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So I've decided that, since math competition season is coming up, I'm going to make a thread where people's questions are answered, so they don't have to ask. (I'm just sorta tired of seeing these threads, but I guess I also want to help the community...? Yup. Totally)
I'll gear this first one to MC, because that's what really most of the threads will be about.
Q: AHHH I FAIL AT MATHCOUNTS WAT DO I DO 11!!11!ONE!!?
A: Stop freaking out, read the rest of this thread.
Q: What review problems can I do?
A: This stuff:
http://geomath.do.am/_fr/0/main_problem_fi.pdf
http://mathcounts.saab.org/mc.cgi
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Wiki/index.php/AMC_8_Problems_and_Solutions
http://purplecomet.org/welcome/practice
http://www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/
and of course, legit tests. Ask around if you don't have some yourself. I have a huge collection, credit BT.
Q: I need to learn some stuff. Which books?
A: CMMS, by Jason Batterson
AOPS Vol. 1 by Richard Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky
There was another one that someone advertised, but I'll omit it from this list.
Q: I need some online stuff.
A: Here you are:
For Geo: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=561742&start=20
For Geo: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=2694508#p2694508
For Combo: http://infolab.stanford.edu/~ullman/focs/ch04.pdf
For NT: http://math.stanford.edu/~paquin/Notes.pdf (Have fun!)
For Algebra: ... none yet
Q: I'm having trouble managing my time. What do I do?
A: The general community will tell you basically the same thing over and over again: "Do MathFights (http://mathfights.com/) and do FTW (which can be found on AOPS itself)" Personally, I think these answers are a bit lame and lack depth, so I'll add my own two cents.
The first thing you should do is figure out where your weakness is. I took a couple of state tests and I took a stopwatch and I timed myself for each problem. Are you having a problem with the last 10 problems, and you get everything else right? Then attack the last 5 first, then go back and do the first. Are you having trouble doing Geometry? Just study the crap out of all the chapters related to Geometry. I find FTW and MathFights to be ineffective, but CD in real life will send adrenaline coursing through me, so that worked for me. It's all a matter of personal preference, I guess. If you notice that sound distracts you, bring a pair of earplugs. Just find the most logical way to fix your solution.
Q: You're a nice person.
A: I know :3
Q: I only have a week till [insert level here]... I'm seriously stressing, what do I do?
A: Do practice tests until about two days before the test. It seriously helps. You improve your timing, you improve your accuracy, and you get a feel for what the test is going to be like. If you have problems, see above links. Fix those.
After two days remain, just chill. Make a couple of goals, and set them high. Even if you come from a crappy chapter, set them high. The theory behind this is -- for most people, they'll fall below their goal. Pressure will get to them; something will happen. If you aim for 30, then you'll get a 25. Such is the way of life. Now, as azn as this may sound, set your goal at like a 45. and then you'll get a 40. and as cliche as this sounds, if you know you can't do it, try to believe in it. The heart and brain are tricked fairly easily ^.- Oh, and competitiveness works. If you hate somebody's guts, and they outperformed you, make it your single focus to kick their butt in the upcoming level. In fact, that's the goal of mathcounts. Become an automatic butt-kicking machine.
and yes, I know that some people have problems with relaxing. I can tell from experience that you really want to relax. I'm an Asian, so naturally I studied up until the minute of the test. Didn't work too well. So -- careful with that. It's all cliche advice, but it works.
Q: What do I eat for the test.
A: Ooh, my favorite subject. Chocolate is good for testing, because it releases positive endorphins, stimulating your brain. I read somewhere that bananas are good, but I don't like bananas that much, so meh. Gum and mints are OK, but I've never noticed any real difference with them. Granola bars are filling, and they work fine. Coffee works wonders ONLY if you're accustomed to caffeine. Orange juice is nice if you drink it after eating certain things. (like toothpaste. I mean, not eating it, but brushing with toothpaste. Try it some time.) tl;dr just get chocolate
Q: Tips for test day?
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=462013
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=570199&p=3348797#p3348797
Q: Any accessories?
A: Get a stopwatch, and USE THE CALCULATOR YOU KNOW BEST! Don't work with an n-spire because it's supposedly more powerful -- it will turn into [censor] heck for you. and don't use an TI-84 if you've never used one before. I know the hard way. so yea. Please don't ask things like "Casio vs. TI vs. HP vs. lelnewcompany?"
Q: I'm actually really bad at reading problems. Help?
A: Yup. We've all had this problem before. In CD, reading takes valuable time. In Sprint, not so much. Actually, it does, but way more's at stake here. If you take an extra 30 seconds to read the question, then that's fine. You may think that's 30 seconds off another problem, but in fact, it's just 30 seconds making sure you got that problem right. Don't go to the point of highlighting and underlining key points, because -- no, this isn't a verbal SAT test. Just read it slowly enough to be able to process the problem, and the start the work with a focus, rather than "ooh I see coordinates let's graph them and then see what happens."
Q: I'm having trouble with some of these problems. I feel like I get stuck on them, and I'm determined to get them. They suck me in like a black hole and I can't stop doing them!
A: Brute forcing is bad. If you see a problem you know you can't do, then skip it. Don't even attempt to begin to brute force it. It's a horrible waste of time. Mark it, and if you have extra time, come back. Doggy ear the page if you need to. A better use of your time would be to check your answers. and if you're having these problems on your practice test, go to the book and read the related subject. Coordinate bashing and trig bashing may be worth it, but they're also in the same category as brute forcing, but you may have had more experience with them, but... it's a run on sentence. I'll stop now. CB and TB are your personal choices.
Q: (thanks to hshiem) Do tests get harder with each year?
A: Sorta. You can really notice a significant increase in difficulty from the 1990s to the 2010s, but you can't really predict year to year fluctuations. For example, 2012 state was widely considered to be, by far, the hardest test. 2013 state wasn't as hard by any means.
This is super rough -- so if you guys want to suggest more questions that nubs generally ask, feel free. and if you want to add stuff, also feel free. I'll try to edit it in asap. Think of this is a first draft.
I'll gear this first one to MC, because that's what really most of the threads will be about.
Q: AHHH I FAIL AT MATHCOUNTS WAT DO I DO 11!!11!ONE!!?
A: Stop freaking out, read the rest of this thread.
Q: What review problems can I do?
A: This stuff:
http://geomath.do.am/_fr/0/main_problem_fi.pdf
http://mathcounts.saab.org/mc.cgi
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Wiki/index.php/AMC_8_Problems_and_Solutions
http://purplecomet.org/welcome/practice
http://www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/
and of course, legit tests. Ask around if you don't have some yourself. I have a huge collection, credit BT.
Q: I need to learn some stuff. Which books?
A: CMMS, by Jason Batterson
AOPS Vol. 1 by Richard Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky
There was another one that someone advertised, but I'll omit it from this list.
Q: I need some online stuff.
A: Here you are:
For Geo: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=561742&start=20
For Geo: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=2694508#p2694508
For Combo: http://infolab.stanford.edu/~ullman/focs/ch04.pdf
For NT: http://math.stanford.edu/~paquin/Notes.pdf (Have fun!)
For Algebra: ... none yet
Q: I'm having trouble managing my time. What do I do?
A: The general community will tell you basically the same thing over and over again: "Do MathFights (http://mathfights.com/) and do FTW (which can be found on AOPS itself)" Personally, I think these answers are a bit lame and lack depth, so I'll add my own two cents.
The first thing you should do is figure out where your weakness is. I took a couple of state tests and I took a stopwatch and I timed myself for each problem. Are you having a problem with the last 10 problems, and you get everything else right? Then attack the last 5 first, then go back and do the first. Are you having trouble doing Geometry? Just study the crap out of all the chapters related to Geometry. I find FTW and MathFights to be ineffective, but CD in real life will send adrenaline coursing through me, so that worked for me. It's all a matter of personal preference, I guess. If you notice that sound distracts you, bring a pair of earplugs. Just find the most logical way to fix your solution.
Q: You're a nice person.
A: I know :3
Q: I only have a week till [insert level here]... I'm seriously stressing, what do I do?
A: Do practice tests until about two days before the test. It seriously helps. You improve your timing, you improve your accuracy, and you get a feel for what the test is going to be like. If you have problems, see above links. Fix those.
After two days remain, just chill. Make a couple of goals, and set them high. Even if you come from a crappy chapter, set them high. The theory behind this is -- for most people, they'll fall below their goal. Pressure will get to them; something will happen. If you aim for 30, then you'll get a 25. Such is the way of life. Now, as azn as this may sound, set your goal at like a 45. and then you'll get a 40. and as cliche as this sounds, if you know you can't do it, try to believe in it. The heart and brain are tricked fairly easily ^.- Oh, and competitiveness works. If you hate somebody's guts, and they outperformed you, make it your single focus to kick their butt in the upcoming level. In fact, that's the goal of mathcounts. Become an automatic butt-kicking machine.
and yes, I know that some people have problems with relaxing. I can tell from experience that you really want to relax. I'm an Asian, so naturally I studied up until the minute of the test. Didn't work too well. So -- careful with that. It's all cliche advice, but it works.
Q: What do I eat for the test.
A: Ooh, my favorite subject. Chocolate is good for testing, because it releases positive endorphins, stimulating your brain. I read somewhere that bananas are good, but I don't like bananas that much, so meh. Gum and mints are OK, but I've never noticed any real difference with them. Granola bars are filling, and they work fine. Coffee works wonders ONLY if you're accustomed to caffeine. Orange juice is nice if you drink it after eating certain things. (like toothpaste. I mean, not eating it, but brushing with toothpaste. Try it some time.) tl;dr just get chocolate
Q: Tips for test day?
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=462013
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=570199&p=3348797#p3348797
Q: Any accessories?
A: Get a stopwatch, and USE THE CALCULATOR YOU KNOW BEST! Don't work with an n-spire because it's supposedly more powerful -- it will turn into [censor] heck for you. and don't use an TI-84 if you've never used one before. I know the hard way. so yea. Please don't ask things like "Casio vs. TI vs. HP vs. lelnewcompany?"
Q: I'm actually really bad at reading problems. Help?
A: Yup. We've all had this problem before. In CD, reading takes valuable time. In Sprint, not so much. Actually, it does, but way more's at stake here. If you take an extra 30 seconds to read the question, then that's fine. You may think that's 30 seconds off another problem, but in fact, it's just 30 seconds making sure you got that problem right. Don't go to the point of highlighting and underlining key points, because -- no, this isn't a verbal SAT test. Just read it slowly enough to be able to process the problem, and the start the work with a focus, rather than "ooh I see coordinates let's graph them and then see what happens."
Q: I'm having trouble with some of these problems. I feel like I get stuck on them, and I'm determined to get them. They suck me in like a black hole and I can't stop doing them!
A: Brute forcing is bad. If you see a problem you know you can't do, then skip it. Don't even attempt to begin to brute force it. It's a horrible waste of time. Mark it, and if you have extra time, come back. Doggy ear the page if you need to. A better use of your time would be to check your answers. and if you're having these problems on your practice test, go to the book and read the related subject. Coordinate bashing and trig bashing may be worth it, but they're also in the same category as brute forcing, but you may have had more experience with them, but... it's a run on sentence. I'll stop now. CB and TB are your personal choices.
Q: (thanks to hshiem) Do tests get harder with each year?
A: Sorta. You can really notice a significant increase in difficulty from the 1990s to the 2010s, but you can't really predict year to year fluctuations. For example, 2012 state was widely considered to be, by far, the hardest test. 2013 state wasn't as hard by any means.
This is super rough -- so if you guys want to suggest more questions that nubs generally ask, feel free. and if you want to add stuff, also feel free. I'll try to edit it in asap. Think of this is a first draft.
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by WolfOfAtlantis, Jan 31, 2014, 9:41 PM
