Regional Rounds

Participating in the 2026 World Scholar’s Cup was both exciting and eye-opening. Looking back, I realise I depended too much on cramming the night before instead of building a solid understanding of the themes over time. During some of the events, I felt the limits of that approach, as there were moments in the Scholar’s Challenge and debates when I knew that more preparation would have helped me think more clearly and answer with more confidence. As a result, I didn’t do well during the Scholar’s Challenge, which tested our understanding of the topic instead of basic facts. The experience taught me that memorising facts at the last minute is not the same as truly understanding the big ideas behind them.

Despite this, the competition itself was incredibly fun and rewarding. I really enjoyed the energy and anticipation of the debates. My favourite event was the Collaborative Writing, where I used creativity skills to write a creative piece on the Iran war through the perspective of a child, including various symbolisms and themes of innocence and hope.

One of the best parts was meeting new friends from different schools. Working with my teammates and playing short games with my new friends made all the research and studying feel worthwhile.

The most exciting outcome is that our team was invited to the Global Round in Seoul. This feels like a second chance to do things better. This time, I want to prepare earlier, review the curriculum, and understand the connections between the subjects instead of rushing the night before. The experience in the regional rounds has shown me that preparation and genuine understanding makes all the difference.