My adrenaline seemed to have just run out, so I'm quickly losing my brain functions... But before I stop recognizing anything and start eating my own poopoo, I'll throw my scores up there: NS: 63/6=261; skipped 2, started to not feel like it towards the last problems on the first page. Overall satisfied with my score, given the ominous feeling that persisted until verification. Andrew Acker's score soared thru the roof compare to districts. he got 55/3=248... Victory is not as sweet after all. MA: 60/6=312; the test is easy like D1, finished with about 1min left. Can't find the 13th axis of rotational symmetry of a dadgone cube (how lucky).
Another noteworthy thing: our coordinator planned this trip and signed a 15-room contract with the newly-constructed Quality Inn quite some time ago, but obviously they forgot about us. So when we got to the hotel, they have no recollection of nor room for any of us--i.e. they screwed up BADly. So they had to find 15 rooms in nearby hotels and cover all the extra charge thus induced. Man were we frustrated as they embarrassed. We ended up gotten moved nearer to the campus to Comfort Suite, which is almost right across John Deans, but we got only smoking rooms, yucks. Butanyhoo...
Brad I read about your 337, good job, is it the all-state highest? And Zack, in my heart, you deserve and WILL go to state in all 5 events. Congratulations on the wins and winnings, and, most importantly, efforts and determinations
yeah.. it's the highest so far. the only other 300+ i've seen is Michael Koetting's 313 The math test was easy... i finished with a couple of minutes of left and I was like "well this was easy... maybe i'll advance to state" then i realized that if i finished 60 so would everyone else.. ended up missing 8 and getting 8th place. too many good math people in region 3 :P i'll be at state for ns and calc though so we can meet up there
Wow. Congratulations to both of yall. Well, I guess i had a pretty good day yesterday. I AM GOING TO STATE!! yay. I made a 196 (59/11) on the numbersense test which gave me 3rd place in Region 2-3A. Out of all the regions in my 3A class, I got 6th. I was so close to a 200. I'm still in shock that i advanced to state. I am the first person from my school that has advanced to state in numbersense. I was very upset after i left the room when the test was over. I missed number 1! :sigh: During verification, I wanted to beat myself up because of the careless errors i made. AHH. I missed 3 questions on the first column! They were all careless. I skipped 3 questions also. So yeah, i am overjoyed that i am going to state, but i wish that i was more accurate. I just wish that i wouldn't have made those careless mistakes.
Once again, congrats to everyone! Good luck in your preparations for the Academic State Meet. Thats a cool thing...huh. State!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =]
NS: 52/10 170. 4th place. This one broke my heart. I worked way too damn hard this year to only do 52 problems and miss 10 of them (6 very careless mistakes). I can't count the number of practice tests I've taken over the last year, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was over 800. Argh! And look at the region 1 and 2 results! I would've made it to state in either of those regions! Man... this sucks. The worst part about it all is the fact that I am a senior, and I know that I'll probably never get to take another Number Sense test again in my life. Number Sense was my favorite contest too...
CA: 184. 11th place. This number still has me baffled. I cant believe I blew the freaking test over a stupid repeater. It was the freaking superman problem! I wasted 5 minutes doing it, and not getting an answer. After that, I had to rush back through the test (had 8 min left) doing the easy problems from the front to back. The timer went off just when I got to the geo problems on page 4. I have never in my life been so mad at myself. I shot myself in the freaking foot. I could've easily scored a 230 without the stupid repeater problems because it was freaking easy test. I still cant believe I blew my only real chance at going to state over that stupid superman problem.
SC: 18-something. 4th place. The only pleasant surprise of the day. I felt really, really good taking this test which was weird considering how I had been feeling awful about calculator going in to it. The physics section was my favorite part of the science test because I was able to figure out alot of stuff I didnt know through backwards thinking and unit analysis. After the test, one of the coaches from 4A came up to me and told me that I had gotten 3rd place, and had won the 1st place physics award. I jumped for joy and let out HALLALUJAH! I went about thinking that until the end of the day when my sponsor, Mrs. Powell, informed me that I had gotten 4th place instead and had not gotten the 1st place physics award. I had come in 4th for physics too (whatdayaknow!). That just about killed me. Here I am, thinking that I had at least made it to state in one event, releaved and happy, and then my sponsor hands me yet another 4th place medal. I guess that I should be happy about this though. Science was the only event that I had decided not to study for going in (because I had gotten 3rd in district).
CS: 142. 4th place. That was hardest test they've ever given us. I'm almost glad I'm not going on, because it wasnt even enjoyable to take. The questions epitomized tedium in its grossest form. Every question was another 5 minutes of figuring. Why the heck would you do that on a CS test? It doesnt make any sense to me at all. Those kind of tests dont determine how good of a programmer you are, but rather test how fast you are at unraveling code that no one in their right minds would ever write. A teammate of mine did get 2nd though, and he is once again going to state. Good luck Cody.
MA 192. 10th place. eh... I'm just too dern slow to take these tests. Whenever I get stuck on a problem, my score suffers immensely. I can't skip because I'll end up skipping problems I know how to do, and will end up writing down answers that are wrong just to get them done. This test was alarmingly easy like Sam said. I'm kind of surprised that Mr. White would do that on a regional test. I'm curious to find out what he's going to do to you guys at state.
CS HO - We hadnt been practicing, and it shows. We got 3rd place. We lost to both Rockport and Alamo Heights, two schools that I hate with a passion. We wrote good programs, but once again, time was not our ally.
So... I wont get to see you guys at state, and I cant possibly begin to desribe to you how embarrassing and depressing this is for me. My district scores were so freaking good. And then this... I dont know what happened. I really dont. I wish I could wake up in that crappy hotel we were staying at, and do it all over again, but this was a once in a lifetime shot that I failed to make. Just like soccer... It seems like I'm doomed to be stopped at region in anything I do. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well. I guess I still do have a shot at going... but I think it would have to involve someone from Flour Bluff moving away between now and May 5th. And since that isnt likely at all... I'm moving on to other things... Mainly school. I'm sorry if this post is ugly. I just want you to know that I tried.
This is your nemesis, Keith Epley of Memorial (Austin Hu's old scool). I'm honored that you would consider me your nemesis. At that TMSCA #7 meet at O'Connor I just had a really bad day, but at least I got a 6'6" trophy. I seems so out of place in my bedroom though.
Although your not going to state, though you probably deserved to, it does say a lot about your character that you were able to do well in 5 events, especially if you're willing to pay for yourself to attend practic meets. If it makes you feel better, try blaming the hotel; we stayed at the Westin La Cantera. I'm going to tell Austin what you said about him.
As for regionals, you did beat me in Number Sense, I had an 84 (my first and only test since District). Chiping made a -7. I had focused solely on Math and Computer Science. My coach just told me I didn't place, she didn't want us to know just how bad we did.
For Calc, I placed 3rd in District, but didn't compete at Regionals. I was only doing it for TMSCA State, but I snowed in in Washington,D.C. We were supposed to leave the Friday before TMSCA, but got delayed until the next Monday.
Science (80), only did Bio; I knew I woulnd't place, so I didn't even try. I was hoping for Top Bio though.
Math (298) - 3rd in Region 4-5A; I lookied at all of the tests that Dr. White had ever written and learned everything I didn't know the week before, but none of that was on the test. I can't belive Oliver Peng(236? - 11th place) didn't beat me; Mr. Potter says its Senioritis.
Computer Science (192) - 1st in R4-5A, I still can't believe it. That was the hardest test I've ever seen. Some of those problems took 3 or 4 minutes to do. At the end I started to just take my best guess at figuring out some of the algorithms, knowing that if I didn't I wouldn't have a shot at state. For hands-on, we're glad Nathan wasn't there for O'Connor, we couldn't have gotten 1st place team if he had been there.
Hello Keith. My name is Nitesh Patel. I'm a sophomore in Atlanta High School, Atlanta, TX. 3A. Sam, what kind of problems and numbers do you think Mr. White may put on the state numbersense test? I am trying to find variations and similarities between this years tests, but i can't come up with anything. He is using "11" a lot, but that is all i noticed. I figuired that if i could come up with some problems that could appear on the test and memorize the answer, then it may save me a few seconds on the test. I memorized stuff like 2070-7020=? The first problem is always something like that. What do you think it will be? I'm not sure what to study except trig stuff anymore. Most of the questions that i get wrong are either careless, or outrageous estimation problems. What are the rules for sides of an obtuse triangle and acute triangle. I always get the sides mixed up. For example:
An acute triangle has integer sides of 2, 7, and x. The largest value of x is ?
An obtuse triangle has integer sides of 5, x, and 9. The smallest value of x is ?
I always skip these, but every question counts and one question can make a difference, so i decided to stop being lazy and correct some of my lack of knowledge.
I had used math-magic.com for all my number sense needs and derived a few tricks of my own, but I didn't bother to use the forum until today, unfortunately after the end of the number sense chapter of my life. This morning, since I didn't have to come to school until 12:00 because of TAKS I Googled my name and found a link to here. My name showed up in Zack's TMSCA #7 post about him breaking 200 and me being his nemesis.
It isn't until something is over that you really begin to appreciate it, and that goes for me with number sense. I could have gone to state, but persistent lassitude had somewhat sabotaged that for me. Through natural talent I was able to hold my own, but now looking back on these last four years I regret all of the wasted time playing mind-numbing computer games. The rewards of going to State would have been more than worth the effort.
Sam, if I remember correctly, I beat you (or someone from Port Lavaca) in 8th grade (by 1 point, I think). During practices in 5th - 8th, I was scoring consistently above 200, often times above 300. Obviously I had a future in number sense, but wasted it away. I've won 31 awards in Number Sense alone, placing at district every year. I also placed at TMSCA state last year, unfortunately no regional or state NS title shall ever be mine. My legacy will be in mathematics. I only started math because it was a waste of time traveling from Victoria every Saturday for a 10 minute test. Adding Science, Copmuter Science, and Calculator over the years has earned me 120 awards, including trips to UIL State. I am grateful for NS. It allowed me to get where I am now; however, my only regret is that the one goal I started with my freshman year was to go to place at state in number sense.
Zack, don't be embarrassed about not making it to state. I know it's dissappointing but you gave it the best you had that day. 4th in 3 different events is good considering most people specialize in just one.
Englandude, for triangle problems... Obtuse triangles: the sides only have to satisfy the triangle inequality (any two sides have to add up to more than the third). you don't need to worry about a^2+b^2 < c^2 for NS problems
so for your example 5+x>9, x=5
Acute triangles you must use the fact that a^2 + b^2 > c^2 (for some reason i used a+b>c on the regional test for the acute triangle problem ?)
for your example... since it is the largest, 2^2 + 7^2 > c^2... c must be 7
Haha, I never thought you'd find that comment, Keith.
I called you my nemisis because you were the only other person in our grade level that was good in every event that you competed in. I used your scores from the TMSCA #2 (when I got the big awkward trophy) as a marker for how good I would need to score in each event to stand a chance at stealing the smaller trophy away from you. I think on the first contest you absolutely destroyed in math and number sense, which made me think I'd stand no chance at catching you in either event unless I really practiced in both. I did, and I was able to put up a competitive 201 in NS and some lesser score in math. I think I also went over 200 in science too, which would've been what won it for me because I had a really bad CS test. I loved the O'conner meets. It makes me sad that we wont get to compete in UIL meets like that ever again.
Over the years, I think I've accumulated almost exactly as many awards as you in math/science (if I count my middle school trophies). Its funny, I thought I was the only one who counted their medals from UIL/TMSCA. In a few years though, my parents will probably throw them out. But in the meantime, I've got a corner of my room thats completely covered end on end with trophies, plaques, and medals from UIL meets past.
Its good to hear you're going on to state in Math. I hope that you're able to beat klien/A&M. I'm tired of seeing them take everything. Arg. Its up to people like you and Brad to see that it doesnt happen again! If you break 300, I think you'll place. So get to it! Sock it to them in math and CS!
Ha, Keith, that was prolly somebody else. I didn't come to America until February 1, 2003. It may be Josh Liaou that you're talking about. Yes, just like you, NS brought me to where I am today. And I share the same kind of regret for not doing Calculator. And I'm so glad that I landed in a 4A school in a town that is tolerant, diverse, and appreciative. Such thing gave me a MUCH smoother start. Also, thanks to the lack of competition in our region my freshman year, I was able to go to State; the experience gave me confidence, a sense of purpose, dedication, and respect. Wow, I doubt whether I've earned 31 awards. But I thank goodness for being able to compete alongside you in State, and I also thank goodness for not competing WITH you.
Nitesh, I apologize for not saying hi back. I was in the middle of typing my thing when you posted yours, and so I didn't see it there. I hit the post button about a minute or two after you did.
Good luck at state in Number Sense, just be glad your in 3A.
And Sam, that 31 from NumSen included middle school and team awards, so in reality its about 22ish
Hehe. I was just joking about the whole "hello" thing. It's all good. Thank you for wishing me luck. I obviously need it. I am glad that i am in 3A. A 196 would have gotten crushed in like 4a and 5a. State is going to be SOOOO HARD. I am already nervous and it is like two weeks away. lol. Luckily, my school has spring break this week. lol. in april...spring break...hehe. So i have a whole week to fine tune some tricks and get all the trig stuff down. For a whole week, I don't have to worry about writing pointless essays for english, or even history. I can just do what i enjoy, which is math (and playing my trumpet, and eating, and even playing a little PS2 with my little brother) lol.
