Countdowns

So…is everybody ready to get back into studying mode? =)

Hannah! It's not for more than two months yet. Please don't rush us. :P

Ummm….YES! I don't think I can wait another 2 months to start studying!!

Though, I do still have a lot of school left to finish.

haha, I agree with both of you. I love studying, but I also love the glorious break :)

I love studying, but I also love the *glorious* break :)

Exactly. =D

@Hannah: I think I'm about ready for BB again! TTLY looking forward to it this year!

Ditto, Jordan! :) BTW, what does TTLY mean? I know TTYL

totally!

So what's your favorite time in the Bible Bee season? Is it studying, or is it Nationals? A couple of years ago, I definitely would've said Nationals…but now, I like studying a lot too. :) It makes me challenge myself to do a little more each day. And thinking about the competition when you're supposed to be studying is kind of fun too, of course :D and of course, locals is also exciting…if you're not the only one in your division ;)

Nationals is the best!!! I'm a total extrovert, so I love meeting new friends, and hanging out with old ones… It's a great time for socializing! (Yeah, cause homeschoolers never are socialized, right? ;))

Okay… so there's 120 contestants from each category for national, but there's still only 15 semi-finalists… Hmmm. that's too bad! Oh well, guess we all just have to work harder!!

It's in the 2013 competition rulebook.

How did you see the rule book?

I'm quoting Jordan because I like the way he put it – "Nationals is the best!!! I'm a total extrovert, so I love meeting new friends, and hanging out with old ones." I SO enjoy meeting people and talking with them about all sorts of things – it always takes forever for Nationals to come, and then it's gone!

Guess what else? In the Semi-Final and Final Round, there's going to be Bible passages AND Bible Knowledge questions asked. Yep. The Rulebook just ruined my life. Now I'm in quite a lot of trouble. :)

Wait- what??? Bible knowledge questions too?!?! They haven't done that since 2009! Are they going to be multiple choice? And how are you finding the rulebook??
EDIT: Oh, never mind, I just found the rulebook. :)

What?????!!! jaw drops

It doesn't even say if they're going to be multiple choice??? If they're not multiple choice, then I am in big trouble! :P (if I even make the SemiFinals)

Wow, that is going to be SO hard for you all in semis!!!! Maybe it's because everyone had their verses memorized so well last year?

Yeah, that's probably why. :/ Bible Bee must be trying to find some way to break all the ties.

Yeah… It must be pretty sad for the contestants who make no mistakes but get disqualified anyway. :-/ Are the written and orals going to be the same though?

As far as I can tell, yes, except that we have ten minutes for Orals at Locals. (instead of twelve) The Oral Round is still 20 passages.

Well, with only fifty verses, that hopefully won't be too hard to get through twenty passages in ten minutes…

EDIT: 10 days till April 1st!!!!!!! screaming

Yeah, I talk really fast, so this year I'll have to work on sloooowing down. :D
Oh, yay! I can't wait for Bible Bee!!!

We need to get more serious about our Bible Quiz Questions, then! Come on, everyone! Let's get busy :D

Katrina: Me too… Talking slow is soooo hard for me when I'm excited or nervous, and I'm both at the Bible Bee. :D

Bethany: TOTALLY!!!!! =D =D

I just found something else in the Competition Rulebook: "A first-place winner may not compete again in the same age division, but may compete in the next higher division, irrespective of his/her age." So they FINALLY made that rule. I was wondering how long that was going to last. :)

Bible Knowledge Questions in Semis!?!?! No way! Wow, that's going to make it a lot harder. And Locals is getting easier. I wonder if there's a long term plan to eventually add Regionals, once Locals and Natoinals are far enough apart…. Just a thought… :)

Thanks for all the new updates from Bible Bee! I enjoy hearing them, since I don't have the time right now to read the rule book :D

Yeah… So, like what type of bible knowledge questions??? I hope they''re something along the lines of what we study!

All the rulebook said was "respective to the age division". They ought to be about what we study…

I sure hope so!

Wait… So if there's Bible Knowledge questions, how are we supposed to know the "Correct" answer? Like, if we're expected to answer word for word, then they have to give us something to go on…

Haha, my brain is like totally spinning over this… But then I didn't even make semis last year! But I'll see what I can do this year!

LOL wow this is so funny how everybody got a kick out of this :P well yeah, I think we probably have to know the answers word for word, but you know they are going to post all the questions on the website on August 28 (the Wednesday after locals) as well as the answers that we have to know, I think…it wasn't very clear in the rulebook, though. Anyway, it'll definitely push me to study for the test a LOT harder than I did last year :)

I like the written, and by the way I like the studying far more than going to new places and meeting new people. I don't mind that change as much as the last one but I still would prefer if they would stop constantly changing things.

Yeah, it's kind of crazy when you don't know what's coming :) but then again, it's kind of fun to see how they change it up every year. You know, keeping it interesting ;)

Yay! I'm so excited about the Bile Knowledge questions! I have asked the Bible Bee to put them back into semi-finals, and I am really glad they did. :)

Cool! THat shouldn't be too hard!

Yeah…if they give us the answers. But I just started thinking like one second ago that they might only give us the question, and we have to go and dig up the answers for ourselves. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. :)

Wow, I just read and understood the new rules. I am shocked. I guess they don't want people like my friend to win three times:)
This is really going to make the Bible Bee quite different.
I'm kind of glad I'm too old to compete, with all these rule changes. I hope all you contestants take courage and go for the challenge, you can do whatever is required in the strength of The Lord. I will be here to pray for you and encourage you whenever you need it:)

IK! I was actually going to tell you everything tomorrow.. but I guess you found out!

When we read the rules, the first person we thought of was Olivia… I think they figured out that she was going to win every year! (And she probably would have she's so smart!!!)

I'm sorry for spoiling the thrill of seeing my shocked look in person;) but don't worry, we will still have plenty to talk about:)

IKR she's the only person in the history of the Bible Bee who has won 1st more than once. I guess she will probably be competing in the seniors next year:)

Olivia can still compete, because I think she's a Junior this year.

Yeah she is… I'm pretty sure she's going to win again!!!

Well, you can never be too sure. An entirely new age category can create a pretty pressure-filled mentality. The Junior category is very much more difficult than the Primary category. I guess we shall just have to wait and see. :)

Well, she DID score higher than the first place Junior last year…. So, you never can tell. :)

Definitely. :) The tests are different, though, but I see your point.

true.. But you know, you never know! (I love saying that!)

Less than eight days till registration opens!!!

happy dance :D

Can't wait for registration!!! :)

And, 5 months to the day, of this year's Local Contest Day for Bible Bee!!!

Hey, Elanee–could you say hi to Leanna for me? :) I know this is totally random :D but I sit right next to her at Nationals, and my sister sits right next to Olivia, so we know them :P btw I met you at Nationals!