Tip # 7 Don’t burn yourself out. QUEST is a huge amount of fun, so don’t go into it having had a negative experience studying for it. This may seem like work now, but I have a secret: QUEST is a science diving vacation where you eat really well and get to camp out in an awesome open-air hale on the beach, with abundant hammocks, daily yoga sessions, and a private snorkeling pool. The only catch is that you have to write a research paper. But, if you don’t think that doing field research and learning to present your results is fun, then I have no idea why you’ve been reading this article so far.
Tip # 8 Bonus tip: swim test. If you’re already a certified UH Scientific Diver in Training or better, then you don’t need to worry about this. Give this article to someone else. I’ll wait. (Waiting)… okay so you need to take the DiT swim test. You’ll need to do 400 yards in under 10 minutes. That’s 16 times across the pool, or 8 laps total. Does that sound hard? Do you not know if it sounds hard? This is an easy question to answer. Do you currently do long-distance swimming on a somewhat regular and deliberate basis? If you answered no, then it will be challenging. Even if your cardio is good from running and such, swimming is a different animal. Once upon a time, I used to go swimming almost every day. Now I live in a bleak dystopian future, but when I went to take my swim test, I was naïve enough to think that I still had what it took. Long story short, I finished with 10 seconds to spare, and completely out of breath. Don’t be like me. Be sure to do your own practice run well before you take the test, and if you find yourself struggling to make it in time with your lungs intact, consult somebody who knows what they’re talking about. Probably not me.
I hope you have found my shards of wisdom helpful. Remember that QUEST, and college in general, is a journey, and not a destination. The worst mistake you can ever make on a journey is staying home.
Seawords, November 2012 Page 13