why I did TMSCA/UIL

[potato]

Hi everyone,

I'm waay past the days of high school (and college for that matter), but I wanted to stop by and say hello. I sometimes browse these forums to see how folks from my old district are doing and to reminisce on my old competition days. I mean, wow, I wonder what my old competitors are up to now? Are Klein and Westfield still making the 5A competition miserable like they made me? :D

I can tell you guys that TMSCA/UIL was the most academically rewarding (and lucrative! scholarship $$ baby!) experience of my grade school life. I got to travel all around Texas, had something fun to do nearly every weekend, had an awesome mentor, made friends at school and across the state, and I got to bring home trophies every week to a family that had no idea what to do with my collection. And though I've lost most of my skills from those days in high school, I can still square 3-digit numbers and dumbfound my coworkers and classmates every now and then.

Anyway from looking at results, i can tell you guys are very talented. I hope you all find it as great an experience as I did.

Good luck with your academic endeavors and with the rest of high school!

potato

[hhhsmath06]

Klein is still good, amazingly good.
Westfield...i've never heard of it b4 (i graudated from hs last yr)
Best part about UIL for me:
1. better understanding of texas geography - traveling around, knowing where places are...
2. meeting ppl who are like me, and - most of the time - ppl who are better than i.
3. making friends...competing with them...then go to their rival college and making fun of each other. (i am an aggie, lots of ppl i competed with go to UT)

to me, college is not as fun as hs, no more UIL, no more trophies, no more motivation. My parents won't let me drive around, so ya...

q

[MistaPotta]

Yeah, I remember the fun days back when I competed. Now, I'm just trying to give back my little piece. Coaching is fun, but not nearly as fun as actually competing.

Keeping up the site is fun, too :) We'll celebrate our tenth year in March, 2007.

Q, did you not do the Putnam exam? There are others you can do in college.

~MP

[AuSmith]

Westfield was good about 3-5 years ago I believe

[hhhsmath06]

...i just made a huge reply but since i took so long to write the system stopped me from submitting it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyways...no i have never heard of the putnam exam...i went to a crappy school (kinda)...never worked hard for any class until i joined UIL my sopho yr...

how did you do in UIL back in ur days, mr.potter?

i am sure there are math competitions that i can do...but my major/parents are preventing me from doing it...i am a biomed major trying to graduate in 3 or less yrs and go to med school asap...

q

[potato]

[potato]

[hhhsmath06]

"If i were you I wouldn't be in such a hurry to get into med school. Enjoy college, take courses that you're interested in along with your major, take the 4 full years to graduate -- because medical school is incredibly intense and it WILL consume your life, and you'll wish that you had taken the time to enjoy life beforehand lol. And besides, the application process has gotten incredibly competitive, and med schools want students with well-rounded educations."

LOL, you sound just like my advisor...! haha, speaking of intense, 1st thing my friend who is about to get into med school said to me was "dude, get engaged in college, cuz u'll be too dead to go after girls in med school"

lol, enough joking, ya i know it's pretty tough...community service + leadership skills + shadow a physician + research exp + MCAT score + wutever, this will probably be my only easy winter in the next few yrs...you really sound like u r in med school or something...got some tips for me?

p.s. ...if your name is really potato then i'll so laugh...j/k

q

[saeben]

TO: hhhsmath06,

Please don't take this as being presumptuous on my part. I agree with "potato" about enjoying your time in college before med school.

A few years back, I went to UT and finished in three years. Not a big deal if you go during the summers as well. Anyway, I had a good reason, my parents could not afford sending me to college. So, I worked at a grocery store and as a math grader at UT. Plus, I did not go out (didn't have the mo or the wheels). My real life began when I started teaching. Then, I really started enjoying life. I had the summers off plus all the vacations during the school year!!! I got together with some buddies and travelled during the summers to Disneyland, Mexico City, New Orleans, etc.

You, on the other hand, will go directly from med school to the practicum and then your life will be governed 24/7 by the demands of your new job. Your Dr.'s degree will be very impressive and prestigious. However,
your personal life will be mostly regulated by the lifestyles of your chosen profession. That's not to say that it will be bad. On the contrary, if you like this kind of living, go for it. However, the expectations of the profession are pretty hectic, understandingly so.

I would echo what others are saying...enjoy your undergrad years. Take the four years to get ready for med school. Diversify a little while you can. Above all, enjoy it.

If you're OK with what you have chosen, then, by all means, don't listen to any of us. What do we know? It's your life! Good luck whichever way you decide.

[potato]

[hhhsmath06]

for the 2nd time...i had a long reply and it was completely erased becuz i took too long to write it ARGH!

anyways...thanks to both saeben and potato, your advices presented some different perspectives and made me revaluate wut i have planned out already...i guess i'll need a lil more time and take a better look about wut's around me before i rush to a conclusion...

Potato: so are you in med school? if so, which med school r u @ right now?

Saeben: r u the coach for la joya? i talked to Omar + roel @ tmsca state, they were so funny...:)

q

[Quelloquialism]

[hhhsmath06]

[potato]

[makashi]

Actually, the Putnam is an undergraduate math competition. It's similar to USAMO and other olympiad style tests, but for the most part, is different from most high school competitions.