What to Expect

What to Expect at your Regional Contest

Plan ahead for a full day on campus! Read on to learn about how the day will go. 

Sign In: As soon as you arrive, go directly to your competition room and sign your name on the posted check-in list.

Set up: If you have exhibits to set up or props to drop off, take care of that next. Remember, setup is student-only! Parents and teachers may not assist with setting up exhibits, screening films or handling props and costumes.

Welcome Ceremony: Join your group and come to the Welcome Ceremony for a roll call and overview of the day. 

Meet with Judges: You'll have a scheduled time to meet with your judge team. You'll present your work and take part in a short interview about your project.

Free time: When you're done with judging, you're free to explore, take a break for lunch or a snack, or take a campus tour. There will be time to view other students' exhibits and perhaps sit in on a documentary screening or performance.

Awards Ceremony: We close the day with an Awards Ceremony, where the top three entries in each category will be announced. The top three will be invited to move on to the next level of competition. Click here to see a sample contest day agenda. 

Meeting with Judges

Meeting with judges is one of the most memorable parts of the day. Judges are volunteers who usually have a background in education, libraries, research, history, museums, or a related field. They will ask you questions about your project. Stay calm and collected! You may want to plan some of your answers to common questions, and practice ahead of time. Below are some of the questions judges often ask: 

  • How did you choose this topic? Why does it interest you?
  • What was your most important primary source? 
  • How does your topic relate to this year's theme? 
  • What is something unexpected you learned during your research process?
  • What was something you had to leave out of your project? Why did you make that choice? 
  • What challenges did you face while researching and how did you work your way through them? 

What to Bring

Check the category instructions below to learn what you should bring. You are responsible for all items and technology you bring. NJ History Day, National History Day, and your campus host  are not responsible for any items lost during competition.

Exhibits

  • Your exhibit and all associated props or objects. 
  • Cables and cords for any electrical needs
  • 3 copies each of your Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography 

Documentaries

  • A copy of your documentary on a flash drive 
  • A backup copy of your documentary in another format, such as on a laptop
  • Please do not rely on having Wi-Fi the day of competition. If the Internet goes down, you must still be able to project your work. You may want to upload your documentary to the web as a backup, however.
  • 3 copies each of your Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography 

Performances

  • Costumes and props. You will receive instructions about where you can drop your props and costumes off in the morning
  • 3 copies each of your Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography 

Papers and Websites

  • These categories are judged virtually, so you do not have a judges' interview. Still, you are welcome to attend the contest to support your classmates and see other student's work. You are also welcome to join us just for the Awards Ceremony