Getting into Competition Season

Happy New Year Illinois DECA!!!

As you make your list of New Year's Resolutions and goals and check it twice, hopefully, going for glass makes the cut. It is time to ‘tis the competition season as we are less than 2 weeks away from the first regionals (I’m looking at you North Suburban!)

Right now, you are likely wrapping up the final few days of winter break. And while this is a great time to rest up, sleep in, and watch the Stranger Things finale, these last days are an excellent opportunity to prepare yourself for upcoming competition. Without school living rent-free in your mind, you have the flexibility to set yourself up for medals at regionals. Now, of course make sure to watch that finale (no spoilers here) and participate in the things that bring you joy. But I’m just saying that a quick practice test here or there can’t hurt.

Here are some ways to maximize your winter break for DECA competitive success.

DECA+ is a phenomenal tool with practice tests, roleplays, and anything you could need. Make sure to check it out if you haven’t yet. If you don’t have DECA+, you can still find the same information on the DECA website and on the fascinating internet.

If you are in West or South Suburban, study up on your vocabulary for the test. Quizlet is a great resource for this. Search your cluster, followed by DECA exam Quizlet (ex. DECA Marketing Exam Quizlet) and a lot will pop up for you to look through. You CAN study for this test and should. *North Suburban, since you’ve already taken the test, spend extra time practicing roleplays.

Prepare your plug-and-plays. As our great CRVP Cullen Watanuki says, you can have some plug-and-plays that you can plug into any roleplay. For example, real-life examples are something you study ahead of time but can insert into your roleplay to back up your great ideas. Think of what are some neat acronyms, real-life examples, and openings that you want to have in your pocket. The more you practice these now, the more they’ll become second-nature.

January 12 is the first State Success Series! This one is on Mastering the Roleplay. Yours truly will be revealing the tips that helped me win glass at ICDC so you can learn what it takes to stand out from everyone else. This is something you don’t want to miss so make sure to attend!

Below are the dates when each area has regionals as a reminder.

North Suburban: Wednesday, January 14

West and South Suburban: Friday, January 23

Get this year off to a great start and I can’t wait to see what it holds! Imagine hearing your name get called in front of everyone and develop a plan now to turn that into reality. My challenge to you is to find 2 real-life examples that you can use for a role-play before your regionals. You got this!

Your president,

Josh Koyfman