<p>Anyone else get this? I've always been a top student, and just recently I discovered olympiads like those in physics, bio, math, etc. It truly is depressing when you look at the sample problems, semifinalist/finalist profiles. I think USAMO said that all the problems can be solved using precalc, yet I couldn't even understand half of the questions were asking, let alone begin to formulate an answer. I understand that preparation is obviously necessary, but you'd figure that I would have to some degree a grasp of the question having taken precalc last yr. The people. I remembering reading about a kid who took Calc BC as a 7th grader. A SEVENTH GRADER! Another said he had completed 4 physics courses, 2 calc, and a chem course before the end of his 8th grade summer. Half the people had parents teaching them advanced science and math before even reaching middle school. Competing in science contests in 4th grade. Gold medals galore in international competition. It's hard to feel adequate next to these types of people.</p>
<p>i feel you completely. kinda sucks, but hey .. we have lives!</p>
<p>haha on another note. i'm trying to study for the physics one. hopefully itll work in the next year. ;)</p>
<p>Those types of things are for privileged children with parents who are aware of these things, can afford them, and can either prepare them or have someone prepare them or at least let the kid know about it. </p>
<p>Calc BC as a 7th grader only tells me what his parents are capable of, not the kid. Sure, the kid would have to be smart, but there are tons of smart kids out there.</p>
<p>As for the competitions, basically everyone preps for them IF they even hear about them. They really aren't that big. Most high schoolers have never heard of it.</p>
<p>^ very nicely put...</p>
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Those types of things are for privileged children with parents who are aware of these things, can afford them, and can either prepare them or have someone prepare them or at least let the kid know about it.
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AND especially if you go to a top-knotch public school in a rich town or an expensive private school where the teachers have heard about it and everyone does it. peer pressure anyone? but no, some of the kids who are at IMO/IPhO/IChO/IBO level are reallllllllllllly smart, in a way that will just make your head spin..</p>
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Calc BC as a 7th grader only tells me what his parents are capable of, not the kid.
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YES!! SO TRUE. i know a couple of ppl like this, a few of whom are in my class. dude seriously, how do you know at age 4 that you're a math genius? and besides...they aren't very smart. they just pay to get tutored/attend expensive summer classes. basically unless my kid was a REAL genius, i wouldn't want that for her</p>
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Most high schoolers have never heard of it.
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i could argue that the ones that have heard of it are the ones that have really challenging science classes (again, top knotch town/expensive private school) and therefore the ones that would do well anyways. it's really really hard to do well without an amazing background from ur school AP/honors classes. let's take MATH, for example. who the hell knows how to prove some of the stuff that the USAMO tests? (1) people who are insanely self motivated and learn thru books and AOPS (2) people who are insane geniuses--very very very very few and (3) people who have proof classes in their high schools. whose normal public high school has a "math team" class?</p>
<p>Unfortunately not all smart people can afford a top knotch town or expensive private school.</p>
<p>We live in a town with a very good public high school but not as competitive as others in this New Jersey suburb. Last year DS's chemistry teacher suggested that he and another student participate in the Chemistry Olympiad, but refused to give him and the other student a break from homework so that he could prepare for it, or work with them to prepare. A much more competitive high school a couple of towns away actually works with their participating students to help them prepare. Meanwhile, the first time I heard about the Physics Olympiad was by reading about it in either the NYT or Wash. Post. I had to e-mail the physics AP teacher to ask whether our high school participated.</p>
<p>There is a school near me who offers science Olympiad as a class, and has a 200 question test to see who qualifies to be on the team. Most other schools around her are lucky to even have a team and have to work hard to get people on the team.</p>
<p>Chemistry and Biology Olympiads are more about memorization than Math and Physics, and all of them are for upper middle-class kids.</p>