Populating Unexplored Categories

[Quelloquialism]

These little Non-UIL/TMSCA competition categories are so dishearteningly barren. I would try starting a topic in each of them, but seeing as I've never taken the AMC or the AIME, and I've never heard of Trig*Star or JETS, I don't think that's my place.

I did participate in MathCounts three years ago, though. Anybody else? I remember at the Chapter contest, my team (Lubbock O.L. Slaton) was thoroughly slaughtered by Lubbock Hutchinson, but I still went to State because of the rule that the top individuals not on the winning team progress as well as the winning team. Didn't make too much difference--I did about as badly as humanly possible at State.

Also, I remember doing the "Countdown" (head-to-head [unparseable or potentially dangerous latex formula] contest) round at the Chapter contest and losing on the first round due to choking badly under the pressure of the contest format...spelling bee all over again, haha.

[klebian]

Mathcounts just brings back such nostalgic memories. Mathcounts competitions were the best organized math competitions I've ever been to. I enjoyed them, and I really wish there was a similar highschool version.

[Kurt]

I agree...I especially liked the Countdown round. :)

I wish there was a high school # math competition as well (if there is, tell me lol). That's part of why I also like Science Bowl so much...the buzzers and the teams and what not. :D

[Quelloquialism]

[mathslug]

Haha, Oh come on now, the countdown is the best part! You get to sit face to face with 10 of the best math students in the state while all of your peers look on!!! This is what contest math is all about!

[makashi]

Klebian, you should try actually accepting an ARML invite. My last two ARML competitions were some of the best experiences I've had. Things are usually run very smoothly.

I can't think of many # competitions at all. My experiences with on the spot, limited time math competitions are the Buzz Contest of the Texas A&M University Math Competition, Math Bowl at Bellaire High School's Mu Alpha Theta meet, Science Bowl, and ARML.

[Quelloquialism]

[Sisyphus_Reborn]

I must agree, the countdown part was the best part and brings back such good memories. Countdown round at state mathcounts of 03 was probably the most fun/nervous ive ever had/been.

[suchenzang]

Back in the day... when you pwned... =P

[Sisyphus_Reborn]

as i still do...its just that uil is so much duller then the adrenaline pumping action of mathcounts

[suchenzang]

Hm... hasn't numbersense been getting your adrenaline going for the past... 10 years?

[Sisyphus_Reborn]

not really its just more interesting then straight mathematics
theres no actual excitement in it where your going face to face with someone

[kashhustler]

YEAH MATHCOUNTS TOTALLY OWNED

on another note arml is very fun and quite comparable to mathcounts in terms of format. the individual round is like a target w/o calculators and team is kinda similar i think. plus if you tie for a top spot you do something very similar to countdown.

i liked countdown the best. it was so exciting. i just seemed to have bad luck i guess...i had to face mark zhang 3 times my 8th grade year. he completely swept me at chapter 3-0 =(

[Quelloquialism]

Well, I suppose I'm in the tiny minority here, then. I prefer UIL to many of the other extra-curricular contests in which I've participated, all sections of MathCounts included...oh well. Countdown was too nerve-wracking to be exciting for me.

[kashhustler]

I don't mean to put down UIL at all....but in saying this I basically am. As far as the 3 math subjects go in UIL, they hardly touch upon the actual scope of mathematics. Calculator is basically punching buttons the fastest and memorizing Dr. Bourell's book/problems. Number sense is just about the most useless application of math I have ever seen, and heck, I like number sense. Math would have been decent, if they didn't allow calculators. But with calculators the test really loses its ability to test math when you have TI 89's that can solve equations, factor, and do other stuff. Many of the problems are just brute # anyway, like using law of cosines on a problem 2 times or something like that. Even problems with "elegant" solutions have become well known now because the little trick involved has been reused in problems so everybody knows them.

UIL is nothing compared to contests that have original problems with elegant solutions that really show the beautiful side of mathematics such as the AMC contests.

[Quelloquialism]

[nfeltman]

I loved countdown round :)

[Quelloquialism]

Okay, so I guess I'm not only in the minority for my dislike of Countdown...I'm also in a minority of one. Haha...

[Bumwipe]

[Quelloquialism]

Actually, it's a little-known fact that Kurt is, in fact, a dinosaur, and living proof that our dino friends excelled in mathematics and physics, at least relative to other animals.

[Kurt]

[Bumwipe]

so kurt is living proof that the g a y gene dates back millions of years

[zefuri]

mathcounts got me interested in math so thaat was awesome

[shrig94]

they should add a countdown round to number sense, that way I would have a chance at winning even with my bad hand writing mistake problem...
too bad uil and tmsca aren't this well funded

[B3ndythumbs]

Ooh thats a good idea shrig. i suxed at mathcounts in seventh grade though -.-