Mathematics plays a really important role in the everyday life of each human being. With the advent of technology in the modern world, mathematics has played a very important role in shaping society. From time management to budgeting, mathematics is intricate in all paths of life. Maths is proven to inculcate critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving ability in an individual which can help him tackle different aspects of any problem that he faces in life, be it from Maths or not.
No matter what field a person goes in, they will always be able to see an element of maths at play there. Hence, students should be encouraged to look at numbers with an interesting and exciting perspective from a young age so that they are curious about Maths and not afraid of it. International Maths Olympiad (IMO) is one such platform that enables students to shine at Maths and use it to get better at the subject.
Here are some ways in which IMO is important for students giving it –
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Better conceptual clarity of topics –
As students prepare for IMO in class 8th, they would have to go deeper than usual into the concepts and their applications which would bring about better conceptual clarity of topics to the students. They would have to prepare the topics in a better manner for the Olympiad which would benefit them when preparing for their class 8th exams, as they would already have a good understanding of the fundamentals of various topics which would make it easier for them to score good marks in the exams.
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Practice of different question types –
In IMO, different types of questions are asked as compared to the ones that are asked in the exams of class 8th which would help students practice a different variety of questions than what they are used to solving. This will motivate them to use a different application of the concepts they have learned so as to find the solution to the problem. Solving IMO Maths Olympiad Sample Question Paper Class 8 also helps them develop speed and accuracy in solving Maths questions.
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Allows them to see where they stand among their peers –
After giving the IMO, students can gauge where they stand among their peers not only in the same school or city but nationwide via the rank they get. This can put things into perspective for them and they can get a good idea as to what needs to be done in order to get better than those that are their age. Securing a good rank in IMO can boost their confidence and can motivate them to keep putting in the hard work and the efforts that they have as now they know that they are on the right track and can only get better with time.
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Pattern of paper drives students to go beyond just formulas –
In IMO, the questions aren’t asked directly from the formulas but are based on the applications of the formulas which motivates the students to go the extra mile and develop their skills in the subject further. The pattern of questions asked in the Olympiad drives them to think out of the box and apply the concepts in a different way than they have been. Students are driven out of curiosity to solve these questions and improve their performance further in search of a good rank in IMO.
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Gives them a platform to prepare for future competitive exams –
IMO along with other Olympiads such as NSO, IEO among others play a vital role in giving the students a platform that helps them learn how to prepare for competitive exams from such an early age as these Olympiads can be given starting from class 1st. In the future, these students would have to give various crucial competitive exams in the course of their lives, and getting the practice of how to go about preparing for these competitive exams from a young age is a big boon.
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Inculcates essential skills from a young age –
While preparing for IMO, students learn important soft skills such as hard work and perseverance which are really essential moving ahead in life in every path of life. Students have to work harder and persevere to prepare for the Olympiad as the level in it is much higher than in their school exams which inculcates these soft skills from such a tender age.
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Trains them indirectly in strategy making –
As they prepare for IMO, students have to decide on the strategy that they are going to adopt in order to be able to attempt the whole paper in 60 minutes, which ingrains a really important quality of strategizing for anything they do. Learning this skill early on in their life is going to pay dividends in the future as these skills are vital in whatever field they chose to go in.
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They can get rewards for good performance in IMO –
Those students who score good marks and secure good rank in IMO are given medals and certificates in order to acknowledge their tremendous efforts in clearing this exam. These rewards can entice students who do well in the Olympiad to keep up the good work so that they can win more of the same in the future as well, while also motivating those students who were not able to get the prizes to prepare better in the future Olympiads and secure good ranks in them to win the medal and certificate.
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Due to topics other than Maths asked analytical reasoning is developed –
In IMO Olympiad, questions are asked from logical reasoning, everyday maths in addition to the regular topics that are asked in the school exam, which helps students in developing better analytical reasoning and problem-solving skills in order to solve the questions.
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Good performance in IMO can help them in future –
Good performance in IMO in which they are able to clear both the levels and secure a certificate or medal could bode well in the future for career prospects as well. Showing these achievements in your resume would certainly improve your chances of getting the job you want or getting admission into your dream college.
GOOD LUCK!