MathCounts Syllabus
Contact Information
You can reach me (Dominik Rabiej) by phone, (616) 668-4439 or e-mail, email@dominik.net. More contact information is available at http://dominik.net/personal/contact.php3.
Meetings
MathCounts meetings take place nearly every Wednesday, from 2:45 until 4:00 pm in Mrs. Dezelsky's room in the Middle School.
Problem Sets
- October 4, 2000 - First Meeting, Orientation
- October 11, 2000 - Warm-Up 1 (in class), Warm-Up 2, 3
- October 18, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 2, 3; Stretches (in class); Warm-Up 4
- October 25, 2000 - (No Meeting)
- November 1, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 5, 6; Workout 2 (in class); Warm-Up 7
- November 8, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 7; Workout 3 (in class); Warm-Up 8, 9
- November 15, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 8, 9; Workout 4 (in class); Warm-Up 10
- November 22, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 10; Workout 5 (in class); Warm-Up 11, 12
- November 29, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 11, 12; Workout 6 (in class); Warm-Up 13
- December 6, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 11, 12; Workout 7 (in class); Warm-Up 13
- December 13, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 13; Workout 8 (in class); Warm-Up 14, 15
- December 20, 2000 - Questions on Warm-Up 14, 15; Mini-Competition (in class); Warm-Up 16, 17, 20 Questions
- December 27, 2000 - No meeting, Happy Holidays!
- January 3, 2001 - Questions on Warm-Up 16, 17, 20 Questions; Workout 9 (in class); Warm-Up 18
- January 10, 2001 - Questions on Warm-Up 18; Workout 9 (in class)
- January 17, 2001 - School Competition
- January 24, 2001 - School Competition Review
- Somewhere in February - Regional Competition
General Thoughts
Don't stress out. If you are stuck on a problem, try laying it aside and then taking a look at it the next day. You might see something that will reveal a solution. If you're wondering about how to approach a problem or on the definition, please don't hesitate to call or e-mail me! I'm here for you, but I can only help if you ask. It's up to you to ask :)
The Point
What's the point of all of this? To enjoy math... we're not so concerned about the right answer, or about who can solve a problem the fastest. We're looking for mathematical thinking; the ability to think in an orderly, structured manner and to arrive elegantly at a correct solution. So when you're doing the warm-ups, don't rush through and just try to find the answer by guessing in the dark. Step back from the problem, survey it and look for an elegant (and simple!) solution. It's usually there and when you find it for one problem, the next time you see a similar problem you'll already know how to solve it. The more you learn now the more you'll know later.
On another note, colleges love to see students who challenge themselves! Thus, MathCounts = Good. And yes, college is 4 or 5 years away... which seems like an eternity, but it'll happen sooner than you think.
In Closing
Good luck! I believe you in and know that you can do it :)