. If you are reading this article, however, just being good at Certamen is not enough. Now, you want to win. You want to be the best. You want to be a Certamen Hall of Famer!
Perhaps the most amazing skill elite Certamen players develop is buzzer timing. Notice I said, “timing”, not purely “speed”. When I first started playing Certamen over 30 years ago, I was obsessed with speed. My teammates and I would actually try different grips on the buzzer to optimize our reaction speed. My style, which of course I still believe to be the best, incorporates a two-handed grip with a bent thumb depressing the buzzer about 50% of the way down. I soon learned that sometimes you need speed, and sometimes you need patience. For example, if the question asks for the definition of “x”, in order to be quickest on the buzzer, an “anticipatory buzz” is required. Just as the moderator prepares to say the word you need to answer a question, buzz. In the fraction of a second that it takes to actually buzz, and for the moderator to stop speaking, you usually hear enough of the word you need to answer the question, even if it takes you 2-3 seconds to think of it. When I teach this, I have students practice buzzing on math problems. Anticipate when you need to buzz, then buzz, process the key information you just
“reaction buzz” may be indicated. When reaction buzzing, you are still aggressive, and you still need to predict the direction a question is taking, but you are less risky on the buzzer. Finally, if a question is particularly difficult, or it is unclear what direction the question is taking, such as in the semifinals or finals, patience can be a virtue. Adjusting your speed to the question and the situation, so your timing is optimal, is absolutely necessary to be an expert in Certamen.
It is difficult to be fast, however, until you have mastered a large amount of knowledge - a LARGE amount. Although it often seems the norm for older generations to clamor about how the kids of today have it so much easier than they had it, I can guarantee you that the body of knowledge tested in Certamen today far exceeds what I had to learn in my day. To gain some perspective on studying to be an expert in today’s world of Certamen, I talked with a few recent Certamen stars.
When I first watched Dante Minutillo answer language questions in a Certamen tournament, I described him as, “Fluent in Latin.” That was when he was in 8th grade. Dante attended Boston Latin School and is now a Classics major at Harvard. While at BLS, he became an all-around Classics master and helped lead Massachusetts to National Championships in 2017, 2018, and 2020. Although he enjoyed learning the rules of Latin Grammar, Dante learned to master Latin by reading primary sources. While he was reading, he routinely thought of Certamen questions that could be asked. “I still memorized lists (of rules and exceptions), but I found that less rewarding than reading and applying that knowledge.” Even in mythology, for which Dante created thousands of flash cards, he still read as many primary sources in their entirety as he could, including Iliad, Aeneid, Odyssey, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. When memorizing was necessary, he used Anki, a program which utilizes spaced repetition.
Kyle Jain, an all-around expert in Certamen who led Wisconsin to a National Championship in 2018, also advocates for spaced repetition with Anki. Kyle was lightning fast on the buzzer and absorbed knowledge at a remarkable pace. Although he did not start learning Latin until nearly half way through 9th grade, Kyle quickly progressed from a “vocabulary expert” to a “walking encyclopedia” in just a few months. “I didn’t have a superior memory. I just used superior methods,” Kyle remarked to me, referring to his use of spaced repetition. Having watched Kyle play chess blindfolded, I would have to say that he has also developed a superior memory. Furthermore, Kyle developed resilience second to none. Whether you are doing well or having a bad round, Kyle notes, “It is important to refocus your mind after every question. Resilience is key.”
Aspen Bombardo, a recent graduate from Florida, prefered to use Quizlet Learn to help her master material in Certamen. “It’s fun, and it is set up well for Certamen players,” Aspen commented. Also an all around expert, Aspen felt her best category was Latin Literature. In addition to Quizlet Learn, she spent countless hours making her own detailed study guide from Conte’s Latin Literature: A History. “The process of making your own guide, rather than using someone else's, really helps you master material.” Regarding mental preparation for rounds, Aspen states, “You just have to get out of your own head and play your game.” Aspen’s Florida teams won National Championships in 2015 and 2017.
Whereas the difficulty and style of questions may have changed over the last thirty years, what hasn’t changed is that it takes hard work and long hours to become an expert. Expert players today routinely spend at least 2-3 hours/day studying for Certamen. There needs to be a mix of reading, memorizing, creating your own study guides, writing your own questions, and practicing. Plus, you need to be mentally strong, work well with your teammates, and develop resilience. Although suggested by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers, it may not take 10,000 hours to become an expert Certamen player in high school, but it certainly takes a long time. With hard work, “superior methods”, strategy, and practice, the everlasting Certamen glory may just be a few buzzes away.
heard, and figure out the answer. When different types of questions, or if lightning speed is not required to outbuzz your competition in a particular round, then a “reaction buzz” may be indicated. When reaction buzzing, you are still aggressive, and you still need to predict the direction a question is taking, but you are less risky on the buzzer. Finally, if a question is particularly difficult, or it is unclear what direction the question is taking, such as in the semifinals or finals, patience can be a virtue. Adjusting your speed to the question and the situation, so your timing is optimal, is absolutely necessary to be an expert in Certamen.
It is difficult to be fast, however, until you have mastered a large amount of knowledge - a LARGE amount. Although it often seems the norm for older generations to clamor about how the kids of today have it so much easier than they had it, I can guarantee you that the body of knowledge tested in Certamen today far exceeds what I had to learn in my day. To gain some perspective on studying to be an expert in today’s world of Certamen, I talked with a few recent Certamen stars.
When I first watched Dante Minutillo answer language questions in a Certamen tournament, I described him as, “Fluent in Latin.” That was when he was in 8th grade. Dante attended Boston Latin School and is now a Classics major at Harvard. While at BLS, he became an all-around Classics master and helped lead Massachusetts to National
Although he enjoyed learning the rules of Latin Grammar, Dante learned to master Latin by reading primary sources. While he was reading, he routinely thought of Certamen questions that could be asked. “I still memorized lists (of rules and exceptions), but I found that less rewarding than reading and applying that knowledge.” Even in mythology, for which Dante created thousands of flash cards, he still read as many primary sources in their entirety as he could, including Iliad, Aeneid, Odyssey, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. When memorizing was necessary, he used Anki, a program which utilizes spaced repetition.
Kyle Jain, an all-around expert in Certamen who led Wisconsin to a National Championship in 2018, also advocates for spaced repetition with Anki. Kyle was lightning fast on the buzzer and absorbed knowledge at a remarkable pace. Although he did not start learning Latin until nearly half way through 9th grade, Kyle quickly progressed from a “vocabulary expert” to a “walking encyclopedia” in just a few months. “I didn’t have a superior memory. I just used superior methods,” Kyle remarked to me, referring to his use of spaced repetition. Having watched Kyle play chess blindfolded, I would have to say that he has also developed a superior memory. Furthermore, Kyle developed resilience second to none. Whether you are doing well or having a bad round, Kyle notes, “It is important to refocus your mind after every question. Resilience is key.”
Aspen Bombardo, a recent graduate from Florida, prefered to use Quizlet Learn to help her master material in Certamen. “It’s fun, and it is set up well for Certamen players,” Aspen commented. Also an all around expert, Aspen felt her best category was Latin Literature. In addition to Quizlet Learn, she spent countless hours making her own detailed study guide from Conte’s Latin Literature: A History. “The process of making your own guide, rather than using someone else's, really helps you master material.” Regarding mental preparation for rounds, Aspen states, “You just have to get out of your own head and play your game.” Aspen’s Florida teams won National Championships in 2015 and 2017.
Whereas the difficulty and style of questions may have changed over the last thirty years, what hasn’t changed is that it takes hard work and long hours to become an expert. Expert players today routinely spend at least 2-3 hours/day studying for Certamen. There needs to be a mix of reading, memorizing, creating your own study guides, writing your own questions, and practicing. Plus, you need to be mentally strong, work well with your teammates, and develop resilience. Although suggested by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers, it may not take 10,000 hours to become an expert Certamen player in high school, but it certainly takes a long time. With hard work, “superior methods”, strategy, and practice, the everlasting Certamen glory may just be a few buzzes away.