<p>So if you weren't exceptional in math this year (like me) and had to find creative ways to pass your time, what did you do? I worked on a couple of problems, attempted to brute force a couple but then gave up. So then I ended up exchanging faces with other classmates who also gave up and waved at some of my classmates too. I almost laughted but managed to hold the laughter back. There was plenty of staring into space. Oh - and someone pulled out his CD player. ;)</p>
<p>It was entertaining - but now I kinda wish instead of wasting my time here, I would have prepped more.</p>
<p>I think I was like only a few points away from getting into the AIME. It made me so mad :-/. Anyways, heard it was really hard. Some of my friends just sat around and did nothing. I think one of my friends did pretty well on it though... well, thats what she said :-p. I've gotta ask her what she did.</p>
<p>Never sit around and waste your time on the AIME. There are always 1 or 2 AIME problems each year that can be brute forced as long as you do a few basic steps first (such as setting up an equation which I'm sure most of you can do).<br>
I mean, why qualify for AIME if you're just going to sit around and put little effort into getting a decent score? I didn't take AIME I. I'm taking AIME II in a couple of weeks, but I took the AIME I today and it really wasn't that bad. I mean, some of the questions you really had to think on, but if you just thought about them in a creative manner, you could have gotten them (assuming you had done a few AIME problems before and were willing to work hard and get them right). Now, if I were taking the USAMO...I probably would have done what you did simfish...</p>
<p>Don't waste time on the AIME. This year I tried 7, and that was as far as I could go (meaning I either don't understand what the other questions were asking for or I had no clue how to approach them), and I spent the rest of my time checking my work and verifying them. I actually caught some mistakes. There is always SOMETHING you could do on the AIME if you qualified...I agree with Nightflarer that if this was USAMO, then I guess I would sit around and do nothing then =)</p>
<p>Lynda, since the AIME is really difficult, most kids can only do a couple (if any) of the problems. After the answer the ones they know how to do, there's nothing left to occupy them. That's why they need to pass the time.</p>
<p>Luckily, I was saved from that particular problem by not qualifying :p.</p>
<p>It's so easy for me to daydream - so when I gave up, I just fell into my daydreaming state. ;) I ponly wanted to qualify this year and would be perfectly content with a 1 - since my goals were set pretty damn low, I didn't really try since I realized I had no chance for USAMO either. Next year though - the AIME score will be on my Caltech application so it matters. Perhaps getting a low score in soph and a high score in junior year is better than a high score in sioph and the same score in junior - it shows that I can improve greatly in a small amount of time and if I'm at the same level, then it doesn't matter who was ahead first anymore.</p>