Countdown

After reading countdown, I was and was not aware of how tough Math could be at a young age but at competition level, it is very cutthroat in a sense that the smartest kids are pitted against each other with a prize at stake. This was honestly my first time hearing about the International Mathematical Olympiad and after reading about it i see why the US is behind on some academics in particularly math. I think one factor as to why Americans were not aware of the Olympiad is because of our current state of affairs today. Due to conflict with other countries, I believe that competing and winning in such competition could be troublesome for the US. Also I think that Americans usually viewed this competition as not important or just like the Spelling Bee, it is enlightening to watch but it is not something that will keep my attention for more than an hour or two. Americans like sports and competitions that are physically exciting to watch and or they like to be entertained and not educated about what kids know.

Another reason is because Americans mostly do not find Math interesting. Usually kids in elementary school when asked their favorite subject or subjects, Math is mentioned scarcely or not even mentioned at all. Math is a science that takes a while for some people to concept while others grasp it quickly or others never grasp it. Kids in other countries stress the importance of excelling in academics i.e. Mathematics in particular so that they can be ahead. With technology rapidly changing every six seconds, the new generation of kids will have to adapt to the changes and with that being said they pursue stem degrees when they get older it just depends on the person itself if they want to learn about it rather than showing a technique on how to do it. However I do agree that people just like kids in competitions should see Mathematics as more of a game rather than a test because if a person allows themselves to practice mathematical ideas or overcoming the thoughts of whether or not they would be good at the subject. If math was expose to a person who was uninterested in the subject, it should be presented to them using a real world scenario which centers on their interests. I feel like once a person does their hobby or whatever they like doing using mathematical ideas, this could enlighten them and open a new door of opportunities with the science.

In the book, it mentioned a girl name Melanie who is extremely smart. At 12 years of age, she won the Indiana Mathcounts Competition even though she herself thinks that she isn't that smart but her father is a math teacher himself so people started to think she inherited the math genes. I think her being smart does not have to do with genes but rather than the fact that her father is a teacher so that could mean that while she was growing up, her father could have been teaching her how to do math but in a different way. Usually in the school system, the teachers are required to go by the book but it’s different for her at home. Also it is literally impossible for Melanie to inherit the genes because her father was not a mathematician at all, he was just a good math teacher. It also mentions that Melanie’s father died so for her to cope with the death, she immersed herself into learning Math but in a particular, non-traditional way. After reading about Melanie’s story, it further supported the claim that being good in Mathematics is not a genetic gift but it is rather a learned skill that is grasped when practiced immensely.