Education is not just about memorizing facts and answers. It's about developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. My journey with CREST Olympiads has been an extraordinary adventure, one that has changed my academic ability and boosted my confidence. From excelling in mathematics as a child to attending tournaments and exams in math—not only math, though, but also my hobby, chess—where I went from a total beginner to an FIDE-rated chess player.
My Early Passion for Mathematics
Ever since I was a young student, I've been captivated by numbers and mathematical puzzles. Mathematics, to me, is like a vast world full of mysteries waiting to be explored. It was never just a school subject, but it became a personal challenge. It was like a key fragment to my brain that was waiting for me to unlock it and use it for the greatest. Teachers in my school often praised me, calling me a clever and smart student, which encouraged me to push myself further.
One of my earliest and most memorable achievements that I remember was earning the best reward: The Champion Trophy, in Sakamoto (Level 2). Sakamoto is a Japanese math school that teaches you complicated word problems and other things related to math. It also holds national exams every year, where I compete in every single one of them. And I always get gold medals, silver medals, or bronze medals.
Beyond Mathematics: My Interest in IT
Math is not the only subject I was interested in too. I was interested in IT since I was young. I was in typing competitions and a Hackathon. The hackathon was an interesting one—I was in a team with other fellow coders. We had to make a project with the title "Futuristic." We made a project with Scratch where the Sprite continually progresses through life and gets richer by the second, from its small lemonade stand to a business that helps other people.
Discovering CREST Olympiad
Even though school exams and national exams have tested my knowledge, I wanted a bigger challenge. Something that would actually make me study and face problems along the way. That's where I found the CREST Olympiad. Unlike my normal exams, CREST had questions that were way different. For example: challenge your thinking, ask about unfamiliar concepts, and require deep analytical skills. It's like a place where it requires beyond memorization and demands actual, genuine understanding of these questions.
The first ever exam that I have answered in CREST was CMO (CREST MATH OLYMPIAD) and CEO (CREST ENGLISH OLYMPIAD). The CEO was fairly straightforward, including grammar, vocabulary, and other language-related questions, which I found manageable and easy. CMO, however, stumped me. It had questions I have never seen before; they require deep understanding, not just formula application, but deep knowledge of the question and graphs. After all of that answering, though, I passed with flying colors.
Mustang Math Tournament Experience
In addition to these exams, I was also in a tournament called "Mustang Math Tournament" or MMT for short. It was a team-based exam and also an individual exam. I was part of a team, hoping we would work together seamlessly, but unfortunately, in the team round, our coordination wasn't up to the mark, and we didn't perform as well as we hoped. Still, I focused on my individual performance. In my individual round, I secured a gold medal, which made me immensely happy. That achievement boosted not only my confidence but my future ego for exams in the future.
My Chess Journey
Beyond my love for mathematics and academic competitions, I discovered another passion—chess. Chess is one of the sports that requires brainpower, strategy, patience, and tactics, where every move can change the course of a game, making it a perfect exercise for developing strategic thinking. I got into chess in mid-2023 after seeing so many videos of people playing chess on YouTube. Their depth in the strategic sense and the complexity of every move fascinated me, and I was immediately hooked. So I decided to try it myself. Unbeknownst to me, this decision was the start of my serious chess journey.
For those couple of months, I just studied the basics of the game: I learned the different types of chess openings; I learned the value of the pieces; I learned the power of the pawn; and the strategies on how to develop the pieces in a chess game. Also, more like how to use a chess clock or how to write down move notations in classical chess. I always played online and in over-the-board tournaments and achieved amazing results. But these last few months, I've now gotten my FIDE rating in classical, of 1800, and my international rating, which is a reflection of my skill. I've climbed the ladder one rung at a time. Also, my dream is to be a Grandmaster in Chess when I grow up.
Recent Challenges: UGKE Exam
Recently, I just took the exam for UGKE, which it asked general questions about the world, countries, dances, and inventions of what different people created. For example, "What year did the USSR fall?" It's 1991 if you were interested. These types of questions were difficult only for one reason: It had too many questions, sixty to be exact. But other than that, it was pretty easy and did not require anything.
Gratitude and Future Goals
Lastly, I wanna thank CREST Olympiad. My journey with the CREST Olympiad has been very fun and transformative. It has not only sharpened my academic skills but also my approach to challenges. To every student or parent reading this, leap. Participate in Olympiads, embrace the struggles, and enjoy the growth that follows.
This is just the beginning of my journey. I am excited about what the future holds—more competitions, new skills to learn, and bigger goals to achieve. Education is a lifelong adventure, and I am ready to explore it with curiosity, dedication, and joy. I believe that with hard work and passion, I can overcome any obstacle and reach my dreams.
And to the CREST Olympiad again, thank you for the exams that taught me things I have never seen, and also for learning how to deal with the pressure of these exams.
