How I should Prepare for the AMC 10 in This Situation

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aboveaverage

159 posts

aboveaverage

#1 h Dec 23, 2014, 12:46 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Even though there have been threads upon threads discussing preparation for the AMC, it's still not 100% clear to me what I should be doing.

Last year, I got a 114 with minimal preparation on the AMC 10 with two stupid mistakes that costed me an AIME invite. This year, my goal is to get in the Distinguished honor roll (about 132 at least for AMC A).

I've been doing more preparation this year than last year especially with Aops Volume I (I also have II but I haven't been using it often). Every day when I'm studying, I'll feel motivated for about 90-120 minutes, but then I'll hit a wall and won't want to study unless I force myself to.

So a few questions here...

1. Should I just study until I don't feel like learning more for the day?
2. How much would doing Volume II help on the AMC 10? Should I do it anyway if I think I'll make it to AIME?
3. Does doing past AMC problems help a lot? (even AMC 12 problems or AIME problems?)

Any other advice would be appreciated too.

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Benq

3396 posts

Benq

#2 h Dec 23, 2014, 12:56 AM • 7 Y

Y by champion999, Adventure10, Mango247, and 4 other users

1.) You should study as much as you can, but don't cram. (How do you have that much time a day anyways

)
2.) Volume II doesn't really help for amc 10, but it does for AIME. It may be a little too advanced for you.
3.) Yes; both amc 12 and amc 10 problems help for amc 10, although amc 12 might involve some trigonometry.

Btw, you should do a lot of alcumus as well.

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Not_a_Username

1215 posts

Not_a_Username

#3 h Dec 23, 2014, 1:06 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

I agree with the above and I also want to suggest one more thing: Have a goal daily or weekly (make it reasonable) so you can organise and not procrastinate.

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Superfan123

151 posts

Superfan123

#4 h Dec 23, 2014, 4:09 AM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

I got a 144 on the AMC 10 A and a 126 on the AMC 10 B. For you, if you have about 90-120 minutes of motivation, use it wisely. I would say do 30 minutes of AMC 10, 30 minutes of 12, and 30 minutes of AIME and you can use the rest of your time to go over incorrect answers. You know you should be able to answer #s 1 to 15 with no problem, so focus on the last 5 questions...This is what I'd recommend.

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soccerswag10

37 posts

soccerswag10

#5 h Dec 23, 2014, 5:05 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10 and 1 other user

What topics are most important to master on the AMC 10?

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BobaFett101

510 posts

BobaFett101

#6 h Dec 23, 2014, 5:18 AM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

You'll need to have knowledge on a medley of subjects, like algebra, geometry, number theory, combinatorics, miscellaneous (clock problems, distance-time-rate problems), etc. However, the final 5 problems, in my experience are usually number theory, geometry, and abstract thinking based, while the first 15 or so are quite a bit of algebra. It is better to be proficient in all subjects, though.

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droid347

2679 posts

droid347

#7 h Dec 23, 2014, 11:55 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

On the topic of hitting a "wall", I was often in your situation last year, and would attempt to remedy myself after I hit the "wall" by posting excessively on AoPS or something (and to some extent, I still do). However, I have (partly) gotten over it by stopping math when it gets to be too much and doing something else. Scheduling myself has also worked out very well (check out my latest blog post for more info). For example, this is my schedule for today: Click to reveal hidden text. Although I might not follow it exactly, it gives me good guidelines, and I try to plan violin practice, meals, or coding whenever I think I will get tired of math. (Also, this is a bit extreme, I usually have tennis or something, and I am also on winter break at the moment).

Good luck for the AMC 10 this year!

This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by droid347, Dec 26, 2014, 10:29 PM

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SMOJ

2663 posts

SMOJ

#8 h Dec 23, 2014, 12:47 PM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

aboveaverage wrote:

Even though there have been threads upon threads discussing preparation for the AMC, it's still not 100% clear to me what I should be doing.

Last year, I got a 114 with minimal preparation on the AMC 10 with two stupid mistakes that costed me an AIME invite. This year, my goal is to get in the Distinguished honor roll (about 132 at least for AMC A).

I've been doing more preparation this year than last year especially with Aops Volume I (I also have II but I haven't been using it often). Every day when I'm studying, I'll feel motivated for about 90-120 minutes, but then I'll hit a wall and won't want to study unless I force myself to.

So a few questions here...

1. Should I just study until I don't feel like learning more for the day?

Yes. 90 minutes everyday for the AMCs is very enough.

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shiningsunnyday

1350 posts

shiningsunnyday

#9 h Dec 23, 2014, 1:17 PM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

1. Should I just study until I don't feel like learning more for the day?

That's just your decision. I could try motivating you through the internet but it's still all up to you. I'm in the same situation as you right now, desperately longing for an AIME invitation (I'm taking it this year too) and I feel that the best way to motivate myself is to keep track of all my results from doing past AMC tests. I feel motivated every time I remind myself of the improvement I've made since Day 1, and feel like it's my duty to not give up until I get that AIME invitation (hopefully I will this year). However, cramming too much everyday is a bad habit. When my head is buried within my AoPS textbook, I just try to be absorbed in the content. Time flies once you can achieve that, and hopefully you can subconsciously improve more than if you try to force content into your head.

2. How much would doing Volume II help on the AMC 10? Should I do it anyway if I think I'll make it to AIME?

Volume II is an extension to Volume I basically. It's designed for success on the AIME and even the USAMO. Volume I is meanwhile mostly for the AMCs. If your target is to continue learning and hopefully improve your AIME score after you make it to the AIME, you should definitely do Volume II. What I really like about Volume II is the textbook's organization, because I can easily skip to the chapters that I'm weak at. While the Volume II is great for improvement on AIME, you should focus on finishing Volume I first if your target at hand is to just qualify for the AIME.

3. Does doing past AMC problems help a lot? (even AMC 12 problems or AIME problems?)

Oh my god. OH MY GOD. I can't emphasize how much past AMC problems have helped me. As I mentioned before, I do a mock test every several days. The best way to improve your score, by personal experience, is to constantly due past exams and view the solutions. I've seen similar concepts appear multiple times, thus I understand the question format very well. Plus, similar problem-solving skills appear all the time, and doing as much past questions as you can will definitely improve your score. By doing mock tests also help your pacing skills on the exam, and will prevent mistakes such as spending 20 minutes on one question that you can't just figure out. Doing mock tests will help you the most on exam day, which is something that you can't learn from elsewhere. AMC 12 is simply a slightly-harder version of AMC 10. A lot of the questions each AMC test appear both in the AMC 10 and AMC 12. For example, maybe #23 on the AMC 10 might be the #19 on the AMC 12 that year. You should try AMC 12 questions once you go through all the AMC 10 past questions. As for AIME problems, I won't recommend it. The question formats and structures are different, and the problem solving strategies you employ on AIME problems are different and more advanced. As for your situation, first try to qualify for the AIME by doing past AMC 10 questions before worrying about doing AIME problems.

*In addition, I strongly recommend AoPS's videos on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtofProblemSolving/
Richard Rusczyk is simply A.M.A.Z.I.N.G at teaching. It also includes videos of him going over past AMC and AIME questions. You won't have to worry about getting bored cause he's so creative at teaching, and you can easily absorb his teachings.

The above is all personal experience from what I learned preparing for the AMCs. I'm in a similar situation as you, since I'm hoping to qualify for the AIME this year as well, so I hope my experience can help you.

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shiningsunnyday

1350 posts

shiningsunnyday

#10 h Dec 23, 2014, 1:28 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

soccerswag10 wrote:

What topics are most important to master on the AMC 10?

The four main ones are: Algebra, Geometry, Number Theory and Combinatorics

For algebra, your school curriculum is enough for the basics. Introduction to Algebra also helps for the AMC. You shouldn't worry too much.

For geometry, based on experience, triangles and circles come up by far the most often -- especially 30-60-90 triangles and 45-45-90 triangles. Equilateral triangles are important too, and make sure you master how to calculate areas of complicated shapes that are perhaps an amalgamation of circles and triangles. The more problem-solving experience, the better.

For number theory... Personally I suck at it, but it definitely helps with the Introduction to Number Theory AoPS book. There're aren't really any concepts to master since it involves a lot of logical thinking and finding number patterns. You can practice with past AMC problems.

For combinatorics: I just finished the Introduction to Counting and Probability AoPS textbook, and it has helped me SO much. I can solve pretty much most of the hardest combinatorics problems on the AMC thanks to it. It's perfect for the AMC. It's also the shortest AoPS textbook there is, I think: so it won't cost that long.

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SMOJ

2663 posts

SMOJ

#11 h Dec 23, 2014, 1:35 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

aboveaverage wrote:

1. Should I just study until I don't feel like learning more for the day?
3. Does doing past AMC problems help a lot? (even AMC 12 problems or AIME problems?)

This year January, before the AMC 10, I watched this: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Videos/index.php?type=amc
Watching this when you are tired is better than personally trying out the problems in my view.

In case you are interested, I improved from 106.5 to 144.

EDIT: oops, I just saw this has been mentioned

This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by SMOJ, Dec 24, 2014, 6:44 AM

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droid347

2679 posts

droid347

#12 h Dec 23, 2014, 5:58 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Quote:

For geometry, based on experience, triangles and circles come up by far the most often -- especially 30-60-90 triangles and 45-45-90 triangles. Equilateral triangles are important too, and make sure you master how to calculate areas of complicated shapes that are perhaps an amalgamation of circles and triangles. The more problem-solving experience, the better.

As a geometry hater turned geometry lover, I'd also like to add that the "Bisectors in a Triangle" and "Triangle Medians and Altitudes" categories on Alcumus are extremely helpful towards AMC 10 prep.

Quote:

For combinatorics: I just finished the Introduction to Counting and Probability AoPS textbook, and it has helped me SO much. I can solve pretty much most of the hardest combinatorics problems on the AMC thanks to it. It's perfect for the AMC. It's also the shortest AoPS textbook there is, I think: so it won't cost that long.

Seconded, but it is also worth noting that the Combo topics on Alcumus are very helpful.

tl;dr (it wasn't even long) do alcumus

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RadioActive

2302 posts

RadioActive

#13 h Dec 23, 2014, 6:58 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

My advice would be to order Volume 1. If you want to go deeper into concepts, I would advice you to do the Intro Books, though the last 5 or so questions are about the Intermediate level.

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aboveaverage

159 posts

aboveaverage

#14 h Dec 26, 2014, 3:55 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Thanks for the help everyone!

Also, if I wanted to do good on the AIME, is there anything else I can do aside from Aops II and past questions?

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DrMath

2130 posts

DrMath

#15 h Dec 26, 2014, 4:07 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Edit: The post I was referring to got deleted.

This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by DrMath, Dec 26, 2014, 9:47 PM

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RadioActive

2302 posts

RadioActive

#16 h Dec 26, 2014, 7:29 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

aboveaverage wrote:

Also, if I wanted to do good on the AIME, is there anything else I can do aside from Aops II and past questions?

Enroll in a few intermediate classes http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/classlist.php
You can also check out the intermediate books here. http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Store/curriculum.php

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droid347

2679 posts

droid347

#17 h Dec 26, 2014, 10:32 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

RadioActive wrote:

aboveaverage wrote:

Also, if I wanted to do good on the AIME, is there anything else I can do aside from Aops II and past questions?

Enroll in a few intermediate classes http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/classlist.php
You can also check out the intermediate books here. http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Store/curriculum.php

Also, check out the UKMT books. They're a bit dense and some are a bit more advanced than the AoPS Intermediates, but they are quite well written.

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shreyaskb

100 posts

shreyaskb

#18 h Dec 27, 2014, 6:47 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

For Geometry, has anyone ever read the books Kiselev's Geometry I and II? Are they better than AOPS Introduction to Geometry, for contest preparation?

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niraekjs

1861 posts

niraekjs

#19 h Dec 27, 2014, 7:12 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Do intermediate algebra.

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aboveaverage

159 posts

aboveaverage

#20 h Dec 29, 2014, 10:03 PM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

I've been doing Aops volume 2 recently, and it seems like it's a big jump from volume 1. The concepts take a lot more time to understand, and there's heaps of questions that I can't do yet.

Is it going to be worth doing volume 2 if it will be a struggle to learn the book?

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TheMaskedMagician

2955 posts

TheMaskedMagician

#21 h Dec 29, 2014, 10:07 PM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

niraekjs wrote:

Do intermediate algebra.

I personally feel that intermediate algebra is too advanced for just AMC 10. Its good for AIME but for AMC 10 purposes, its better to focus on all of the subjects not just one.

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hamup1

380 posts

hamup1

#22 h Dec 30, 2014, 3:40 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

aboveaverage wrote:

I've been doing Aops volume 2 recently, and it seems like it's a big jump from volume 1. The concepts take a lot more time to understand, and there's heaps of questions that I can't do yet.

Is it going to be worth doing volume 2 if it will be a struggle to learn the book?

A wise man once told me : "The only way to improve is to challenge yourself, do problems outside of your comfort zone. ... As long as you struggle with the problems you do you will improve."
It really depends on what you are struggling on. If it is the concepts that they review from Volume 1 or concepts that Volume 2 assumes you know already that you are struggling on, I recommend that you go through Volume 1 first. If there are new concepts that you do not understand, then I recommend asking questions on the AoPS forums since there are many people there to help you out.

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Benq

3396 posts

Benq

#23 h Dec 30, 2014, 3:49 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Volume 2: Yes, it was challenging for me as well, but it is worth doing volume 2. Btw, if you're really stuck on one subject, you can always skip to the next chapter. I found analytic geometry really confusing, so I just skipped it and came back to it at the end. By that time, I was able to understand the chapter slightly better.

If you haven't finished volume 1 / done alcumus, you should do that first. Then you'll have a better foundation.

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aboveaverage

159 posts

aboveaverage

#24 h Dec 30, 2014, 3:50 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

hamup1 wrote:

aboveaverage wrote:

I've been doing Aops volume 2 recently, and it seems like it's a big jump from volume 1. The concepts take a lot more time to understand, and there's heaps of questions that I can't do yet.

Is it going to be worth doing volume 2 if it will be a struggle to learn the book?

A wise man once told me : "The only way to improve is to challenge yourself, do problems outside of your comfort zone. ... As long as you struggle with the problems you do you will improve."
It really depends on what you are struggling on. If it is the concepts that they review from Volume 1 or concepts that Volume 2 assumes you know already that you are struggling on, I recommend that you go through Volume 1 first. If there are new concepts that you do not understand, then I recommend asking questions on the AoPS forums since there are many people there to help you out.

The material seems to be comprehensible to me, but I can't understand it well enough to be able to tackle the exercises/questions that aren't the easiest.

Thanks for the advice!

Do you have any other general tips when studying volume 2? (like studying habits or stuff like that)

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aboveaverage

159 posts

aboveaverage

#25 h Dec 30, 2014, 3:52 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Benq wrote:

Volume 2: Yes, it was challenging for me as well, but it is worth doing volume 2. Btw, if you're really stuck on one subject, you can always skip to the next chapter. I found analytic geometry really confusing, so I just skipped it and came back to it at the end. By that time, I was able to understand the chapter slightly better.

If you haven't finished volume 1 / done alcumus, you should do that first. Then you'll have a better foundation.

I've done volume 1 already, but I haven't done alcumus.

I visited alcumus one time, but the questions I was presented with seemed trivial. Does it get harder or more challenging after doing a series of questions?

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Benq

3396 posts

Benq

#26 h Dec 30, 2014, 3:59 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

@aboveaverage you can always skip the easy topics (there's a pencil on the right above the subject which allows you to change the subject) and set the difficulty level to insane

.

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Bob_Smith

513 posts

Bob_Smith

#27 h Dec 30, 2014, 4:38 AM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

What worked best for me: before I even started AoPS, I did one practice AMC 10 every week and checked the solutions. I got 118.5 (-___-) but I'm taking AIME A problem series and AMC 12, and my score is in like 130-140 range now.

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nosaj

2008 posts

nosaj

#28 h Dec 30, 2014, 4:43 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Benq wrote:

@aboveaverage you can always skip the easy topics (there's a pencil on the right above the subject which allows you to change the subject) and set the difficulty level to insane

.

In case you don't know how to change the difficulty level, here is a tutorial:

1. Click on Settings in the left menu bar.
//cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/images/4a0ae1d4c5dd4d48ee629a98038f7280445a1f3c.png

//cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/images/4a0ae1d4c5dd4d48ee629a98038f7280445a1f3c.png

2. Select "Insane" in the section labeled "Problem Difficulty".
//cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/images/b99e6452381313e73c9def9737f4c2400a16d172.png

//cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/images/b99e6452381313e73c9def9737f4c2400a16d172.png

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SMOJ

2663 posts

SMOJ

#29 h Dec 30, 2014, 6:44 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Even Insane problems are too easy.

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shiningsunnyday

1350 posts

shiningsunnyday

#30 h Jan 2, 2015, 5:44 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

Doing AOPS Volume 2 is pretty pointless for preparing for the AMC 10. Volume 2 is great for AMC 12 concepts that are excluded in the AMC 10 and for AIME. Volume 1 is sufficient for content covered on the AMC 10. So to answer your question, it depends on your priority right now.

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jonyj1005

1705 posts

jonyj1005

#31 h Jan 2, 2015, 10:31 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

If Insane problems are too easy, then you probably are ready for the AMC 10.

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aboveaverage

159 posts

aboveaverage

#32 h Jan 30, 2015, 4:49 AM • 1 Y

Y by Adventure10

Sorry to have to bump this thread again...

But if I do volume 2 thoroughly enough over this summer, will I still remember the material when the AMC 12/AIME tests come by in 2016?

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CalcCrunch

336 posts

CalcCrunch

#33 h Jan 30, 2015, 5:42 AM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

^Definitely. It would also help if you applied what you learned to actual AMC 12/AIME problems from past tests. And if you don't remember the material when next year comes around, that means you didn't do volume 2 thoroughly enough.

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spin8

326 posts

spin8

#34 h Aug 15, 2015, 9:15 PM • 2 Y

Y by Adventure10, Mango247

shiningsunnyday wrote:

For combinatorics: I just finished the Introduction to Counting and Probability AoPS textbook, and it has helped me SO much. I can solve pretty much most of the hardest combinatorics problems on the AMC thanks to it. It's perfect for the AMC. It's also the shortest AoPS textbook there is, I think: so it won't cost that long.

Do you think skipping intro to counting and probability and going straight to intermediate counting and probability would be okay for AMCs?

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Benq

3396 posts

Benq

#35 h Aug 15, 2015, 9:15 PM • 3 Y

Y by spin8, Adventure10, Mango247

Depends whether you are solid in intro to c&p; take the post-test.

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