Where should I start?
Mu Alpha Theta can appear intimidating at first. Many of the concepts that we learn might be difficult to understand for newcomers, which makes many of them feel as though they can never catch up to our top competitors or that they "aren't smart enough."
However, this is not the case. Many of our top competitors agree that this attitude prevents one from gaining the experience that they need to compete.
So, to answer the question: you simply need to jump in. If you wish to compete, the best thing to do is to participate as much as you can. Even if you are confused by topics covered at some meetings (especially Friday intervention meetings), you are gaining experience and training your mind. Take note of certain tricks and formulas that catch your eye and ask yourself how you can replicate that in other problems. Partaking in competitions such as the RCML, Log1, AMC, OMO, and the TVUSD Math Competition challenges you and allows you to assess yourself and improve. Also, completing questions on Alcumus is a great way to learn new skills that can be applied at competitions. All of these will not only help you in major competitions, but earn you QED points that will count towards your total for honor cords!
Good luck in Mu Alpha Theta!
However, this is not the case. Many of our top competitors agree that this attitude prevents one from gaining the experience that they need to compete.
So, to answer the question: you simply need to jump in. If you wish to compete, the best thing to do is to participate as much as you can. Even if you are confused by topics covered at some meetings (especially Friday intervention meetings), you are gaining experience and training your mind. Take note of certain tricks and formulas that catch your eye and ask yourself how you can replicate that in other problems. Partaking in competitions such as the RCML, Log1, AMC, OMO, and the TVUSD Math Competition challenges you and allows you to assess yourself and improve. Also, completing questions on Alcumus is a great way to learn new skills that can be applied at competitions. All of these will not only help you in major competitions, but earn you QED points that will count towards your total for honor cords!
Good luck in Mu Alpha Theta!