High school debate is not just about flexing your vocal skills. It requires ample time behind the scenes researching, organizing, writing, preparing, and practicing in order to build a valid argument.

Developing strong organizational skills are crucial for success in high school debate. After thoroughly researching the topic at hand, students must organize their findings in a concise manner. Because debate competitions only allot a certain amount of time per participant, individuals must wisely organize their findings into categorical levels of importance.

Essentially, students should view their debate in timeline form, with the most important points at the front, and weaker notes at the end. It’s critical for a student to organize her findings in a timely manner so she has a greater chance of beating her opponent.

On the other end of the spectrum, it’s imperative for a debater to organize potential rebuttals to her competitor’s argument. Not only is a student practicing her side of the argument, but also, she must anticipate what her competitor is going to present and be able to quickly and effectively respond.

Being highly organized requires a student to:

1. Develop time management: effectively using the time allotted to present a compelling argument.
2. Prioritize by placing the most critical pieces of discussion at the beginning of the debate.
3. Possess mental organization: having the proper documentation in place, at the correct time, to easily respond to a competitor’s claim or question.

With the growth of technology, students are able to organize their findings using various apps, many of which can be shared amongst team members.

Having a high level of organization leads to clarity within the debate topic, for both the competitor and the listening audience, confidence when presenting well-prepared information, and the ability to gather thoughts quickly and think on the spur of the moment.