Why play Quiz??

Over the years I have participated in many quizzes. By quizzes, here I refer to a form of game or mind sport in which the players (as individuals or in teams) attempt to answer questions correctly.  My first memories about quiz dates back to Year 2001 when I was a grade 4 student. As a student we used to collect petty sum of money to organize quiz and to award the winners. Most of the time I won the prizes (pens, small dictionary etc). And thus after some period of time, it was decided that I be kept in Organizing team (hence no chance of winning anymore). However the Journey didn't stop there. I started participating in Intra-school quizzes and was amongst the students to participate in Inter-school quizzes, representing the school.

The year was 2004, Well the memory is vivid and relishing when I remember the day when I had to participate in District level quiz representing my school along with one of my senior friend. The venue was in District headquarter, about 25 km away from my dwelling place. Unfortunately/ fortunately, I had to spend night there because of the extended program. I couldn't sleep whole night thinking about the next day program and adding heat to the situation, there were many friends who were burning the midnight oil. Well for me, I memorized the hardest question that was getting on my nerves for a long period of time. i.e. full name of Pablo Picaso:” Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso”.  Well the fun of the day was that I was amongst many of NEW FRIENDS from DIFFERENT PLACES and we kept talking whole night. We shared our quizzing experience and the methods of memorizing new and difficult words. The next day proved out to be unlucky as we weren't able to grab the trophy. However the next thing to remember about the program was that I along with my friend was paid a sum of Rs 100 as an allowance (my first earning) for participating in the program, which I rendered to my mother.

I also do remember another Quiz that was organized in a neighboring village around same time period. The final round was going tough, head on head with the participating teams. However my school team stood second on the event. I was dismayed to see that one of the participating friend was crying because of not being able to secure any positions. From the very time I realized the importance of COMPETITION in my life and the PAIN OF FAILURE. 

Over the years I have garnered awards in some of the major quizzes ranging from intra-school to intra-college, and inter-school to inter-college. I was undefeated Quiz champion in my High School which aided me to participate in Inter College Nationwide Science Quiz Competition, where we secured 4^th position. 

During the very period, I also participated in Wai-Wai Inter College Nation-Wide Quiz Competition which was broadcasted in Kantipur Television. But because of ineffective TEAM-WORK, we failed to secure significant position. Also during my Under-graduation, I hat-tricked the Intra-College quiz competition. During the same period I got chance to participate in two major Nation-wide Corporate Quiz Competition and to the best match of effort and luck we grabbed both of the trophies.

Thames Corporate Quiz

(In the middle with Trophy) Posing for a group photo with first Runner up and Second runner up of Thames Corporate Quiz 2012

and White House Nationwide Senior B-Quiz. 

Posing for a photo after securing first position in White House Graduate School of Management( Nepal) National wide Senior B-Quiz With CEO of WhiteHouse Graduate School of Management( Nepal)  YuvaRaj Sharma.

As I grew up, I began to realize the importance of Quiz as an important game that teaches us many lessons. I have summarized some of there as follows:

1.      Team Work and Team Building

Developing of a good team and proper grooming of team is important. Also proper division of work (study section) is a must. Negligence by a single member of a team can be costly to the whole team. Each member should try to assure that “Together Everyone Achieves More-TEAM”.

2.      Helps Understand the Meaning of Competition

You need to learn what competition is if you want to be successful in contemporary world. One needs to understand the value of competition, the joy of winning and the meaning to be derived from failure.

3.      Broadens Your Vision

A quizzer need to keep abreast of various things so as to be prepared for the competition. Sometimes referred as a jack of all and a master of none, a quizzer needs to have knowledge of a broad picture of various things of world in general.

4.      Time Management

A delay of a single second in buzzer round can risk your position into danger. The same can happen in your professional life. You need to take prompt decision in a right time so as to be successful.

5.      Patience

You need to wait for your turn to answer the question. Sometimes the answer vibrates in your lips and is hard to take control of situation. Also you can compare your life to a quiz competition. The level of your performance may fluctuate but you need to be optimistic believing that you’ll succeed after some time. So have patience!

6.      Cost of Mistakes

Mistakes are vital for improvements or learning. You make a mistake and there will be a direct deduction in the mark, just like you suffer from mistakes in your real life.

7.      Friends and Networking

I started making friends away from my locality and school at a young age. Most of them were quizzers and their friends from different places whom I met while participating in events. You get to know many new people, share knowledge and experience and have some fun.

8.      Feeling of Accomplishments

After winning a game you can have that goddamn sense of accomplishments. It also allows you to have an addition in your CV. Most of all it helps foster your self-confidence.

9.      Develops quick Decision Making

You have limited time but you need to take decision promptly. Most of the time the same thing happens in our real life. We need to take right decision, in a right way, and in a right time. Playing quizzes can assist you in making prompt decisions while ensuring the optimum use of limited time and resources.

10.  Encourages Continuous Learning

The coverage of quiz in terms of subject is unlimited. You need to keep yourself updated about the hot and happenings in different fields of subjects. Data, information, statistics, names and all goes on changing annually and new things goes on happening. As such playing quiz fosters a continuous leaning among the participants.

Basically these are the learning that I have generalized out of playing quizzes over some years. I am still discovering some more benefits. But Nowadays,  as a Instructor of some Quizzes, I can say that playing quizzes is a good way of sharing knowledge.