Pinnacle Stories

María, a student from IES Plurilingüe Rosalía de Castro, represented Galicia in the XXXIV Junior Mathematical Olympiad. Today, she is going to tell us a bit about her experience with success.

How did you start learning mathematics?

It was in a very normal way, like all children, when I started school in the first year of preschool. I had that subject, although it is true that science has always particularly interested me. So, when I saw something that caught my attention, I still do this today, I would search for it and read about it, watch YouTube videos… This led me to have a lot of knowledge that is not obtained in high school or in school, which helped me much later.

Did someone in particular inspire you to participate in math competitions?

Yes, last year I had a teacher who was very good in every aspect. Not only did she explain things very well and manage to convey those concepts easily to the students, but she also supported me a lot, and as soon as she saw that I had an interest in mathematics, she said to me, “Well, we have to go to the competition, right?” She supported me whenever I needed it, helped me with problems, and cleared up my doubts. So, I believe she was very important for me in going to the competition.

When you started learning mathematics, did you imagine that you would represent Galicia at the Olympics?

I started very young, and it wasn’t until my teachers suggested that I could go last year that I realized it. I didn’t know that math competitions existed; it’s not something a young child thinks about. I couldn’t imagine it, and even once I signed up and was going to participate, I didn’t expect to represent Galicia at the national olympiad because I was just going to try it out to see how it went for me; I hadn’t had many experiences like that. So, it felt like something new just to have fun.

How did you prepare for these Olympics?

My teacher at the institute would give me 4 or 5 problems every week that we had to solve if we were going to participate in the olympiad. Then, when I qualified for the next stages, I would solve them at home and think about them. I also watched YouTube videos on other problems, looked for my own because the most important thing is knowing how to tackle those problems and not just memorizing the entire curriculum of 8th grade math, because if we don’t know how to apply that knowledge to the types of problems we need to solve in the competition, it doesn’t make any sense. What is sought is creativity in applying knowledge that is not usually approached with

Before participating in the Math Olympiad, did you participate in other math competitions?

Yes. In both first and second year of secondary school, I participated in a competition called “Canguro Matemático” which takes place in various countries around the world and on a national level. However, it is very different from the Olympiad because in the Olympiad you have 5 problems with completely open-ended answers and a lot of time to solve them. In contrast, in the Kangaroo, there are 30 questions where you don’t have to provide a reason for your answer or anything like that; it’s multiple-choice. I did score quite well, and I believe it helped me participate in this competition to later know how to tackle the problems in the Olympiad.

How did you manage to win the 3 contests (photography, team, and individual) of the Junior Olympics?

The first step was to qualify for the national phase. To do this, at the institute, since there were quite a few people who wanted to go and only two from each class could attend, we spent a couple of months solving problems. Those of us who wanted to participate and the teachers selected the individuals they thought would perform best. Together we went to the local phase held in Santiago de Compostela. From there, six people were chosen to go to the Galician phase, which was held in Lugo. There, we were the 40 best in all of Galicia. We spent a day together, had a meal… There, they selected three individuals who represented Galicia in the national phase in Jarandilla de la Vera.

I believe that the important thing when solving these problems is to always have a more creative vision and not limit oneself to doing exercises like those we do in class, but to look at it from another point of view, and above all, never leave anything blank because you won’t be penalized; it’s better to put down something that seems crazy to you than to leave it blank.

In one word, how would you describe your experience at these Olympics? Why?

It is very complicated, but I would say it was very enriching in every aspect. Not only did I learn a lot from my math teacher, but also, as I progressed through each phase, I saw how important it is to have perseverance and how to face a time limit and stress.

Are you planning to participate in other math olympiads in the future?

Yes, other than the Canguro Matemático that takes place every year, which I also hope to continue attending, this year I am going to start participating in the Galician Mathematical Olympiad, which differs from last year’s in that it is primarily for students in high school, although students from 3rd and 4th year of ESO can also participate exceptionally. Although I don’t expect to have a very prominent participation, I believe it will be very enriching to know how to face it in the future and to understand what to expect when I am there, what the problems are like, and to learn how to concentrate for much longer because the exams are longer.

Other than winning the 3 math olympiad contests, what other experiences impacted you in some way?

I think it was definitely meeting a lot of people from all over Spain, from all the autonomous communities; we were three, except for some very large ones like Andalusia, where more people went, and also from other countries like Portugal, Andorra, Colombia, and Morocco. I believe they contributed a lot to me as we shared very similar interests. It was also a way of thinking that was somewhat alike, as we connected very quickly. Even today we still talk and keep in touch. So, I think that was the most important thing about the entire Olympics.

If a student asks you for advice on how to participate and win a least one of the 3 contests, what would it be? Why?

The most important thing is to go because you love mathematics or because you are curious to know what it is like. But not to go to win, because what mattered most, what our teachers always told us, was that the reward was simply being there, that was what we had to enjoy. Winning was not the most important thing. In fact, there were no rankings or anything, they only selected 6 individuals who stood out. I believe that is fundamental, besides practicing those problems and asking all the questions and doubts you may have to your teacher, because it will help you a lot.