Slashdot Mirror
Slashdot Gameshow Experiences?
Rev Wally asks: "Next Tuesday, I hope to achieve one of my life long goals, as I've been selected to try out for Jeopardy! in Boston. I am looking for any words of wisdom from any one else who has appeared on/tried out for any game shows. Also, from any one at all, I am looking for you to throw random trivia questions my way, to try to sharpen my skills. Any help will be much appreciated, And I will try to keep any updates in my journal."
Trebek: The worst trolls on slashdot.
You: What is FP?
Simon's Rock College
A few observations: it helps incredibly to give a good interview. Sure, you can get the good trivia questions answered, but what will interest viewers at home? Think hobbies, quirky facts, personality traits...
Also, I have some friends who have tried out for Jeopardy!, and they tell me you can expect to play a mock game if you make it far enough, and that it's hard for middle-aged white males to make it on (they get a ton of those, if you can imagine).
And, sadly, I must tell you that there are a lot of people that make it to the tryouts and very few that make it onto the show! You really have to differentiate yourself from the crowd.
If Jeopardy! is anything like Millionaire, you won't be able to tell anyone the results of the show until it airs. For Millionaire, you don't even get paid until 30 days after your air date (mine is January 24th, by the way). So if you get on, get ready to keep a big secret.
I design user interfaces for a free network management application,
With a name like Cliff, you should do alright! ...it's a little known fact...
Being Bostonian you should already know American history fairly well, but my point is that it is worth memorizing a few lists, like
- vice presidents
- 1st ladies
- 1st ladies' pets (seriously!)
- supreme court judges, past and present
- losing presidential candidates
is essential.There are other possible lists, like national capitals, but personally I'd rely on general knowledge for those, while the above lists come under "things I couldn't bring myself to bother studying even when I knew I had a Jeopardy! tryout coming up". That was a mistake. I know most people advise that you can't really study for Jeopardy!, because it covers such a broad range of topics; you just have to know it from lifetime experience. That's mostly true, and most questions are not studiable. A few are though, since the above lists are a relatively small body of knowledge, and it can make a big difference if you hit one on a daily double. I know from watching that most of the 5-time champs know this stuff cold.
Good luck!
If we were ants living on a Rubik's cube, differential geometry would be a little more confusing.
Trebek: This is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.
You: African or European variety?
Trebek: Well, I don't know that... AAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!
Love the Third Amendment?
When you try out for Jeopardy you first take the written test. It's 50 questions, and you have less than 10 seconds to answer before you get the next one. Most of the questions are of the $1600 double jeopardy level of difficulty. You have to get at least 35 out of 50, but it's tougher than it sounds. Less than 10% typically make it to round two which consists of on-camera interviews and a mock game.
I tried out in Seattle 2 years ago and didn't make it but it was fun. Let us know how you do.
Is it weird in here, or is it just me?
Be careful when boning up on first ladies. The secret service will get ya.