GreatRevan's blog

International Olympiads are so hard
By GreatRevan, history, 34 hours ago, In English

I struggle soo much in team selection exams, let alone the olympiads themselves. I don't think i'm capable of winning international medal. I'm just gonna win the national olympiad and move on. I am open to advices from International Olympiad winners or competitors because I can't even imagine how hard it is to compete at an olympiad at international level. Is it even possible to win IOI medal??? (don't downvote plz)

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30 hours ago, # |
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what's the point of problems in general if they weren't challenging, practice makes perfect!

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    23 hours ago, # ^ |
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    Yeah, you are right when it comes to that. Sometimes I struggle to keep strength after losing in exams but I'm trying my best. Thank you for the advice!

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      23 hours ago, # ^ |
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      i also got obliterated in my exams but in the bright side i made the best of it by preparing for the next ones (if i mess the next ones i'll literally get disqualified so it checks out)

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        22 hours ago, # ^ |
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        I agree with you. I also have problems at focusing at next exam when I get succesful in the previous one. Btw I have seen a lot of pupil or even newbie codeforces users that are just internationally geniuses. I guess the rank doesn't matter either. I want to hear your opinion abut that as well. Thank you!

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29 hours ago, # |
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In many countries, qualifying for international Olympiads is harder than obtaining medals in them. This is why the asian 5-year-olds who are LGM have never been to international olympiads.

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29 hours ago, # |
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  • 'I struggle soo much in team selection exams, let alone the olympiads themselves'
  • 'Is it even possible to win IOI medal?'

1 : Every struggle makes you stronger, shaping you into a better competitor over time. OI-style problems are really fun. Even if you can't solve the whole problem, you can work on subtasks and keep trying until the end. This time, I participated in the nationals for the first time but couldn't perform well. However, the way I approach and think about problems has changed in a way you can't fully understand until it happens to you. Don't miss the fun.

2 : Maybe you'll start to feel like it's possible after totally sucking at it in your first year of participation or asking a Chinese LGM. Just a thought.

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    23 hours ago, # ^ |
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    Thank you so much! There are SO many chinese competitors as well and they are absolute geniuses. It must be a very hard time to compete with them :/

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      18 hours ago, # ^ |
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      I'm not Chinese, but I think that the national competition in China is more intense than the IOI.

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        16 hours ago, # ^ |
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        yeah, I'm not chinese either but imagine more than 1000 wonderkids competing for top 6

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        14 hours ago, # ^ |
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        But in China, you can go to Tsinghua University or Peking University without any other contest just if you are the top 50 in NOI.

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          12 hours ago, # ^ |
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          yeah my country has the same rule as well but the difference is our national universities is nowhere near US or Chinese universities. That's why we need to have successful international career to study in an advanced university

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          12 hours ago, # ^ |
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          Don't you think that being an LGM in high school but missing out on IOI, a high schooler's ultimate achievement in competitive programming, is far more painful than getting into Tsinghua as an LGM??

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            6 hours ago, # ^ |
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            The vast majority of IOI kids aren't even GM, let alone LGM.

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              5 hours ago, # ^ |
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              I mean LGM high schoolers from China. This year, so many LGMs, couldn't get into the IOI 2025 team.

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                4 hours ago, # ^ |
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                i dont think they are so many , the number of LGM's on the site is very limited and most of them arent highschoolers

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14 hours ago, # |
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It usually takes five or more years to do it. Don't give up.

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28 minutes ago, # |
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Try to solve more complex problems, in the range of 1800-2200 to prepare for international competitions

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