The journey from BPMMQ to a research career

"I was this nervous high schooler who had done plenty of local quizzes but nothing on this scale—and definitely nothing so intensely chemistry/science-focused. I remember thinking the 25th edition was absolutely grand compared to anything I'd experienced before. The whole setup, the guests, the other teams—everything felt so professional and intimidating in the best possible way."

"The actual quiz day was a rollercoaster. "

"We got through the prelims without many issues. Those first few questions in the semifinals? Disaster. My teammate and I were answering and getting them wrong, and I could feel my confidence just evaporating. But then something clicked (pun intended), and we started finding our groove mid semifinal session. The moment we realised we'd qualified for the finals, with our friends cheering us on—I still get goosebumps thinking about it. "

"Coming second nationally was beyond anything I'd dreamed of when we first signed up."

"At the time, I wasn't even sure I wanted to study chemistry seriously. BPMMQ was just this interesting challenge that combined my love for quizzes with science. But looking back, I think that experience planted something important. The way the questions made me think about materials differently, the breadth of topics we encountered—it all stayed with me."

"Fast forward a few years, and here I was, a chemistry major, spending my summers interning at IGCAR. It felt like coming full circle when I started getting involved with question setting. I'd literally travel back from university on BPMMQ days because I didn't want to miss the energy of the day. There was something so satisfying about being part of the team that created those "aha!" moments for new participants."

"It made me fall in love with materials science. "

"All those hours researching potential questions, exploring different areas of chemistry—it's where my current PhD focus really began to take shape. BPMMQ didn't just play a part in my decision to major in chemistry; it helped me discover the exact corner of chemistry that fascinates me most.

Over the years, BPMMQ became this anchor point in my year. No matter how busy things got with university or research, I'd always find a way to be involved. The people I met, the friendships that formed (my quiz partner and I are still good friends and stay connected when we can!)—it became this wonderful community. There's something special about representing your school nationally, but there's something even more special about then helping create that experience for others."

"If I could tell future participants one thing, it would be this: yes, try to win, but don't let that be your only goal.

Some of my best learning happened when I got questions wrong and had to figure out why. The knowledge you'll pick up, the way it'll change how you think about chemistry and science in general—that's the real prize."

-Sarah Geo,
Doctoral Research Fellow ,
Runner-up, BPMMQ-2017,
contributor to BPMMQ 2018 through 2024