How to Avoid Being a Sore Winner (or Sore Loser)
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We've all seen them before - those folks that seem to think just because they won an award, they feel superior to everyone around them and want to make sure that everyone knows. Or even worse, they didn't win a thing, and they're looking at your project, saying the judge only gave you the award because the judge pitied you. They just seem to know how to take the excitement out of the soul and make you feel like dirt. Maybe you've been this person. Either way, this person ruins the situation for everyone. If you want to avoid being this person, read on!
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Winning With Grace
When you win an award, being excited and overjoyed is natural! You should be happy and you should enjoy it! Rubbing in the fact that you won an award to your peers that didn't is just cruel. So, just don't do it! We've all been on both sides of the coin, and just because you've won this time doesn't mean that you won't lose in the future. Just some points to remember:
- These people who have "lost" are your peers, and when the award ceremony is over, they aren't your competitors. They aren't superior to you and at some point in your career, you'll probably need their help. Certainly science fairs are a competition, but when the glamour and awards fade away, it's just about real science - and that always requires more than one person.
- Having won an award shouldn't be motivation to gloat - it should be motivation to continue! Science is never done and winning an award doesn't mean you've ended all questions in your field of research. In fact, it probably means the exact opposite - there are probably thousands of new questions that come from your work. If you're motivation isn't to continue to search into these possibilities, you're probably in the wrong field - science never ends!
- Remember that at science fairs, there are many younger students who are looking up to you. Like it or not, you're being held as an example for these students who, one day, want to be in your shoes. If they ask you questions about your work, don't just shove them away because they don't seem important. Talk to them and inspire them with your work. Perhaps you can be the spark that makes them truly love science.
- Don't directly compare yourself to other projects - this is probably the worst offence you commit. The judges and those students recognize your project as being good, you don't have to belittle them and their work.
Losing With Grace
- Are you just really being mean to the winner because you don't know why you lost? If you, perhaps you should read the section Dealing with a Loss, and stop raining on their parade.
- Remember that science fair isn't just about the science, or the presentation, or the judging interview. It's about all of these things together. Just because you may think your presentation or your science was better than one of your fellow competitor's, that alone doesn't mean you should have won.
- Don't blame it on the judges - that's just tacky. Especially at the higher levels, there are preventative measures taken to ensure that bias is prevented within judging - this includes having multiple judges and multiple judging sessions. Certainly, if you feel there's been a serious bias placed against you by a judge based on your gender, ethnicity, or other factor, you should speak to a judging or fair official immediately after being judged. This sort of conduct is not tolerated by any judge and will be dealt with seriously. However, making such a claim after the award ceremony is just an excuse and is in poor taste.
- Don't attribute winning to a factor other than the project. As stated before, there are measures taken in judging to avoid this. The way a person speaks, acts, dresses, et cetera, is not why they win a science fair - and you shouldn't believe or say otherwise. People of all types win science fairs, and this has been seen with the diversity of champions, the likelihood of a person winning solely on some other factor is next to nil.
More than Just a Competition
Remember that science fair is more than just a competition - it's a lead into a real career in sciences. Everyone loves the awards and attention that comes with winning, but at the end of the day, all that really matters is the science.
- Science Fair projects are usually limited to either one or two participants per project. However in reality, science is done with many people working together. In these situations, there are no real winners or losers - you're all just working for common goals.
- Over time, you'll realize that people won't remember if you won or lost. If they remember you, they'll remember the work you did and what that meant. That should always be your focus.
- Win or lose, there are many opportunities that come from science fair - from mentorships to internships to scholarships, these usually don't depend on whether you won or lost. In fact, the more you get hung up on the competition aspect, the more likely you'll miss out on all the side benefits.
Dealing with the Sore Thumb
Eventually, we all have to deal with them - the sore winner or loser. Just some tips again:
- Don't engage - they'll often try to provoke you to argue with them. Don't take the bait! As hard as it may be, take the high road - the offender will usually get annoyed with your grace and move on to someone they can annoy!
- Avoid them all together - the only thing they do is make the situation less fun for everyone, it's best not to be around these people when they're acting this way - let them cool down.
Final Words
It's okay to be dissapointed with a loss or excited by a win - but in either case, you shouldn't make the experience any less for the people around you. Realize that for most of the process of your project, you weren't actually competing with anyone - you were just doing science. Don't let the last little bit of the project, when you actually compete, sour the entire experience.
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