The AMCs are Coming... WHAT Should I Do In These Last Few Days???
The time has finally come for the AMC10/12 test. In just a few days, the AMC10/12 A will take place, and a week after that, the AMC10/12 B. Hopefully, you’ve practiced enough to have a good chance at achieving the score that you hope to get on these difficult tests, and have not procrastinated too much by watching the latest viral cat videos :-). However, now that the test date you have prepared so much for is finally here, what should you do in the last few days? Some may tell you to cram as much practice as possible and to do problems every single moment of your free time. Others may tell you that, at this point, there’s nothing you can do, and that you should just relax and not stress over the test too much. But despite what others may say, the right thing to do is to just continue practicing as much as you have previously.
Don't Cram or Relax too much before the AMCs! A delicate balance is required!
Why Cramming and relaxing are ineffective:
While it may be tempting to do as many problems as possible, to try and learn every single trick or formula that you may not have seen yet, you must avoid cramming for this examination. While cramming may be effective on school tests, the AMC10/12 is designed to cover an extremely large variety of math fields. Assorted topics in Algebra, Geometry, Number Theory, and Combinatorics will all show up in this test, and it is impossible for you to learn everything you don’t know in just a few days. Furthermore, you may not necessarily remember everything you cover while cramming. The reason you did as much practice as you did in the past was that that was the amount of time that allowed you to learn as much as possible while still retaining the information. Going past that limit will NOT be helpful.
On the other hand, doing nothing but relaxing won’t be of any help either. When I tried this method, I couldn’t even relieve stress, since my mind continually wandered to the looming exam. Furthermore, your brain enters a very specific mode of concentration while attempting math problems. The more consistently you enter this mode, the more focused you will be. If you stop doing math in the few days leading up to the exam, you may find it more difficult to enter the “concentration zone” you need to during the actual test. Your mind needs to be accustomed to doing math, not finding it something new and difficult to do. HOWEVER, do note that this does not mean you should not relax at all, as this is something you SHOULD be doing. You just need to make sure you do not completely avoid doing math in the days before the AMC10/12!
But... What is the Solution Then?
The Solution:
Because of this, continuing with the same practice schedule you have used is the best practicing strategy in the few days leading up to the AMC10! You will keep your brain ready to do math and be able to learn some new techniques that may show up on the actual examination, while at the same time avoiding the dangers of cramming too many math problems! 😀
However, do note that this does not mean you can deviate slightly from your schedule if you wish. If you feel as though 15 more minutes of practice a day would be helpful, you can certainly add this to your schedule. If you believe that doing 10 fewer minutes of math a day with allow you to get more sleep, then this is acceptable as well. You should just any avoid drastic deviations from your original schedule, to get the most of your practice in the days leading up to the AMC10/12.
Of course, if you ever find yourself struggling with a topic or find yourself unable to understand something, feel free to contact us and ask us for help! Any form of tutoring we provide you with is completely free, and our tutors will be happy to help you with anything you need! 🙂
And that concludes today’s (hopefully helpful) blog post! The AMC10/12 A is in exactly four days, on January 30th! I wish all of you the best of luck on the examination!
