Math marvels shine bright through perseverance and precision

The Math Olympiad is more than just a competition; it is a platform where young minds are challenged to think critically, reason logically, and solve problems with creativity. Designed to go beyond rote learning, it has nurtured analytical abilities and sharpened mathematical concepts in real-life contexts for these genius minds. Meet Aadvik Jha, Aabhas Sahu and Harshali Kheterpal, studying at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park, who have secured the first, second and third position respectively at the recently held online Math Olympiad.

Speaking about his biggest takeaway from this competition, Aadvik, who is studying in Class V, shared, “It was a wonderful experience to participate in that online quiz. The time was short, but I managed to answer the question, and it was fun.”

Aabhas, a Class XI student, expressed, “The experience was intense but incredibly rewarding. The biggest lesson for me was the importance of persistence. Several problems seemed very hard at first glance, but by breaking them down, thinking creatively, and approaching them from different angles, I was able to make progress. It taught me that persistence is just as valuable as intelligence in math.”

Harshali, who is studying in Class III, shared, “It was overall a great experience which taught me the importance of time management while focusing on speed and accuracy.”

Moving on, each one shared their share of challenges during the competition and how they ace through it.

“The biggest challenge was to solve many questions in a short duration, which meant doing fast and accurate calculations. I relied on my abacus skills along with regular practice,” explained Harshali.

While Aadvik dealt with unfamiliar questions but his constant practice supported him towards achievement.  Next, Aabhas explained, “One major challenge I faced was managing my time during the exam. Some questions required deep thinking and could take a lot of time to solve, while others needed quick thinking. To overcome this, I practised time management techniques, focusing on answering the easier questions first and leaving the most difficult ones for later. I also learnt to stay calm, because panic would only waste more time.”

But as they say, all’s well that ends well; these number prodigies don’t fail to credit their school for the unmatched, unwavering support.

“Apeejay School was instrumental in my preparation. The teachers provided additional resources like past papers and gave individual attention to explain difficult concepts. The school also encouraged participation in various math sessions and training programmes, which not only boosted my skills but also gave me a network of like-minded students to collaborate with,” shared Aabhas.

And both Aadvik and Harshali concluded by saying that, “The school has provided me the platform to participate in such events and evaluate myself. The teachers helped me in laying a strong foundation by explaining all the related concepts in the most efficient ways.”