The stress of competition has begun to weigh on the students of Future Business Leaders of America, the largest business career organization and club. In order to mitigate this stress, FBLA implemented a new resource: weekly study sessions. Every Thursday, club members have the opportunity to meet with board members to help them prepare for the upcoming competition season.
“I’m competing in economics, which is a test-based competition. This is my first year doing it and I’m looking to make it to districts for the 4th year in a row. Honestly, it’s not that much of a dedication in terms of time, but it’s definitely worth it to place in districts so you can hope to qualify for states in Orlando, ” senior Sebastian Portocarrero said.
The introduction of weekly study sessions allowed students to receive personal tutoring with their competition from upperclassmen with experience. Board members talked to each person to discuss their specific competition, offering help with the materials needed and how to use them.
“What’s really interesting about the study sessions is that they allow students to learn about what the infamous competitions even are. Whether it’s an objective test, another name for just a computer test, or a presentation, the board is able to use their past knowledge and look at the rubrics to help each individual student. So while we may be working towards an individual goal of winning, in the end, all of FBLA is benefiting,” senior Angelina Morffi said.
Study sessions for competitions started on Sept. 26, with students reporting to room 6220 after school to receive assistance. This also created an opportunity for students to sign up for competitions if they have not already done so. Students can gain information on this by attending weekly meetings and keeping up with the Gables’ FBLA Instagram account.
“There’s a competition for everyone. If a person doesn’t like public speaking, a common style, there are many more competitive options to choose from. Students can find a list of events to choose from by going to the FBLA website and choosing whichever interests them most,” sophomore Adimar Herrera said.
When preparing for a competition, President Sebastian Portocarrero usually looks at the topics that they’re testing him on and takes practice tests on Quizlet on the subject matter. Once familiar with the curriculum, he goes on YouTube to watch lectures available on the topic. FBLA releases their old tests and competition board members send out various resources for club members to use.
“I am doing financial statement analysis this year with Adimar Herrera and Alejandro Hernandez. What we do is research a company’s financial statements and predict where we think the company will go based on the research,” senior Kalel Sada said.
With six categories of events, students have more than enough options when it comes to choosing a competition. Co-Presidents Sebastian Portocarrero and Kalel Sada, alongside the seven Board of Competitions members, work together to make Thursday tutoring and competition prep a useful resource for the club.
“The study sessions really help students who are new to FBLA. I know that when I was a freshman and new to FBLA, the study sessions helped me make it to the state level of the competition. They have practice tests if you’re in a testing competition and they help you with your presentation if you compete in public speaking or parliamentary procedures,” sophomore Victoria Fuller said.
This is just the beginning of this new routine for members. By spending time with their peers in competitions, FBLA members can help each understand new ideas and use team effort to take on the competitions. By having these study sessions, students will better understand their competition, ultimately leading to better performance.
