Assistant Professor of Government Thomas M. Nichols:

How do you win big on "Jeopardy"?

Those buzzers are the key. You can't ring in until Alex Trabek is done with the question. Then it's a horse race.

Some advice for Jeopardy hopefuls: The game is almost impossible to study for. At my contestant tryout there were scads of people walking around with encyclopedias and reference books. None of them made it, because they were too nervous. You have to assume that you already know most of the things they'll ask because you heard it somewhere, sometime. Also, be careful about clues: "Jeopardy" sometimes buries the answer right there in the question, if you're paying attention. Example: In a category I dreaded called "Hints from Heloise," they said, "You needn't lick these postal items; use a light bulb and a dish of water." Well, how many "postal items" are there in the world? Certainly, you're not going to lick a mailbox, and even if you know nothing about "Hints from Heloise," you sure as heck know what a "postal item" is.

Then there is the matter of getting through multiple tapings. Although on TV it appears that winning contestants return on subsequent days, in reality the games are played and recorded one after another. Contestants keep at it until they win five games or lose somewhere along the way. Accordingly, "Jeopardy" asks you to bring three changes of clothing. As for staying alert during multiple tapings, your adrenaline will take care of that. The key is to focus on the question, be fast on the clicker, and try not to pay too much attention to the scores. Things really switch fast, especially in Double Jeopardy, and players who get obsessed with dollar amounts when they should be thinking about the board probably lose.

Thomas Nichols appearedon 'Jeopardy," the SAT oftelevision game shows, inearly February. By the timehe finished his four-show runhe had racked up $45,690and a Dartmouth fan club.

Winner Nichols