Introduction to The Activity

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Preparing for the upcoming UKMT BMO competition which will take place on the 15th of November 2023.

Focus

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Addressed Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.
2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
3. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

CAS Hours

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CAS Stages

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Investigation and Preparation

• Obtaining the past papers at https://bmos.ukmt.org.uk/home/bmolot.pdf and referencing the corresponding solutions on their official website.
• Out of all of the past problems, 109 of them have solution videos. So to make sure I am able to validate my own workings, I'll focus on the most recent 109 problems.
• I am expecting to allocate enough time for around 2 problems a day to make sure I go through all of them before the contest.

Action

• Attempt the past papers and verify my approaches with their solutions whenever needed.
• Record my progress in the web application I made

Redoing the questions using Latex:

View all evidence images & videos here

Reflection

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For the past four months, I have dedicated as much time as possible to independently developing the skills required for the competition.

The BMO1 proved significantly challenging and unlike any other contests I have prepared for; progress was much slower than anticipated. Having tackled at least 109 questions and invested more than two hundred hours, I have not yet reached the proficiency I expected, though I was consistently making progress.

After a conversation with my math teacher, I grasped the harsh reality that preparing for the BMO1 in just three months is tough; on average, students spend at least a year in training and constant practice. This realization cleared up my frustration and provided motivation to continue moving forward.

During the process, I acquired a range of mathematical skills that differ significantly from what I had been used to applying. Aside from encountering new theorems, I was exposed to a constant demand to strengthen my abilities in mathematical analysis, logical reasoning, and presentation of work. Unknowingly, these newly gained capabilities played a crucial role in my studies of mathematics. I believe that my milestones thus far in the opening term hinge on the effort I put into the BMO1.