From May 14 to 16, 2021, the 12th National College Student Mathematics Competition Finals and Awards Ceremony was held at Jilin University. Students from the School of Statistics and Management performed outstandingly in the competition. Fan Xinyuan, a student from the 2018 Statistics Experimental Class, and Zhu Yujia, a student from the 2017 Statistics Experimental Class, stood out with excellent results of First Prize (Non-Mathematics) in the Shanghai City Contest, advancing to the national finals. After intense competition, Fan Xinyuan won the National First Prize in the Non-Mathematics Group, and Zhu Yujia won the National Second Prize in the Non-Mathematics Group.
The National College Student Mathematics Competition began in 2009 and has now become one of the most influential high-level academic competitions for undergraduates in the country. It aims to promote the improvement of talent cultivation quality in higher education institutions, advance the construction of mathematics courses in universities, and discover innovative talent in mathematics.
Interview:
Zhu Yujia:
Preparation for the Competition: After learning that I had made it to the finals last year, I promised myself that I would seriously study. Of course, the final result ended up being nothing. In my senior year, various different things constantly came up, delaying my plans. Before the winter break, I said that I would properly review during the holiday, but I ended up spending the entire break working on my graduation thesis, and I didn't even finish it. After school started, I said I would begin reviewing after finishing my thesis, but there were several bugs during the experiments that delayed my review again. Around late March to early April, I was almost done with my thesis when the internship started. Well, I packed my bag and went to work. Before starting the job, I told myself that my company was so far away, so I had to use the subway time to review materials related to the math competition. This time I kept my promise, but it only lasted a pitiful day. It dragged on just like that until the day before the exam. So, aside from a few big shots, procrastination is a common problem for everyone. On the last day, I felt that if I didn't study, I would really be in trouble. So that day, at the airport, on the plane, and in the hotel, I was almost constantly cramming.
It can be said that my preparation this time was quite a failure. However, due to my decent foundation (not trying to show off), the final result turned out okay. Therefore, in my usual study routine, I highly recommend that everyone should not adopt my failed review method.
Match process:
The competition was relatively uneventful; I gradually worked through the questions in the exam room. Some questions I could do, some I might be able to do, and some were impossible for me to solve. For me, I believe the process of this competition mainly provided me with a great experience, allowing me to feel various sensations in different environments. Moreover, after the competition, I strolled around Jilin University and Changchun, which let me personally experience some of the existing issues in China's current development. Pu Yi's legendary life experience captivated me, and the traditional art of crosstalk made me laugh heartily. In short, the entire experience of the competition is a valuable memory.
Post-match Reflections:
Actually, I am pretty satisfied with my results this time, but sometimes I can’t help but think, would it have been better if I had studied a little longer? It's always good to think more about it; maybe next time it can become a motivation for my progress, right? However, clearly, just thinking is not enough.
In addition, I am very grateful to the college for giving us two opportunities for promotion after the competition in the Shanghai regional and now. In fact, I believe that everyone has their own unique shining points. The content that the school promotes daily may not be your strength, but everyone should believe in what they are doing now and patiently wait for their own shining points to blossom and bear fruit.
Future Planning:
I generally don’t like to impose too many constraints on myself, so I usually don’t set many goals. Those who know me well understand that I’m a rather laid-back person, and I actually quite like this aspect of my character. My plan for myself is to be even more laid-back in the future, doing more of the things I believe are right and the things I enjoy.
Lastly, I would like to thank the academy and the School of Mathematics for their support and assistance during the finals! Special thanks to our team leader, Teacher Ye Yuquan, during the finals! Thank you to Jilin University for the almost perfect logistical support during the competition!
Fan Xinyuan:
Preparing for the competition:
After learning that I had entered the finals, I did not shift my focus to higher mathematics. Instead, I continued to prioritize learning and reviewing my professional courses, while using past exam questions to maintain my mathematical abilities as a supplement. About a week before the competition, I concentrated my efforts on preparation, mainly studying Pu Heping's "Mathematics Competition Tutorial for College Students" and reflecting on past exam questions. I divided the exam content into several major sections, requiring myself to be able to "recall" typical methods and problems after reviewing each section, so that I would have a direction to attempt during problem-solving. Many questions in mathematics competitions require construction techniques and an understanding of the delicate connections between formulas or knowledge; this, on one hand, needs experience accumulation, and on the other hand, requires a bit of inspiration. Therefore, it is very normal to be unable to solve problems during the preparation process, and maintaining an optimistic and positive mindset is essential.
Competition process:
When imagining the scene of the finals in normal times, I always feel that the finals would be somewhat different from usual. However, when I actually started answering questions, I realized that it was still an ordinary day—I was still very tired, and the exam room was particularly dark this time, which made me quite uncomfortable. Time does not stop because of human will. Through this competition, I believe that in preparation for the competition, in addition to training problem-solving abilities, we also need to improve our soft skills: the ability to adapt to the environment and self-adjust (or rather, to draw a bit from the idea of "normalizing exams"). The support from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics for us participants was quite significant, and the service and guarantee measures were very well done; we just needed to focus on performing our best.
Post-match Reflections:
The college student math competition is quite helpful for improving interest and ability in mathematics. I recommend that anyone interested can participate actively. Like other competitions, the math competition is an exam that integrates multiple factors. What we can do is to gain a deeper or even entirely new understanding of higher mathematics knowledge points through the competition, and then generate our own unique insights while on the plane, in the hotel, or in the examination room.
Future plans:
Continue to learn statistical knowledge and integrate statistical theories and methods with practical realities.
In addition, student Fan Xinyuan spoke as a representative of the awardees at the award ceremony for the National College Student Mathematics Competition in the Shanghai region. In his speech, he stated that preparing for mathematics competitions and studying statistics are not only compatible but also have a very close relationship. Therefore, preparing for mathematics competitions is a way of reviewing and gaining new insights; it involves revisiting mathematical knowledge and the challenges of mathematics, while simultaneously achieving a clearer and deeper understanding of related statistical theories. He believes that although the preparation for mathematics competitions requires considerable time, it also brings many rewards. The first is to adhere to the principle of moderation, preventing excessive efforts, and to cultivate the ability to be flexible and adaptable; the second is to recognize that reduction is an effective method and approach; the third is to develop a rigorous mindset. In closing, he expressed that while there is intoxicating beauty in mathematics, one must not overlook the irreplaceable brilliance in life. On the journey of self-fulfillment, one should also take a look at the cherry blossoms in March, taste the fruits of June, read the poems of September, and listen to Chopin in November.
In recent years, the School of Statistics and Management has focused on the innovative training of statistical talents. In line with the talent cultivation goals of first-class discipline construction, a first-class statistics talent training program has been developed. The school concentrates resources and personnel, actively contacts and organizes various subject competitions, and strives to provide students with a broader practical platform for professional knowledge. Experts and subject mentors are invited for regular training and occasional guidance for students to conduct capability training. In this atmosphere, our students have achieved outstanding results in various subject competitions. In the last four math competitions, our students have won a total of two first prizes, two second prizes, and one third prize in the national finals.
The 13th National College Student Mathematics Competition Shanghai Regional Competition will be held in the second half of this year, and the national finals will be hosted by East China Normal University in the first half of next year. Wishing our college students to make further efforts and achieve good results in the next competition!
