Attendance skyrocketed for the first Carlmont math contest of the year, as students rushed to find an open class to participate in the contest.
Students flocked to math classrooms in the E and D halls, running from their third-period classes as soon as the lunch bell rang to get into the quickly filling up competition on Oct. 1.
“I’ve never seen a classroom fill up as fast as the one did today,” said Donovan Truel, a sophomore, after he finished the first contest of the year.
Math contests are held every other Tuesday in each math teacher’s classroom. These contests are a way for students of all grade levels to earn a little extra credit and to practice their math skills. With six questions ranging from algebra 1 to calculus, students of all levels are encouraged to participate so that they receive the points.
While most students come to the contests for the extra credit, some choose to go for the challenge of solving hard math problems.
“I went to the contest today because I really wanted the extra credit for my homework grade,” said Hudson Fox, a freshman.
Some of the strongest advocates for math contests are teachers, who believe that the additional points can boost grades if the student consistently goes to the competitions.
Dan Nguyen, a math teacher at Carlmont, said, “I see a lot of students who go regularly, and students can rack up a decent amount of points from them.”
As soon as the lunch bell rings, students’ footsteps can be heard thudding through the hallways as they sprint to the nearest math classroom, hoping to find an opportunity for extra credit.
Math contests have been held at Carlmont for many years and will most likely stay at Carlmont for many years in the future as well. The combination of math trivia and extra credit for students creates a fun, easy way for students to boost their math grades.
Nguyen said, “Towards the end of the school year, students will start to drop off, and it will be less competitive to find a seat.”
Students will have plenty of opportunities to attend future competitions if they were unable to participate in the first one, so there is no need for them to worry.
Students who go to all eight math contests can anticipate a significant difference in their grades and overall performance. Depending on the number of correct answers, it can be one of the most reliable methods of extra credit, as many teachers may only offer math contests as extra credit for their class.
Students from every level of math at Carlmont have found a strong motivation for math contests, as they are all willing to sprint for some extra credit.
