How do the insights from quests, exhibitions and badges compare to the knowledge gained from standardized tests, letter grades and report cards? Read these reflections from a middle school Eagle and judge for yourself.
My Lessons Learned
from the Chemistry and Cooking Quest
- Going into this Quest, I never pictured the microscopic worlds within worlds of molecules, atoms, bonds, and particles. It truly is an infinite universe at your fingertips. And to learn more about the world, we don’t have to expand outward past planets and into galaxies, but can look inward to understand life in its purest form.
- Cooking has always been something I’ve been curious about, but I never thought how much it was intertwined with chemistry. Each dish has a recipe, just like each chemical substance has a balanced equation. Each recipe has ingredients, just like each molecule has electrons, protons, and neutrons. Sure you could be a decent chef by dumping some flour in a bowl, beating in a couple eggs, and dusting some sugar, but every great meal relies on the precise rules and laws of chemistry.
- Chemistry isn’t what I thought. It’s not complex math and weird potions, it’s an explanation for everything that is, and everything we are. It’s the reason we can’t walk on water; the reason meat browns when cooked, and why soda contains hundreds of tiny bubbles.
- No matter how much you learn throughout the Quest, the Exhibition is what determines your success. And it isn’t all about you, it’s about your team and making sure they’re just as confident and on the same page.
- This is a pretty cliched lesson, but it was a reminder for me to never give up. No matter how much stress, how much pressure, how much chaos, just get it done and do your best. Presenting my chemistry knowledge in front of a panel of well equipped parents was nerve wracking, but I took a deep breath and spoke in my clearest voice and did nothing less than my best effort. In the end, I was proud of what I contributed.