About 10 months ago, if I were asked what the result of (-1) + (+1) was, I would respond with a sarcastic 0. However, I think my response will be a little different if the question is asked again. If you still agree with my initial response, please read on, as you might end up changing your mind.
Day "-1":
The classroom was quiet until our geology teacher broke the silence. "Yousef, what can you tell us about Saturn?" he asked. I was caught off guard, never having spoken in front of a large group before. Nervously, I responded, "Saturn is the planet (with planet's pronunciation) with rings around it." My teacher quipped, "Plant? Perhaps we should hold our next class on a farm instead of in the geology lab."
This moment sparked a challenge within me to improve my public speaking skills. I dedicated two hours each day to practicing in front of the mirror. I also started engaging more in discussions with friends in the dorms, learning how to handle difficult conversations.
Day "+1":
Resisting my fears:
One month later, it was announced that the ISEF competition was now accepting applications. Two days before that, I was reading an article about Egyptian wastewater in irrigation. "Plant?!" was my friend's response when I informed him about participating in the competition and suggested reducing the amount of wastewater.
Once more, my friend was certain that we wouldn't be able to get past the initial stage. "Even if we don't reach an advanced stage, I guarantee we will still positively influence the resolution of the issue," I retorted.
11/15/2022 was the date of the first judgment. Two hours before the initial judgment, my friend shouted, "Oh, Yousef, help me." Upon entering the room, I noticed that the floor was covered with prototype glass. "Be at ease, don't worry, we'll take care of it," I said. To gather the shattered glass, I injured myself. Therefore, I instructed my friend to keep working while I made another.
During the judgment, I felt caught between two forces, nervousness and unease. You know what? My fear wasn't from the presentation itself. I was afraid of the idea that [(-1) + (+1) = 0]. To begin, my friend's role was to break down the issue. "Egypt... Eg," my friend said. Then he paused. Seeing through my friend's eyes, I improvised to safely skip the situation.
On November 30, 2022, the decision was released. The auto-irrigation system advanced to the next stage.
One week later, I was the first team in the court-out of 1550 teams-to begin presenting my project. "Please imagine how much this water drop costs! I will give you about 40 billion dollars."
"That's it; Egyptian farmers think the wasted drop of water won't have a heavy value," I retorted. "However, Egypt loses around 40 billion dollars a year due to this ignorance," I continued.
I then went on to explain the idea behind the project. "To put it simply, it's a system to identify and supply the plant's needs." I was cut off by the professor, who said, "I saw this project before." I told him that it was made entirely in Egypt. I also mentioned that we were working on a database that connects common crops to Egypt's climate. "Your confident voice persuades me," the professor told me after the presentation.
12/30/2022: The "Auto Irrigation System" placed third in "Embedded Systems," nationally, at a major event in Alexandria.
The conditions were almost the same in both situations, but the results were different. What I learned in (-1) had a massive impact on the result in (+1). The result cannot be zero. Does the process have a zero value? Is wastewater from irrigation worthless? Is maintaining plant health valueless? Nope. Really, no.
So, what is the outcome of (-1) + (+1) now? It's growth, transformation, and success.
Day "-1":
The classroom was quiet until our geology teacher broke the silence. "Yousef, what can you tell us about Saturn?" he asked. I was caught off guard, never having spoken in front of a large group before. Nervously, I responded, "Saturn is the planet (with planet's pronunciation) with rings around it." My teacher quipped, "Plant? Perhaps we should hold our next class on a farm instead of in the geology lab."
This moment sparked a challenge within me to improve my public speaking skills. I dedicated two hours each day to practicing in front of the mirror. I also started engaging more in discussions with friends in the dorms, learning how to handle difficult conversations.
Day "+1":
Resisting my fears:
One month later, it was announced that the ISEF competition was now accepting applications. Two days before that, I was reading an article about Egyptian wastewater in irrigation. "Plant?!" was my friend's response when I informed him about participating in the competition and suggested reducing the amount of wastewater.
Once more, my friend was certain that we wouldn't be able to get past the initial stage. "Even if we don't reach an advanced stage, I guarantee we will still positively influence the resolution of the issue," I retorted.
11/15/2022 was the date of the first judgment. Two hours before the initial judgment, my friend shouted, "Oh, Yousef, help me." Upon entering the room, I noticed that the floor was covered with prototype glass. "Be at ease, don't worry, we'll take care of it," I said. To gather the shattered glass, I injured myself. Therefore, I instructed my friend to keep working while I made another.
During the judgment, I felt caught between two forces, nervousness and unease. You know what? My fear wasn't from the presentation itself. I was afraid of the idea that [(-1) + (+1) = 0]. To begin, my friend's role was to break down the issue. "Egypt... Eg," my friend said. Then he paused. Seeing through my friend's eyes, I improvised to safely skip the situation.
On November 30, 2022, the decision was released. The auto-irrigation system advanced to the next stage.
One week later, I was the first team in the court-out of 1550 teams-to begin presenting my project. "Please imagine how much this water drop costs! I will give you about 40 billion dollars."
"That's it; Egyptian farmers think the wasted drop of water won't have a heavy value," I retorted. "However, Egypt loses around 40 billion dollars a year due to this ignorance," I continued.
I then went on to explain the idea behind the project. "To put it simply, it's a system to identify and supply the plant's needs." I was cut off by the professor, who said, "I saw this project before." I told him that it was made entirely in Egypt. I also mentioned that we were working on a database that connects common crops to Egypt's climate. "Your confident voice persuades me," the professor told me after the presentation.
12/30/2022: The "Auto Irrigation System" placed third in "Embedded Systems," nationally, at a major event in Alexandria.
The conditions were almost the same in both situations, but the results were different. What I learned in (-1) had a massive impact on the result in (+1). The result cannot be zero. Does the process have a zero value? Is wastewater from irrigation worthless? Is maintaining plant health valueless? Nope. Really, no.
So, what is the outcome of (-1) + (+1) now? It's growth, transformation, and success.
