Nerd Olympics!!!!

smiley_knees

Hey, we all know the gretaness of nerd camp (my title for CTYI for the non-intelligent and close-minded) but has anyone been to the maths olympiad? I want to go this year but is it worth the effort???

Thanks xxx

bandana

I think I got into that this year :rolleyes: havnt a clue what its about?

bandana

By the way is this grainne?

smiley_knees

bandana wrote:

By the way is this grainne?

Hell yeah Cloudy!!! OMG, you got in??? Me too! Jolly good! See you at the games, chap! Must warn you fellow, I am quite the accomplished mathlete (though i can't spell for ****). My event of choice: toss the equation or the coordinate geometry high jump.

BE AFRAID!!!!... But not too afraid...

bandana

What the HELL is it about? Seriously though, all I got out of the only one of my friends was "You get a t shirt" between hysterical laughter when she heard I got in... Oh the appreciation...

Heheh I remember you sayin you were better at maths, tell me did you get into that maths competition in 1st year? I'm not sure if it was only in dublin or if it was a leinster/ireland thing

bandana

And sorry if I seem...retarded/exhausted/in SERIOUS need of coke... havnt slept muchos lately and spent the entire afternoon in outpatients, need a little cheerin!

Dalamar

The Maths Olympics is an internation contest between a load of countries. Students (from ireland at least) are chosen based on their JC Honours maths results, amoung other things.

The focus of the competition is to answer some *extremely* abstract difficult mathematically questions. They generally don't require you to learn extra maths, but are instead very difficult problems that can be solved using the maths you learn at JC.

Subjects covered are number theory, geometrey and so forth. 5/6 year students who know differentiation/integeration aren't at an advantage. ( you actually can't use those methods in the exams, they award points depending on *HOW* you did the question, and if you got the answer.)

Chowburger

bandana wrote:

that maths competition in 1st year? I'm not sure if it was only in dublin or if it was a leinster/ireland thing

Was that that Irish Junior Mathematics thing? That was such a waste of time... My teacher made me miss loads of classes to study for it, 'cause I got into the finals. I have since lost any and all aptitude for maths, and float through honours maths in blissful ignorance

bandana

Yeah the Irish Junior Maths Thingummy sounds about right. I was just wondering cos I ended up 3rd in that, and I think I possibly remember recognising the one who won it in ctyi that year... But then again my memory isn't the best:rolleyes:

Sounds like amazing nerdy fun :eek: thanks for that dalamar lookin forward to seein u there smiley knees! (and I never did find that permanent marker again u know)

Anybody else who gets in, post and we can have a whole mini reunion all to ourselves;) hell, it's more than likely that most of the people there will be CTYers!

smiley_knees

Hey, don't look at me! I didn't steal your marker. I swear it!
Yeah, we could have a mini-ctyi reunion, assuming I get on a team. My maths lately have gone to le hell, as the french say.

No, i wasn't in the 1st year thing. My school don't tell us anything cool like that. Tiz annoying. And to think, only three people (myself inclusive) have evr gone to CTYI in the history of my school. AND one of them didn't like it (weird).

Oh Cloudy and Emileen, thank you both very much for the helpful lesbian advice. Has come in handy. Am talking to her again, though I also found out that she's been wanting more than friendship for agessssssssssssssssssssss... Dang..
Has made life plenty uncomfie...

Don Accordion

Hrey guys, neone know anything about the chemistry olympiad that's on in DCU sometime? I've been trying to find out about it but obviously the Irish division are completely disorganized (surprise surprise) and I can't find out anything on how tpon enter at all. Oh, as an aside, I'm not going this year but the DCU open day next month would make for an interesting reunion

smiley_knees

Don Accordion wrote:

Hrey guys, neone know anything about the chemistry olympiad that's on in DCU sometime? I've been trying to find out about it but obviously the Irish division are completely disorganized (surprise surprise) and I can't find out anything on how tpon enter at all. Oh, as an aside, I'm not going this year but the DCU open day next month would make for an interesting reunion

Hmm, I wanted ot do the science one too, but alas. Grr, I hate doing chemistry. It's too big!!! Who knew something like the atom could be so freakin' complex... *mumbles angrily*

DCU open day? I'm going to the one tomorrow (that's Sat 25th Nov). I was thinkin I'd see many a CTYIer's. You'll all recognise me. I'll be the one wandering tearfully around the campus staring wistfully at random places and telling long winded stories about exploding showers that no on else will quite be able to understand... *tear*

I love CTYI... It's really scary how much I adore that place...

Anywayz, enough of the freakyness. Yes.. That *would* make for an interesting reunion. It'd be cool if Sheila was there for some highly unlikely but convenient reason...

Caoimhe

Warning- Maths Olympiad requires giving up much of your precious Saturday mornings and trekking over to UCD... The first exam isn't so bad but the final exam was a bit scary. One of the lecturers is slightly demented and in love with inequalities.

Anyone else in the finals of the ISTA Science Quiz?

rainbow kirby

Was that lecturer Kevin Hutchinson by any chance?

lemur option

I made my mathletics team, I made my mathletics team. I'd like to thank all those who supported me through my hours of bordem in honours maths. God my teacher was such a cow. HA ha I called Ms. Olivier Brereton a cow on the internet and there's nothing she can do about it (she thought I liked her class ). Yeah so anyway oh my god I like totally watched a show on this and , wait for It its this like totaly cool event where you sit in slience in this big hall a bit like the SATs and you like get a medal if you win and loads of people win medals and you get to make fun of the chinese (I hate chinese love the food though). So count me in for it see ya'll at the Irish MO. PS grace ie god is going to but doesn't want everyone to know and isn't on boards luv ya babe hehe.

Caoimhe

rainbow kirby wrote:

Was that lecturer Kevin Hutchinson by any chance?

I don't know his name. He had unruly white hair and rather unfortunate body odour...

Dalamar

Prof. Laffey. My <sarcasm>*FAVOURITE*</scacasm> college lecturer. He talked too much and couldn't explain jack.

Undergod

Bill may be in attendance at the Nerd Olympics dealy. I haven't worked out all the logistics yet, but hey, I'm a mathematical prodigy, or so they tell me.

See you there Rory. And smiley knees, although I don't actually recall speaking to you until the reunions.

Undergod

Wait. Nevermind. I'm not able to go this year, but I'm hoping i can go next year based on my last years results.

rainbow kirby

Dalamar wrote:

Prof. Laffey. My <sarcasm>*FAVOURITE*</scacasm> college lecturer. He talked too much and couldn't explain jack.

Laffey reminds me of an old priest!

Caoimhe

Good grief. Now I know why he seemed so familiar! He's the inspiration for the boring priest on Father Ted!!!

lemon_sherbert

I;m into the maths olypiad thingy too, so i guess i'll see some of you there, are you (plural, not going to say ye, just got out of that summer habit, picking up on other peoples accents) all going to the UCD one in January, or are some people going to NUI Maynooth?

davewcelbridge

Hey Smiley Knees
I thinks i know you, and you knows me.
The internet is such a small place.

We were in the final of the ISTA Quiz today in Trinity College, it was tough.
Some of the Questions were outside the course, and there were some strange definitions that my Biology Teacher didn't even know. We were unable to properly verify where we came in the league of things, suffice to say we were below 20.

We did our best though. We are still Kildare Champions.

Math Olympiad sounds like hard work but fun!

Anyways. Peace out ppl.

Dave

the_only_Ali

I was in maths olympiad...
Oh the memories... We were called up on the stage at school at assembly, handed an envelope, and our head teacher said "read this aloud". So my poor friend Aoife ended up reading the announcement of our official nerdiness aloud for everyone to hear without actually quite knowing what she was doing.
That was definetely not a high point of my life in HCK. AT the olympiad I kept awake by chewing Jolt caffeine energy gum and wondering what I had done to make them think I was good at maths.
Then we got really lost trying to find a "short cut" off campus and ended up in a wood. Yes, there are woods in UCD.
And that was when I decided I was never meant for proffesional competitive mathematics.

smiley_knees

davewcelbridge wrote:

Hey Smiley Knees
I thinks i know you, and you knows me.
The internet is such a small place.
Dave

Hey Dave!!!
Woah, Dave Wallace??? Am assuming. How did you know it was me???? The smiley faces on my knees gave it away, right? If you are who I think you are then see you tomorrow at the party!!!

Ah yes Bill, we did only really talk at the reunions. I think I fed you lollies at some point. and I seen you at NUI Maynooth open day. Cool cool! You're like THE only CTYI person i saw on any open day. Even in DCU I knew no one. Although I did see Colin, the New Supreme Overlord of CTYI now that Sheila's leaving.. *sigh*

Emmm, I'm going to Nerd Olympics at NUI :eek: Hate it already...

wheresthebeef

hello smileyknees indeed it was me. and you did come to the party. so all was well.

how are the nerd olympics coming along for you?

Dave

crowl

I love how so many people think they got into the maths olympiad when its actually just the 5 best ppl from the lectures that get in. And yes Laffey is horrible and yes giving up your saturdays for this is pretty boring (coming from someone who did it and enjoys maths so pls dont moan at me).

smiley_knees

crowl wrote:

I love how so many people think they got into the maths olympiad when its actually just the 5 best ppl from the lectures that get in.

Duh

I think we established that

StupidLikeAFox

crowl wrote:

I love how so many people think they got into the maths olympiad when its actually just the 5 best ppl from the lectures that get in. And yes Laffey is horrible and yes giving up your saturdays for this is pretty boring (coming from someone who did it and enjoys maths so pls dont moan at me).

cmon girls ya heard him, quit moanin at the sexy best already

crowl

what?

pinkpimp

He said:

ColHol wrote:

cmon girls ya heard him, quit moanin at the sexy best already

TalkISCheap

and then of course there's that biology olimpiad in Janbuary (some time in the next 2 months) in DCU, which no one besides the suspiciously enlightened Aoibheann knows anything about... i am supposedly going...

Aoibheann

TalkISCheap wrote:

and then of course there's that biology olimpiad in Janbuary (some time in the next 2 months) in DCU, which no one besides the suspiciously enlightened Aoibheann knows anything about... i am supposedly going...

all I know is what it says on the form that the schools get.
also, there's a website, I'll dig out the address of it for you, if you dont already have it.

frenchman

im in the science olympiad whatever the f*** that is about!

PurpleFistMixer

EUSO possibly? I did it last year. Failed horribly. Remember, don't accidentally not do half the paper.

Speaking of the maths olympiad, anyone know when the lectures in UCD are starting this year?

Piste

I wish I got to do the Science olympiad, but aparently only the top JC students in the country get in for it ;_;

Frenchman did your school tell you about it?

Thursday*

God I love CTYIzens with their doing-maths-in-their-spare-time.

I vaguely remember some kind of first year maths thing...not actually getting into it, mind, just mention of it. I think we did a test....in class...and then in the next class the teacher said something good about me and possibly some other person in terms of 'best in' but I don't remember if it was the school, or the universe, or what - nothing further came of it anyway. I looked on in vague detachment, I'd be ****-scared if I had to go to mathsy things. I'm only just starting to figure out what maths is. Maybe later.

I did actually get into CTYI on the maths bit as well as the English bit though...presumably because they mismarked my paper....Oh, on the subject of my paper, there was totally a little pencil circle beside the right answer to one of the multiple choice questions. I told them about it but they just said not to worry. I haven't a clue how it got there.

Oh and I know someone who did the Maths Olympiad, and someone else I was talking to at the time said, 'Oh God, poor thing, she's not doing that, is she? I did it and it's awful.'

PurpleFistMixer

It's terrifying. But it makes the Leaving Cert seem so much... more possible. : p

Aoibheann

Piste wrote:

I wish I got to do the Science olympiad, but aparently only the top JC students in the country get in for it ;_;

Frenchman did your school tell you about it?

Methinks a teacher can nominate you if you show interest/aptitude in it outside of normal expectations too. I'm not 100% sure on that though.

Piste

Haha "interest outside of normal expectation"

"I WANT PHYSICS AND I WANT IT NOW!"

frenchman

yeah i got a letter addressed to me at school about it!

GermanShirtBoy

Hey people, who here is Grainne? This is Chris btw, Im new to this.:)

Piste

frenchman wrote:

yeah i got a letter addressed to me at school about it!

Aw I wish I were good enough to get a letter asking me to do SCIENCE! It's based on JC results isn't it? Did you do the old or new course?



Smiley-Knees is Gráinne.

Jack Lynch

smiley_knees wrote:

Hey, we all know the gretaness of nerd camp (my title for CTYI for the non-intelligent and close-minded) but has anyone been to the maths olympiad? I want to go this year but is it worth the effort???

Thanks xxx

Nooo! Dont do it! I havent read any of the other posts, but DONT DO IT! It's SOOO boring and irrelavant. Having said this, I did it in UCC. It might be different in other places. Also, there was one week that a Welsh guy took the class. He's a very funny man.

Wheere were we?

PurpleFistMixer

Heh, she asked that question almost two years ago. : )

Ba_barbaraAnne

Piste wrote:

I wish I got to do the Science olympiad, but aparently only the top JC students in the country get in for it ;_;

Hi all you nerds

Just got a text from my son to say he's been invited to the Science Olympiad..... he got in the top 200 in JC for maths and science..... tell me more please before he gets home!

He was with all you lot in 2005 doing Marine biology

Aoibheann

Piste wrote:

Haha "interest outside of normal expectation"

"I WANT PHYSICS AND I WANT IT NOW!"

Or, y'know, entering in science quizzes, doing CTYI science-related courses (or any CTYI makes the teacher very impressed. That said, this may only count for my school where I am the only one who was ever at CTYI.), science-related competitions, like essay competitions or the like. *nod*

Aoibheann

Ba_barbaraAnne wrote:

Hi all you nerds

Just got a text from my son to say he's been invited to the Science Olympiad..... he got in the top 200 in JC for maths and science..... tell me more please before he gets home!

He was with all you lot in 2005 doing Marine biology

Ok, I'm sure he's long home by now, but hey, I'll give you a run-through of the Olympiad procedure.

So he's entered into the olympiad exams. Basically he has to pick which one of the three sciences he wants to do an exam in - Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Is he in TY or 5th year? He could maybe take a look at the leaving cert textbook for whatever science he chooses. Anyway, the three exams are held simultaneously in DCU in January. I have no idea of the structure of the other exams (Pfm could maybe fill you in on the Physics one), but I did the Biology exam, which consists of many, many multiple choice questions. There was 2 papers I think (I may be mixing this up with the senior bio one, but I don't think so) in which there was 4 or 5 choices for every question, and about 100 questions per paper. You won't be rushed for time, not in Biology. Genetics featured a fair bit, as did the human defence system. Pretty much everything came up somewhere though, and it's not that bad an exam. The top 3 (and more if there were ties) for each science will be presented with a medal later on that day.. maybe 5 o'clock or so, by the Minister for Education and Science. The top 2 from each science will go forward to the Irish team for the EU Science Olympiad. So if your son progresses to this...
- At EUSO itself you'll be divided into 2 teams of three, with a biologist, a chemist and a physicist in each. EUSO is held in a different country each year, when I did it in '05 it was in Galway! Basically it's a week-long trip somewhere in which 2 days are taken up partially by tasks. The night before will include an instrumentation talk, and perhaps hints as regards what the tasks are. There are a lot of excursions during the week, we got to go to the cinema (twice), bowling (also twice), quasar (and again twice), a boat trip, a costume thingy and a formal banquet-style meal at the end, a medals presentation, with a lot more thrown in throughout! You make a load of friends and it's one of the most fun things possible. If you like CTYI, you'd definitely like this aswell.

Hope your son does well in the Irish rounds of the olympiad, whatever science he picks. It'd be very cool if he got through to EUSO. I'm sure I've covered most stuff here, but if you want any more info, ask away.

Ba_barbaraAnne

thanks a million Aoibheann. Knew you'd have the answer for me! if he wants to know anything else he can get himself on boards.

The letter he got said it is next month that the exams are on. He'll probably do Biology so your tips are great.

Piste

Aw I knew I shoulda gotten better in Science *tearz*

Acid_Violet

Piste wrote:

Aw I knew I shoulda gotten better in Science *tearz*

*empathises and replicates*