#What do you learn from Olympiads?

[waklman]

The Showoff

summary: jake likes to show you off or you learn why jake keeps protein bars he’s allergic to in his bag.

pairing: jake seresin x female reader

warnings: no use of y/n. fluff, allergic reaction, mentions of dying, jake being a little mean for a second. 18+ blog in general.

word count: 1k

olympic swimmer au

the halfway mark masterlist

Jake Seresin had virtually every reason to be a show off.

The moment his muscled body hit the water, he was truly unmatched—a force to be reckoned with—a smug face you wouldn’t want to see stretching in the lane beside you. If his name merely floated into the ears of elite coaches, the rival teams they managed were in for it on training days. But no matter how many grueling drills their swimmers were pushed to do, they could never truly emerge as a threat to the United States team.

So, the heavily decorated athlete never faltered, not when he knew his country dominated every arena they strode into. 

However, Jake did falter when he was too busy boasting, that he didn't think to check the peanut butter protein bar that his giggly girlfriend was happily feeding him. There weren’t many things that could render the Olympiad breathless, though, you wearing his gold medals did, that was a given. But, peanuts—his worst food allergy to date, that was also a given.

Before Jake could tell you how his coach had no critique for his freestyle stroke, the walls of his throat started to close in on him—leaving him quite literally breathless.

To his disbelief, you were so distraught that you had to stab your boyfriend with an EpiPen, that your mind simply erased the memory of you coming to his rescue.

Even when he spent half an hour swiping away the fattest tears he’s ever seen off your cheeks, you were still adamant that you most definitely killed him. That he refused to move onto the afterlife because he wanted to look after you. 

“Giggles, you need to calm down. I’m not dead,” he firmly assures you, for what feels like, the hundredth time this afternoon. 

If Jake had to sit on the edge of the pool any longer, legs submerged into the water, his toes might as well shrivel off, separate from his feet, and find its final resting place on the pool floor.

Straddled on his lap sits his teary-eyed girlfriend, tracing a trembling finger over the Olympic rings tattooed under his left pec. “What if…you’re just a ghost right now,” you hiccup, eyes still trained on the red ink you’re drawing over. 

“If I was a ghost I’d be haunting Bradshaw right about now,” he confirms bluntly, eyes running over your stuffy nose and puffy eyes. It looks like you’re the one that just had an allergic reaction. 

You sniff, feeling a bit lightheaded when you lift your chin to look at him. 

“But…Casper the ghost—”

“Alright, that’s enough. I ain’t getting myself compared to that pale freak,” he cuts you off, pulling his arena jacket back up your droopy shoulders. Splashed across the back of the official team jacket is Jake Seresin written in white blocky letters, contrasting against the navy blue of his flag colors.

A weary sigh leaves his lips when the reprimand only makes you weakly fall forward, stuffing your face into the crook of his neck. Then, another flow of tears slip out of your eyes, wetting his shoulder. 

It should’ve been obvious to him that you were sensitive enough to start crying again. Jake should’ve known that—should’ve watched his tone with you. But he didn’t. And for that, he feels like a complete asshole.

Carefully, he wraps an arm around you, bicep flexing to ensure that you won’t fall backwards into the pool. Jake is acutely aware that you can’t swim—or float on your own, so he scoots away from the water, petting the back of your head to signal the sudden movement. 

“It wasn’t your fault, Gigs,” he finally whispers, staring ahead at the floating ropes, separating the swim lanes. Months ago, Jake had been hanging onto one of them, playfully arguing with Bradshaw during practice when he spotted you for the first time, sitting in the stands with the coach’s daughter, peanut butter protein bar held up to your smiley mouth. 

“Yes it was. It's all my fault. I packed your lunch today,” you’re quick to blame yourself, mumbling guiltily against his tan skin.

“Actually,” he lets out a soft breath of amusement, coaxing you off him. With his hands moving to cradle your head, Jake intently cools your hot cheeks with his thumbs. Somehow, they're still cold from the frigid waters soaking his legs. 

“I might have snuck those into my bag when you were busy adding Taylor Swift to my playlist,” he confesses, pulling your face closer in to kiss away a tear that formed in the corner of your eye. 

Not quite sure if you heard those words right, you keep still as he leans back and cocks his head at you, waiting for a reaction to load in.

Once it all hits you, you slap your own hands on his cheeks, holding his head between your smaller palms. Now the both of you are grabbing onto eachother's heads. “Why on earth would you do that!” 

There’s not one plausible reason for him to purposefully toss that in with his ham and cheese sandwich. Did he not like what you made for him today? Was that it? Or did it just slip his mind that peanut dust could take him out faster than a bullet can?

“You’re—you’re allergic to peanuts! And you hate the chalky taste of protein bars!” You exhaustedly remind him, more confused than ever. 

There’s a crooked, and somewhat bashful smile on his face when you widen your eyes at him. Sheer horror is written across your features, leaving you oblivious to the gradual heat that colors his cheeks. 

“Okay, but. Don’t you like them? I wasn’t gonna let my girl starve while I ate like a king,” he gives you a offhanded shrug, as if he wasn’t practically contaminating his own food by squeezing the protein bar next to it. 

It’s silent for a few seconds while you two stare at each other—until your face suddenly scrunches up, bottom lip starting to wobble, and tears beginning to drip onto his thigh.

You can't help but to cry at the small gesture. Because Jake knows how much you love snacking on something he was deathly allergic to. Because Jake loves you enough to remember that. Because Jake doesn't care if it could hospitalize him if he kissed you while you ate it.

“No, no—hey quit crying,” he laughs, chest warming when you weep tears of happiness this time. 

The athlete barely flinches when a confused Bradley and Bob walk through the locker room doors, clearly confused by the sight of their teammate chuckling as his girlfriend sobs in his lap, blubbering about peanuts.

All because, Jake Seresin likes to show off his pretty girlfriend—pathetically drowning in her own tears or not. When he goes to kiss the tears away again, Jake thinks that he has virtually every reason to be a show off.

note: okay i love them so much, i've been wanting a grumpy jake x sunshine reader on my blog for awhile so here they are!! thank you for reading and as always reblogs are greatly appreciated.

join the taglist for this series here or follow me on @waklman-library and turn on notifs to be notified when i post!

tags: @genius2050 @eli2447 @s-u-t @dempy @averyhotchner @et-homephone @olymosity @wkndwlff @cruelmissdior @eternallyvenus @laneylovesglen @queerqueenlynn

[disciplinedselfrya]

No goal, no matter how important, is above your mental and physical health. Making six figures, getting fit, winning the freaking Olympiad...

Nothing is worth sacrificing yourself!

When working towards a goal, keep in mind:

When you are tired, rest

When you are burnt out, leave everything and learn to enjoy life again

When you are hungry, eat

When you are stressed, take a walk, talk to someone

When you feel like you can't take it anymore, push your goals away for a while

This is one of my biggest mistakes during my level-up journey. I was always ambitious, striving for excellence and craving perfection. I have big dreams and I know what pursuing them means. But, please, do not repeat my mistakes. Your health and sanity matter more than your accomplishments.

! Studying for 2h + 10 minutes of meditation + 20 minutes of running/dancing/lifting + a 5-min shower + a hug from a parent + writing your thoughts for 3 minutes + a text of gratitude to a friend >>>> 3 hours of studying and then another one spent scrolling and complaining about not having enough time !

Keep going! Rya

[minmin-vs-physics]

intro to a lore accurate physics major

intro post? intro post! i feel like yapping abt myself today so its time to drop some lore (this time completely sober) name: min age: 21 occupation: idiot 4th year undergraduate student, part time TA major: PHYSICS

more about me:

well, obviously i dont wanna doxx myself, but im an indian intl student based in the states.

im currently gunning for graduate school in physics-- my research interests are in high energy theory

the overarching goal is staying in academia-- i enjoy teaching a lot too

im a pheno gal but im interested in exploring more formal sectors of het as well.

key words: quantum field theories, quantum information, SMEFT, early universe particle cosmology

im also interested in the mathematical formalism in physics, and im super into group theory (mostly Lie theory but abstract algebra in general is rad)

my favourite mathematician ever is emmy noether

more about me when im NOT doing physics:

im a hobby linguist and i like doing linguistic olympiads in my own time. i self-learn korean and japanese supposedly (have not been doing that in a while). i can speak three languages, but choose not to.

i like dabbling in evolutionary biology, geology, and other earthly sciences. i love marine invertebrates in particular!

i haven't been reading lately but i enjoy classic literature-- mostly late 19th and early 20th century authors.

my guilty pleasure is napping with science youtube videos in the background.

im very much a fandom person! (strong kpop and anime background) i write an skk fic (allegedly)

i play genshin! currently pulling for kinich (i got him), but im a longtime albedo main

free book rec-- hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

so yeah! hmu if you want to yap bc im a yapologist fr. my inbox/dms are open for anything from questions about physics, to hating on physics.

i love what i do, and i love complaining about what i do, so that's all this blog really is.

[crazyf0rswayze]

Johnny Cade: Love Poem

JOHNNYS POV

"Ponyboy?" I asked 

"Yes Johnnycakes?" Pony replied walking over

"So y-you know how I like y/n...yea well I wanted to asked her out...but i-i wanted to write a poem to ask her out...a-and tell her how I feel. But I don't know how to write a poem...." I explained

"Ok! I'll help you then." Ponyboy said, taking a seat next to me

"Ok...so I would start off with some things you like about her. So make a list, and then we'll word it so it rhymes" Ponyboy explained to me. He wrote poems for school alot, so that's why I came to him first

"W-well she look really pretty when she wears plaid...l-like flannels and stuff" I said

"Ok! Yes great. That's a nice start" Ponyboy said to me enthusiastically

"Sh-shes really beautiful...and she makes me go mad. Hey! Hey ...plaid and mad kinda rhyme" I said excited that I was getting a good start

"Yea... yea it does Johnny" Pony said...a little shocked that I was catching on quick

"And...I see her...i-im....GLAD! Glad rhymes" I said, as I started writing everything down

"Mmmmm....and...when she cries...I get ......SAD! Sad rhymes "

"Wow...you're a natural! Ooh, so I learned what an Olympiad is, and it's those four years between olympic games! You could say something like....'for you i would wait thousands of Olympiads'" Pony suggested

"Yea...thanks. I didn't know that" I said

"Hey, you learn something new everyday "

"PONYBOY, GET READY FOR BED" Darry yelled out from his room

"OK DAR....GIVE ME A MINUTE IM HELPING JOHNNY WITH SOMETHING " Ponyboy shouted back 

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT....NOT TOO LATE OK?" 

"OK DARRY! THANKS" Ponyboy yelled out

"Ok...where were we-" Ponyboy said looking down at my paper with shock. In the few seconds that he was looking away, I had started to form the poem. Ponyboy leaned over my shoulder so he could see what I was writing.

"Johnny, that's really good! I like how you mentioned Robert Frost's poem 'Nothing Gold Can Stay'!" 

"T-thanks. Do you think y/n's gonna like it?" I asked worriedly

"Yea! I think she's gonna love it! I gotta get ready for bed ok? But I'll help you in the morning if you need me to" 

"Ok!" I replied focusing on my love poem

Ponyboy patted my back as he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. 

'youre a beautiful lad

And you look wonderful in plaid

Your looks made me go mad

And you not being next to me makes me sad

For you, I would wait thousands of Olympiads 

And they say 'nothing gold can stay'

Yet you're standing right here'

I yawned as I read over what I had. Gosh...I should go to bed. Just in case Y/n came and stayed at the Curtis house tonight, I gave the notebook I was writing in to Ponyboy to keep in his dresser drawer

"Mmmmhhmm whats that" I heard Sodapop ask

"Nothin'" Ponyboy responded. I think Sodapop was too tired to question it because all he did was groan tiredly. 'Close call Johnny' I thought to myself. 

Just then I heard the door open. It was y/n. 

"Oh..hey Johnnycakes." Y/n said  

"You ok?" I asked the girl. She looked a little spooked

"Yea Johnnycakes! Just tired. " The pretty girl replied to my question

"O-oh. Yea I get it. You can take the couch. I don't mind Darry's recliner" I offered Y/n

"Are you sure? I don't mind the recliner either" Y/n asked

"Yes. I'm sure" I reassured the girl

"Alrighty then" she said with a yawn

She went to lie down on the couch. She looked really cute when she was tired. And cuter when she was all cuddled up in the blankets. I found myself standing there looking at Y/n with heart eyes. I then went to lie down in Darry's recliner. 

"Good night Johnnycakes" y/n said in the darkness

"Good night Y/n" I replied to her. It was surprising how easily I found sleep that night.

                              IN THE MORNING

"Hey Y/n" Ponyboy said as he walked into the living room with my notebook and pen. He sat the notebook and pen down on the recliner's arm rest.

"Thanks Pony" I said with a yawn

"Mmhhmm. Hey Pony" Y/n said sleepily

I opened up the note book to continue writing my poem. 

'when I see you I'm glad

But when I see you cry I get sad

And I get mad only a tad when socs pick on a perfect lad like you

I could do better than any guy named Brad, Chad, or Vlad

You're like a beautiful dainty lily pad

My feelings for you are like a wild fire

They won't stop getting bigger

And no Valentine's card card could explain it

You're a perfect shining piece of gold 

That I know will stay'

I wrote as Ponyboy started cooking. 

"Whatcha doin' Johnnycakes" Y/n asked happily

"Nothin'" I replied 

Gosh she was so so beautiful

"Mmmm...ok" she said narrowing her eyes suspiciously

"Y/n, can you go wake up my brothers please?" Ponyboy asked Y/n kindly 

"Sure!" She said springing up 

Ponyboy walked over to me.

"When are you gonna give it to her?"

"I-i dunno." I replied

"Can I read it?" Ponyboy asked

I hesitantly handed the notebook to him. I waited for him to finish reading it for what felt like forever. I was rocking back and forth, from the balls to the heels of my feet.

"Is it good? Does it seem...wrong? Is she gonna like it? What if she doesn't?!" I asked worriedly

Ponyboy chuckled as he put his hands on my shoulders after setting down the notebook. 

"It's great, it seems perfectly right, she gonna love it, and she'd be crazy if she didn't." Ponyboy reassured me. 

I was really worried but whatever. 

"I'm gonna give it to her later today" I said confidently

"Good" Ponyboy responded

A few seconds later, Y/n walked in with Sodapop and Darry following behind. Ponyboy served everyone their food, and we all sat at the table 

"So...how'd everyone sleep" Soda said finally breaking the awkward silence

"I slept alright. Hurt my back at work yesterday, so it was a little hard to sleep" Darry responded before taking a bite of his food

"Mmm...I slept pretty good for once!" Y/n exclaimed with a smile. It made me happy that she was happy

"I slept pretty good" Ponyboy said

"Same here" I replied to Soda's question

"Howd you sleep Soda" Y/n asked, returning his question. 

"I slept good Y/n...thank you" Soda replied

I loved how social Y/n could be. It amazed me how one person could so many amazing words. I snapped out of my trance and looked down at my food, and took a few bites. I felt eyes staring at me. And I felt heat rising up my neck. I looked up at Y/n to find her gazing at me. As soon as I looked up she looked away. I finished up my food, and brought mine and Y/n's plate to the sink. What a gentleman I am! I was really glad these feeling flowed both ways. So now, it wouldn't be as bad giving her the poem. 

"Y-y/n...i-i have something for you" I said after she and I sat back down in the living room. Ponyboy, Darry and Soda were playing cards.

"Really?!" She said excited

"Y-yea here" 

I handed her the folded price of paper. She opened it and started reading. I read it with her, since she was right beside me, so close out legs and shoulders were touching.

"Mmhmm" she hummed out as she read.

She giggled a little, hopefully happy little giggles, not laughing at how odd it might sound.

"Aaawww Johnny!" She said happily 

"D-d-do you like it? Was it bad?!" I questioned her

"Gosh Johnny! I-its perfect? I like how you complimented me, talked about you feelings, and added in mentions of your favorite poem all in one piece of writing!" 

"Th-thanks Y/n" I replied

"It's so beautiful...just like you!" Y/n said, slyly complimenting me.

"Y-you think I'm beautiful?" I asked

"Yes I do!"

"Th-thanks!" I said.

She leaned her body into me, and cuddled up against my body. I don't really know what to do, but Sodapop told me that Sandy liked it when he ran his fingers through her hair, so that's what I did to Y/n. 

"Mmmhhmmm" she hummed out happily. I guess she liked when I ran my fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes, I noticed, and soon enough her breathing slowed. She fell asleep....I really didn't know what to do. 

"Sodapop! Sodapop! Ssooddaaa!" I whisper yelled. 

He walked in the room...

"What do you wa-" he said 

"Oh..." He said seeing Y/n asleep on me

"I don't know what to do...Soda what do I do. Just sit here or carry her to bed?" 

"Your best bet is to sit as still as possible...that's what I do when that happens" 

"O-ok" I said

"You'll get used to it the more it happens" Soda said as the other boys walked in to get him to continue their game

"SOD-"

"Shut up! She's sleeping" Soda said, cutting Ponyboy off. 

"Sorry" Ponyboy said in a whisper

"Uuuhhhhgggg" Y/n groaned out

"Shut. Up. Guys" I warned them all.

"Ok, ok. We're gonna continue our game. Call if you need anything." Darry said

"Real quick can one of you grab me a glass of water...please?" I asked quietly

"Yea" Darry said walking to get me a glass of water.

"Th-thanks Dar" I said

"No problem kid." He replied 

This was the best morning I've had so far. Y/n being happy, and feeling good, her loving the little poem, her falling asleep on me, even if it was a little uncomfortable. I continued running my fingers lightly through my girl's hair. 

"Mmmhhhmmm, I love you so much Johnny" Y/n said. I immediately went red. 

"I-i love you too Y/n" I said. I really, really meant it.

She quickly fell back into a deep sleep. After she did, I lightly kissed her head. 

Really...best. Morning. EVER!

[cha-melodius]

hi! ⭐️ for love is a losing game pretty please?

HELLO I didn't mean to leave this for an entire day lol, but I've barely had a moment to breathe today and I wanted to be able to sit and think about this one.

Ok, Love is a Losing Game! So as I mention in the fic notes, I decided to write this fic after @eavos posted something in the tmfu discord server about The Queen's Gambit and how it'd make a good setting for a napollya AU. At first I didn't really think that much of it, but then I WATCHED The Queen's Gambit and the idea took hold of me like woah. Before this fic I'd written one long-form AU, and I certainly didn't expect this to become my longest ever fic, nor how MUCH I'd end up putting into it.

I've never done more research for a fic than I did for this fic. I planned it out using actual chess tournaments in the 1960s (whereupon I quickly learned just how fictional The Queen's Gambit was lol), getting into the nitty gritty of how many players and from what countries actually played them. Most of the chess games in the fic are real—I read an absurd number of tournament recaps in old archived issues of Chess Life magazine. I also got some information about grandmasters' lives and careers from various articles in there, as well as other stories online.

Illya's career wasn't really patterned off of any one player, but Napoleon's is roughly based on that of Bobby Fischer (this is one of the big reasons why, every time I think about 'filing off the serial numbers' of this fic, I reject the idea—I fear it would be written off as 'what if Bobby Fischer was gay', even when there's nothing of Fischer's personality in this). And don't get me started on the research/planning I did for the World Chess Championship at the end; I had spreadsheets to figure out the points and how to make it work out like I wanted it to.

Since this was the early days of me planning fics, I didn't have a great sense of chapters, nor did I have a very detailed outline. I'll post it here, in fact (behind a cut for spoilers, just in case).

Before I drop the rest, if anyone who's not a TMFU fan ends up reading this far, here's my tiny plea: If you love my fics, give this one a chance. You don't need to know anything about the fandom, I promise; consider it an original novel lol. But I still think this is among my best works, and it deserves to be read more than it is.

Ok, the outline. This was it—the championship, the date, very brief note about what was happening, and who won the tournament (tournaments in parentheses happened offscreen). I do not now recall what the asterisks mean lmao.

(US National Championship & Zonal, New York 1965 – Napoleon)

Hastings International Chess Congress 1966 (Jan) – Meet for the first time (Illya, Ch)*

Mar del Plata, Argentina 1966 (March) – Begin off-book games (draw, Co)

(World Chess Championship, Moscow 1966 – Illya)

Piatigorsky Cup, Santa Monica 1966 (July) – Affair begins (1–1, Illya Ch)*

Chess Olympiad, Havana 1966 (Oct) – Discovery (Soviets)

Palma de Mallorca, Spain 1966 (Nov) – Napoleon absent (Illya loses)

US Championship, New York 1966 (Dec) – Illya shows up looking for Napoleon*

Monte Carlo Tournament, Monaco 1967 (March) – Napoleon returns (Napoleon, Co)

Canadian Centennial Grand Masters Chess Tournament, Winnipeg 1967 (Oct) – Illya misses (Napoleon)*

Sousse Interzonal, Tunisia 1967 (Nov) – Napoleon wins

(Hoogovens 1968; Monte Carlo 1968; Chess Olympiad, Lugano 1968; Palma 1968)

World Chess Championship, Reykjavík 1969 (June) – Illya v. Napoleon (Napoleon)*

San Juan International Tournament, Puerto Rico 1969 (Oct) – Defection

Some of the early ones really ballooned, like Mar del Plata and the Piatigorsky Cup, because I really needed to give their relationship space to develop. And I'm so glad I did, I love all those moments and conversations they have. Sometimes I feel like I'm rushing through fics more these days, and this one was one I just allowed to grow, which is part of what makes it so delightful.

Anyway if you ever have questions about this fic please feel free to ask, I will never not want to talk about it. I love it so so much. Thank you for asking!!

[straightlightyagami]

I have a question. Where did you learn most of the maths you know? Was it school? If it was any online resource, do you mind sharing? Somehow, looking at your posts makes me want to get back into maths, but I don't know where to start (?) 😭 Thank you!

Also, what's your favourite branch of maths?

Hi anon, thank you for the ask ^_^ I'm happy that my posts made someone interested in math! Sorry for taking so long to answer.

I am not sure what my favorite branch of math is, I don't feel like I know enough math to decide yet. I like most of them (some definitely more than others). Some math I learned from classes, but I learned a lot of it from reading on my own or online resources. I will share some that I think are helpful. Obviously coming from a pure math perspective.

it's harder to find things for more obscure or specialized topics, but for most stuff you are likely to study, if you want to know about a specific math topic or are having trouble understanding, enter it into a search engine and you immediately find at least a couple of articles and videos explaining it.

if you're stuck on a particular proof or problem, try seeing if anyone on math.stackexchange has answered it, maybe ask it yourself.

you can (legally) find free textbooks and resources on math libretexts.

you can find recommendations and links for specific topics on the r/math subreddit, for example.

for olympiad math, check out the aops message boards and contest collections. I personally wouldn't really recommend olympiad math as your first "reintroduction" to math, though. the problems can be fun but they're not really like high school or college or research math afaik, it's its own thing and some people like it and others don't. it might be a good introduction to proofs though.

actually the first thing you should do is understand the basics of how proofs work in math because it's all based on that.

general tip for reading textbooks: make sure you completely understand all proofs, maybe even try proving the theorems that appear in the book yourself before reading the proof given. if there are exercises, do most or all of them because it helps you really understand the topics (in higher level math books they're not repetitive like they are in secondary school, so you should do all of them).

review stuff you learned in high school because you need a good grasp of basic math to move on to other math.

basic discrete math, combinatorics, and graph theory are good for an introduction to how proofs work. also probably very different from stuff you learned before in a good way. I would say like, basic abstract algebra is good for this too. it might be a little intimidating to start with though, not sure.

If anyone has anything else, please add!

[eliteprepsat]

Preparing for the first year of high school can feel overwhelming, but starting in the summer can help ease the transition. Here are some practical steps to get rising ninth graders ready for this exciting new chapter.

1. Strengthen Academic Skills

High school will build on what you’ve learned in middle school, so it’s crucial to have a strong foundation. In ninth grade, students typically take biology, world history, and algebra or geometry. Use the summer to brush up on subjects where you feel less confident or preview subjects that are new to you. There are plenty of online resources, such as Khan Academy, that offer free courses in various subjects. If working with a live instructor or tutor is better for you, then enroll in a preview class at Elite Prep.

2. Read Regularly

Reading is one of the best ways to improve your comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, reading skills are important to many high school subjects, including history, science, and (of course) English language arts. Choose a mix of fiction and non-fiction books to expand your horizons – doing so will not only prepare you academically but also make you a more engaged learner. Check our Recommended Summer Reading List for Ninth Graders.

3. Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities

Explore extracurricular activities that interest you. High schools offer a variety of clubs, sports, and organizations. Summer is a great time to try new things and discover what you’re passionate about. Whether it’s joining a sports team, learning a musical instrument, or volunteering in your community, these activities will help you develop new skills and make new friends.

Furthermore, if you plan to participate in particular extracurricular activities in high school, consider using your summer time to prepare and hone your abilities (e.g., work on past exams for Science Olympiad and math competitions, practice your skills for a sport like basketball and track and field, and learn to code for robotics or website design).

4. Learn Time Management

High school will demand better time management skills than middle school. Start practicing now by setting a schedule for your summer activities. Include time for study, hobbies, and relaxation. Learning to balance these activities will prepare you for the busy high school schedule. Try techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working for 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.

5. Understand High School Expectations

Familiarize yourself with what will be expected of you in high school. Attend any orientation sessions offered by your high school and read through the student handbook. Knowing the school’s rules, dress code, and academic policies will help you adjust more quickly. Talk to older students or siblings about their experiences to get a sense of what to expect.

6. Set Goals

Setting goals can give you a sense of direction and purpose. Think about what you want to achieve in your first year of high school. These could be academic goals, such as maintaining a certain GPA, or personal goals, like joining a club or making new friends. Write down your goals and revisit them regularly to track your progress.

7. Get Organized

High school comes with more responsibilities and a heavier workload. Start by organizing your study space and materials. Create a filing system for your schoolwork and important documents. Invest in a planner or use a digital calendar to keep track of assignments, extracurricular activities, and important dates. Being organized from the start will help you manage your time effectively.

8. Develop Good Study Habits

High school courses will be more challenging, so developing good study habits now will pay off later. Find out what study methods work best for you. Some students prefer studying alone in a quiet environment, while others do better in study groups. Try different techniques like summarizing information, using flashcards, or teaching what you’ve learned to someone else.

Starting high school is a significant milestone, and preparing over the summer can make a big difference. By strengthening your academic skills, reading regularly, getting involved in extracurricular activities, managing your time, understanding high school expectations, setting goals, getting organized, and developing good study habits, you’ll be well-prepared to start high school with confidence and enthusiasm. Enjoy your summer and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead!

[slickskullshock]

as i am slowly working my way through Dr Who, i am finally hearing things that i've heard people quote or reference and honestly its great.

i had this science teacher in 7th grade. the clock in his classroom never worked. i was on the science olympiad team (its basically competitive high-level science for middle schoolers) and he was one of my coached. he is also my friend's dad, so i knew him pretty well.

one day i asked him why he had never gotten his clock fixed (mind you, this is a school clock, so he could have asked maintenance to fix it). he pointed to the sign taped up next to the broken clock on the wall and said, "well, time is just a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff." he was reading off the sign (well, he probably had it memorized).

obviously i didn't know what it meant but now i do. he kept the broken clock for shits and giggles because he is actually such a nerd (he's the best teacher i've ever had).

i saw him a few days ago, and the first thing he asked me was, "so, have you started watching Doctor Who yet?" He didn't ask 'have you seen it' or 'have you started it' he asked if i had started it yet.

so i replied, "yeah, i just started with the 10th doctor."

and he goes, "i knew you would watch it someday."

i think my 7th grade science teacher is a time lord??? or at least has travelled with one???

this post got really out of hand. it was meant to be a sweet reflection about how i'm finally learning where all these references come from but instead i started theorizing about my science teacher.

[responsible-lime]

What are the benefits of high school students participating in international science olympiads?

Participating in the Olympiads is a matter of great pride and an opportunity to identify your capability and real potential. But have you ever wondered, "How do Olympiads benefit high school students?"

The Olympiads do not lead directly to any career benefits; instead, they provide a stimulus to begin a career in science or mathematics and undertake a lifelong journey into the realms of exciting intellectual challenges.

Benefits of Participating in International Science Olympiads:

Early Exposure to Learning and Competition

Understanding Concepts and their Applications

Competitive Analysis

Awards and Recognitions

Solid Foundation for IIT JEE/NEET

Open Doors to Deemed Universities

A student improves and develops skills when participating in the Science Olympiad. It is beneficial in the long run for an educational career. This exam will check the student's problem-solving, analytical, and quantitative reasoning skills.

So, enroll now with the Top renowned Educational Organisation - Unified Council. 

Unified Council is a professionally managed progressive organisation in education, established in 1998 by eminent personalities from various fields, including some academicians of international repute.

[viktoria-sob]

P.S. please, pretend that you don't see my mistakes😂

Okay, i want to thank @lovely-menza for tagging me in this, although i'm not really much into all these games, but today (1 am already) the exception, cause I want to distract myself from this annoying study at least for a while. Okay, let's start.

1. Are you named after anyone?

Well, I was named after my paternal grandmother (well, that's what my parents told me). And although i didn't know her much, because she died in 2016, when i was like 9 y.o., and i saw her last time when i was a child, i know she was a very kind and wise woman.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Last night 💀. Ye...cool

3. Do you have kids?

I'm 15 lol. But in future, no, i don't want still

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Well, i think so. In my opinion, my friends will say opposite thing, but i guess, yes, i'm a sarcastic person

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Well, idk really. But ig it's the way they talk, look like (i mean their appearance), attitude towards other people, friends who surround them

6. What's your eye colour?

Brown

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

I prefer scary movies more than happy endings

8. Any special talent?

Annoy people, although they tell me, i'm not annoying 💀. I'm just overthinker, sorry

9. Where were you born?

Ukraine 🇺🇦. Very beautiful country!

10. Hobbies

Well, i had a hobby, ye. Play the guitar. But now i don't play much because of school and studies. I have drawn in the past, although it was rare and I don't see it as a hobby. Maybe, my hobby is listening to music, discover some new live performances (one person helps me with that, and i so appreciate that. Althought he won't see that, because he hasn't Tumblr, but yeah). But listening to music, well, i'm addicted to music. It's like my drugs. I'm in my headphones 24/7, and i'm trying to listening rock music everywhere and under any circumstances. To sum up, ig i'd have an actual hobby if u had more spare time.

11. Have you any pets?

Yes, i do! I have a cat named Baghira (like the panther from the Jungle Book). Alsoni had a dog, but he died long time ago, when i was a child. I cried a lot when i learned that he had died. He was a friend to me, when i was a little. But i git used to it, and now we have just the photos and memories with him. Rest In Peace, my friend

12. Sports you play/have played

Hm, i just like volleyball, badminton, tennis, football (can't play) too much! but I can't develop the skills to play because I don't have many friends, and if I do, they wouldn't play these games with me

13. Height

176 cm (idk, i want to be taller. I'm weird, i know)

14. Favourite school subject

Ha, nice question actually. if we had normal teachers, I would have liked more subjects, but they spoiled my whole attitude towards it. Well, i can say Algebra, Physics (it's tough sometimes, but it's okay. Life isn't easy), i started like Chemistry, we just have a new teacher, and we started LEARN Chemistry, actually learn (although again, this subject is tough a bit, but my friend judt helps me with that a bit, so i understand it) and PE (idk why no one almost likes PE, it's a nice subject)

15. Dream job

Word "job" is killing me already 😂. Because when your parents torture you with questions "what your future job will be?", "look, other your friends and cousins win the school olympiads, what about you?" and i feel like i'm nothing for them. Well, okay then. So...i just want to find a normal, interesting job for me, with 9-5 working hours, and that i can spend also enough time with my future pet and family

Well, thank you for that opportunity talk out 😂. I'm tagging @apparentlyfivebelievers @thespiritofvexation @milkyway-ashes @gomme-savon @dschhh @esusul @creamenthusiast @cinetherat @beardedrainbow @jonesyjonesyjonesy @childoftheriver @alexlifeless @ritchie-is-my-darling @youre-no-good @pageys-tea @rock-aesthetic-y and anyone who wants to join too! Well, you can ignore it, okay :). Many of these people i tagged don't know me, i'm just following them :). Have a nice day/night!

[disciplinedselfrya]

Fall of 2024 - Goals 🍁

Okay! New season! Let's put that "summertime sadness" away and starting working on our goals! 💪

Now, before you start writing ten different areas of your life that you want to improve…stop! You're not setting goals, but failure.

I know you are enthusiastic, but calm down a little. Because you have school and as sad as it might sound to you, school takes a lot of time. And if you are on this blog, you can't afford bad grades.

So let's set manageable goals. I want you to choose three things in your life that you will focus on the next three months.

And if you are still in school, your academic life should be one of them.

For me, those three areas are:

Education (my grades, knowledge and Olympiad work)

Physical health (my diet, workout schedule and daily steps)

Skills - literature and communication, maybe psychology (writing on this blog, writing poetry, attending all sorts of events where I have the chance to meet people who work in the field, volunteering)

Some other examples might be your financial situation, your mental health, your social skills, network, hobbies or one important project.

This fall, I want to focus on getting fit and healthy, working for the Olympiad and learning about literature, communication and psychology while also getting to know more people (my network).

Now that you know what are the areas in your life that you want to work on, think about how you will take action. Autumn has three months. At this point, you only need to focus on September.

After each one of the things above, write what you'll do to reach your goals.

For my education:

I will study every day using effective techniques

I will talk to my teacher and make a plan for the Olympiad that I will follow

I will do my homework as soon as I can

For my physical health:

I will start working out 6 days a week again: three times a week weights, three times a week cardio (dancing, swimming and maybe running)

I will walk to school and go on walks when I can

I will follow a healthy diet (I will post the rules soon)

For my skills (and network):

I will make a schedule for my posts once school starts and write consistently

I will have the courage to take initiative and start conversations

I will attend events related to my interests (at least one this month)

Note: everything will be done after I get back from my second trip. I am leaving the city today and I will return on Friday. My school year starts on the 9th of September and this is the day when I will actually start studying and everything else. Next week, all I want is to have fun! <3

They might seem like a lot, I know. But you won't actually do all these every day.

For instance, I will have days when I will just work for the Olympiad, study, go to my dance class and write a post (except for school and eating healthy). Or I will have an event and do some homework, maybe go to the gym after this.

You have to take each day as it is. And stay consistent.

If this is too much for you, choose two areas instead of three.

Focusing just on your grades and health, for example, is way better than having five different tasks on your plate daily and ditching them all. 👌

Hope this helps! Keep going! And have a loooovely autumn! 💖 Rya

[jcmarchi]

The Sequence Chat: Lewis Tunstall, Hugging Face, On Building the Model that Won the AI Math Olympiad

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-sequence-chat-lewis-tunstall-hugging-face-on-building-the-model-that-won-the-ai-math-olympiad/

The Sequence Chat: Lewis Tunstall, Hugging Face, On Building the Model that Won the AI Math Olympiad

Details about NuminaMath, its architecture, training process and even things that didn’t work.

Bio:

Lewis Tunstall is a Machine Learning Engineer in the research team at Hugging Face and is the co-author of the bestseller “NLP with Transformers” book. He has previously built machine learning-powered applications for start-ups and enterprises in the domains of natural language processing, topological data analysis, and time series. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics, was a 2010 Fulbright Scholar and has held research positions in Australia, the USA, and Switzerland. His current work focuses on building tools and recipes to align language models with human and AI preferences through techniques like reinforcement learning.

This is your second interview at TheSequence. Please tell us a bit about yourself. Your background, current role and how did you get started in AI?  

I currently lead the post-training team at Hugging Face, where we focus on providing the open-source community with robust recipes to fine-tune LLMs through libraries like TRL. In a previous life, I was a theoretical physicist researching the strong nuclear force and its connection to dark matter. I accidentally stumbled into AI via my colleagues in experimental physics, who were very excited about applying a (new at the time) technique called “deep learning” to particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. I was surprised to learn that around 100 lines of TensorFlow could train a neural net to extract new signals from collision data, often much better than physics-derived features. This prompted me to take part in a Kaggle competition with a few physics friends, and I’ve been hooked on AI ever since!

TheSequence is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

🛠 ML Work  

You were part of the team that built NuminaMath, which recently won the AI Math Olympiad. Could you tell us more about the vision and inspiration behind this project?

This project was a collaboration between Hugging Face and Numina, a French non-profit that was inspired by the AI Math Olympiad (AIMO) to create high-quality datasets and tools for the open-source community. Although there are several open weight models for mathematics, the training datasets are rarely, if ever, made public. We teamed up with Numina to bridge this gap by tackling the first AIMO progress prize with a large-scale dataset of around 850,000 math problem-solution pairs that Numina had been developing prior to the competition. We saw that winning the AIMO competition would be a great way to show the community the power of high-quality datasets and I’m very happy to see that it worked out well!

International Math Olympiads (IMO) cover a wide range of topics, from number theory to algebra and geometry. Recently, Google DeepMind published work in this area, using different models for different types of problems. Do we need specialized models for specific math disciplines, or can a single model tackle the entire set of problems?

That’s a great question and I suspect the answer will depend on how straightforward it is to integrate multiple external verifiers like Lean4 and Wolfram Alpha for models to check their proofs. The current systems are trained to interface with a single external solver, but I expect the next iteration of DeepMind’s approach will involve a generalist model that can use multiple solvers, like how LLMs currently use tools for function calling.

NuminaMath is based on the DeepSeekMath-Base model. What led you to choose this model as the baseline for math reasoning in this project?

This model was largely chosen due to the constraints of the competition: onthe one hand, only pretrained models that were released before February 2024 could be used, and on the other hand, each submission had to run on 2 T4 GPUs in under 9 hours (not easy for LLMs!). Both these constraints made DeepSeekMath 7B the best choice at the time, although there are now much better math models like those from Qwen which would likely score even better in the competition.

Could you describe the various components of the NuminaMath recipe and explain how they work together? I am particularly curious about the application of techniques such as chain-of-thought and tool-integrated reasoning.

We experimented with various fine-tuning recipes, but the one that gave the best results was based on an interesting paper called MuMath-Code.

Image Credit: NuminaMath

This paper combines two insights that have been shown to improve the reasoning capabilities of LLMs: Chain of Thought (CoT) templates that provide the intermediate steps needed to obtain the correct answer, and tool-integrated reasoning (TIR), where the LLM is given access to a tool like Python to run computations. Prior research had explored each one independently, but MuMath-Code showed that you get best results by performing two-stage training: first on the CoT data (to learn how to solve problems step-by-step), followed by training on TIR data (to learn how outsource part of the problem to Python). We applied this approach with DeepSeekMath 7B to the datasets Numina created and found it worked really well on our internal evals and the Kaggle leaderboard!

Do you think the NuminaMath architecture can be extended to other scientific fields, such as physics or chemistry?

Our training recipe was tailored to competitive mathematics, where one has a known answer for each problem. For competitive physics or chemistry problems, I suspect the method would generalise provided one integrates the relevant tools for the domain. For example, I suspect that in chemistry one requires access to a broad range of tools in order to solve challenging problems.

What was the training process, pipeline, and dataset for NuminaMath?

Our winning recipe was quite simple in the end and involved applying two rounds of supervised fine-tuning (SFT) to the DeepSeekMath 7B model:

Step 1: Fine-tune the base model on a dataset of 850,000 math problems, where each solution is annotatedin a CoT template.

Step 2: Fine-tune the model from Stage 1 on a synthetic dataset of tool-integrated reasoning, where each math problem is decomposed into a sequence of rationales, Python programs, and their outputs. We generated this dataset from GPT-4 to produce about 70,000 solutions.

For tools, we use the TRL library for training out models on one node of 8 x H100 GPUs. For evaluations and the Kaggle submissions we used vLLM which provides fast inference for LLMs.

What ideas did your team try but ultimately abandon during the implementation of NuminaMath?

The main ideas we tried but didn’t make it to the final submission were the following:

KTO: Using Kahneman-Tversky Optimisation (KTO) to boost the performance of our SFT models. Here the basic idea is to take your current model, generate multiple candidate solutions per problem, and then label those solutions as correct or incorrect according to the ground truth. With this data, one can then optimise the model to boost the probability it produces more of the correct versus incorrect tokens. Although we found this method worked quite well, we were unable to include it in the final submission due to various infrastructure issues on the Kaggle platform in the final days of the competition.

Model merging: We explored a variety of model merging techniques like DARE, TIES, and WARP. Here we used mergekit to merge the SFT and KTO models, or the SFT models with the public DeepSeekMath ones. Overall we found these merges led to either significant regressions on our internal evaluations and we ran out of time to explore this more deeply.

💥 Miscellaneous – a set of rapid-fire questions 

What is your favorite area of research outside of generative AI?

As a former physicist, I am excited about the advances being made in AI4Science and specifically in simulating physical processes. I quite like the way Chris Bishop frames this as the “fifth paradigm” of scientific discovery and am hopeful this will help us find answers to some rather thorny problems.

Will we achieve AGI through transformers and scaling laws?

It’s always risky to predict the future, but I think it’s clear that the current systems are lacking several capabilities like episodic memory and the ability to plan over long horizons. Whether these capabilities will emerge at larger scales remains to be seen, but history generally shows that one shouldn’t bet against deep learning!

What will it take for AI to evolve from proving math theorems to formulating original theories, such as the Riemann Hypothesis or the Theory of General Relativity?

My current view is that the main barrier for models to generate novel ideas in mathematics and the natural sciences is having some means to verify correctness and compatibility with experiment. For mathematics, I suspect that projects like Lean4 will play a key role in bridging the gap from proving what is known towards generating novel theorems which are then verified automatically by the model for correctness. For the natural sciences, the challenge appears to be much harder since one needs to both synthesize vast amounts of experimental data and possibly run new experiments to validate new ideas. Nevertheless, there are already hints from works like Sakana’s AI Scientist that formulating novel ideas in ML research is possible, albeit under rather stringent constraints. It will be exciting to see how far this can be pushed into other domains!

Who is your favorite mathematician and computer scientist, and why?

My favorite mathematician is John von Neumann, mostly because I didn’t really understand quantum mechanics until I read his excellent textbook on the subject.  

TheSequence is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

[crazyf0rswayze]

I know I’ve asked you to write a lot about Johnny Cade but I can’t help it! Anyways can I get an imagine where he like makes the femreader a poem and it’s a love poem! Thanks so much!

Johnny X Fem!Reader: Love Poem

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JOHNNYS POV

"Ponyboy?" I asked

"Yes Johnnycakes?" Pony replied walking over

"So y-you know how I like y/n...yea well I wanted to asked her out...but i-i wanted to write a poem to ask her out...a-and tell her how I feel. But I don't know how to write a poem...." I explained

"Ok! I'll help you then." Ponyboy said, taking a seat next to me

"Ok...so I would start off with some things you like about her. So make a list, and then we'll word it so it rhymes" Ponyboy explained to me. He wrote poems for school alot, so that's why I came to him first

"W-well she look really pretty when she wears plaid...l-like flannels and stuff" I said

"Ok! Yes great. That's a nice start" Ponyboy said to me enthusiastically

"Sh-shes really beautiful...and she makes me go mad. Hey! Hey ...plaid and mad kinda rhyme" I said excited that I was getting a good start

"Yea... yea it does Johnny" Pony said...a little shocked that I was catching on quick

"And...I see her...i-im....GLAD! Glad rhymes" I said, as I started writing everything down

"Mmmmm....and...when she cries...I get ......SAD! Sad rhythms"

"Wow...you're a natural! Ooh, so I learned what an Olympiad is, and it's those four years between olympic games! You could say something like....'for you i would wait thousands of Olympiads'" Pony suggested

"Yea...thanks. I didn't know that" I said

"Hey, you learn something new everyday "

"PONYBOY, GET READY FOR BED" Darry yelled out from his room

"OK DAR....GIVE ME A MINUTE IM HELPING JOHNNY WITH SOMETHING " Ponyboy shouted back

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT....NOT TOO LATE OK?"

"OK DARRY! THANKS" Ponyboy yelled out

"Ok...where were we-" Ponyboy said looking down at my paper with shock. In the few seconds that he was looking away, I had started to form the poem. Ponyboy leaned over my shoulder so he could see what I was writing.

"Johnny, that's really good! I like how you mentioned Robert Frost's poem 'Nothing Gold Can Stay'!"

"T-thanks. Do you think y/n's gonna like it?" I asked worriedly

"Yea! I think she's gonna love it! I gotta get ready for bed ok? But I'll help you in the morning if you need me to"

"Ok!" I replied focusing on my love poem

Ponyboy patted my back as he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

'youre a beautiful lad

And you look wonderful in plaid

Your looks made me go mad

And you not being next to me makes me sad

For you, I would wait thousands of Olympiads

And they say 'nothing gold can stay'

Yet you're standing right here'

I yawned as I read over what I had. Gosh...I should go to bed. Just in case Y/n came and stayed at the Curtis house tonight, I gave the notebook I was writing in to Ponyboy to keep in his dresser drawer

"Mmmmhhmm whats that" I heard Sodapop ask

"Nothin'" Ponyboy responded. I think Sodapop was too tired to question it because all he did was groan tiredly. 'Close call Johnny' I thought to myself.

Just then I heard the door open. It was y/n.

"Oh..hey Johnnycakes." Y/n said

"You ok?" I asked the girl. She looked a little spooked

"Yea Johnnycakes! Just tired. " The pretty girl replied to my question

"O-oh. Yea I get it. You can take the couch. I don't mind Darry's recliner" I offered Y/n

"Are you sure? I don't mind the recliner either" Y/n asked

"Yes. I'm sure" I reassured the girl

"Alrighty then" she said with a yawn

She went to lie down on the couch. She looked really cute when she was tired. And cuter when she was all cuddled up in the blankets. I found myself standing there looking at Y/n with heart eyes. I then went to lie down in Darry's recliner.

"Good night Johnnycakes" y/n said in the darkness

"Good night Y/n" I replied to her. It was surprising how easily I found sleep that night.

IN THE MORNING

"Hey Y/n" Ponyboy said as he walked into the living room with my notebook and pen. He sat the notebook and pen down on the recliner's arm rest.

"Thanks Pony" I said with a yawn

"Mmhhmm. Hey Pony" Y/n said sleepily

I opened up the note book to continue writing my poem.

'when I see you I'm glad

But when I see you cry I get sad

And I get mad only a tad when socs pick on a perfect lad like you

I could do better than any guy named Brad, Chad, or Vlad

You're like a beautiful dainty lily pad

My feelings for you are like a wild fire

They won't stop getting bigger

And no Valentine's card card could explain it

You're a perfect shining piece of gold

That I know will stay'

I wrote as Ponyboy started cooking.

"Whatcha doin' Johnnycakes" Y/n asked happily

"Nothin'" I replied

Gosh she was so so beautiful

"Mmmm...ok" she said narrowing her eyes suspiciously

"Y/n, can you go wake up my brothers please?" Ponyboy asked Y/n kindly

"Sure!" She said springing up

Ponyboy walked over to me.

"When are you gonna give it to her?"

"I-i dunno." I replied

"Can I read it?" Ponyboy asked

I hesitantly handed the notebook to him. I waited for him to finish reading it for what felt like forever. I was rocking back and forth, from the balls to the heels of my feet.

"Is it good? Does it seem...wrong? Is she gonna like it? What if she doesn't?!" I asked worriedly

Ponyboy chuckled as he put his hands on my shoulders after setting down the notebook.

"It's great, it seems perfectly right, she gonna love it, and she'd be crazy if she didn't." Ponyboy reassured me.

I was really worried but whatever.

"I'm gonna give it to her later today" I said confidently

"Good" Ponyboy responded

A few seconds later, Y/n walked in with Sodapop and Darry following behind. Ponyboy served everyone their food, and we all sat at the table

"So...how'd everyone sleep" Soda said finally breaking the awkward silence

"I slept alright. Hurt my back at work yesterday, so it was a little hard to sleep" Darry responded before taking a bite of his food

"Mmm...I slept pretty good for once!" Y/n exclaimed with a smile. It made me happy that she was happy

"I slept pretty good" Ponyboy said

"Same here" I replied to Soda's question

"Howd you sleep Soda" Y/n asked, returning his question.

"I slept good Y/n...thank you" Soda replied

I loved how social Y/n could be. It amazed me how one person could so many amazing words. I snapped out of my trance and looked down at my food, and took a few bites. I felt eyes staring at me. And I felt heat rising up my neck. I looked up at Y/n to find her gazing at me. As soon as I looked up she looked away. I finished up my food, and brought mine and Y/n's plate to the sink. What a gentleman I am! I was really glad these feeling flowed both ways. So now, it wouldn't be as bad giving her the poem.

"Y-y/n...i-i have something for you" I said after she and I sat back down in the living room. Ponyboy, Darry and Soda were playing cards.

"Really?!" She said excited

"Y-yea here"

I handed her the folded price of paper. She opened it and started reading. I read it with her, since she was right beside me, so close out legs and shoulders were touching.

"Mmhmm" she hummed out as she read.

She giggled a little, hopefully happy little giggles, not laughing at how odd it might sound.

"Aaawww Johnny!" She said happily

"D-d-do you like it? Was it bad?!" I questioned her

"Gosh Johnny! I-its perfect? I like how you complimented me, talked about you feelings, and added in mentions of your favorite poem all in one piece of writing!"

"Th-thanks Y/n" I replied

"It's so beautiful...just like you!" Y/n said, slyly complimenting me.

"Y-you think I'm beautiful?" I asked

"Yes I do!"

"Th-thanks!" I said.

She leaned her body into me, and cuddled up against my body. I don't really know what to do, but Sodapop told me that Sandy liked it when he ran his fingers through her hair, so that's what I did to Y/n.

"Mmmhhmmm" she hummed out happily. I guess she liked when I ran my fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes, I noticed, and soon enough her breathing slowed. She fell asleep....I really didn't know what to do.

"Sodapop! Sodapop! Ssooddaaa!" I whisper yelled.

He walked in the room...

"What do you wa-" he said

"Oh..." He said seeing Y/n asleep on me

"I don't know what to do...Soda what do I do. Just sit here or carry her to bed?"

"Your best bet is to sit as still as possible...that's what I do when that happens"

"O-ok" I said

"You'll get used to it the more it happens" Soda said as the other boys walked in to get him to continue their game

"SOD-"

"Shut up! She's sleeping" Soda said, cutting Ponyboy off.

"Sorry" Ponyboy said in a whisper

"Uuuhhhhgggg" Y/n groaned out

"Shut. Up. Guys" I warned them all.

"Ok, ok. We're gonna continue our game. Call if you need anything." Darry said

"Real quick can one of you grab me a glass of water...please?" I asked quietly

"Yea" Darry said walking to get me a glass of water.

"Th-thanks Dar" I said

"No problem kid." He replied

This was the best morning I've had so far. Y/n being happy, and feeling good, her loving the little poem, her falling asleep on me, even if it was a little uncomfortable. I continued runing my fingers lightly through my girl's hair.

"Mmmhhhmmm, I love you so much Johnny" Y/n said. I immediately went red.

"I-i love you too Y/n" I said. I really, really meant it.

She quickly fell back into a deep sleep. After she did, I lightly kissed her head.

Really...best. Morning. EVER!

[techtrends-today]

How to Create a Balanced Study Schedule for IMO Preparation?

To get ready for the International Mathematics Olympiad, you should organize a study timetable and maintain it in the right balance. By doing so, you make sure that you cover all topics necessary and still have time to live a life of your choice. So how do you go about creating an effective study schedule for IMO preparation?

Evaluate Your Strengths and Weaknesses

To start with, assess your strengths and weaknesses across different mathematical areas. This can help you know where to spend more time as well as where to focus on most.

Define Clear Objectives

So, put clear specific goals for your study sessions. Therefore, divide your revision into small bits like a set number of problems each week or mastering a given topic.

Prioritize Topics

Identify major topics that are commonly tested in IMO e.g. algebra, geometry, number theory and combinatorics. Allocate time to every topic based on its significance and your level of expertise.

Make a Weekly Plan

Design a schedule that sets apart time for studying different topics every day within the week. Make sure there is variation in what you learn to avoid boredom and keep active thoughts underway. Also it is important to have little periods of rest between the studies so that one could be freshened up by them.

Conclusion

It is important to plan carefully if you want to create a balanced study schedule for preparing for the International Mathematics Olympiad examinations and regularly evaluate learners' progress. To optimize your study time and maximize performance, you should prioritize topics, set clear objectives, and include practice and relaxation.

Do you want to be an IMO superstar? We will help you to become one through our comprehensive training programs and resources from Unified Council. Check out our website for more information on how to begin today!

[lovelyalicorn]

:000 I know nothing about fossils but that such a neat interest. Do you collect them or do you like to look and research them? I'm intrigued ashdjakak

I participate in a national club called science olympiad. It’s a club where you mainly take ridiculously hard science tests for fun. You can also build something, but you gotta take the tests.

The good thing is that you get assigned a couple topics and you have event rules that tell you what to expect and what to study.

I’m pretty good at it, and I’m one of few people who consistently gets medals. My events are astronomy, fossils, and forestry.

For fossils, I gotta know about time periods, fossil places, and methods of fossilization. There’s more, but this is the most common. The most important thing is that I learn how to identify the fossils and know how the animals lived.

The two methods that have been proven to work best are hyperfixating on the subject (also works with astronomy) and borrowing actual fossils from people and learning to identify them. I’ve identified like half of them so far, but the others are weird/not on my list. I get a field guide and magnifying glass.

The only test I haven’t gotten a medal in for fossils is one where I had no clue what I was doing and somehow managed to lose the test. But now my scioly teacher considers me the fossils expert.

I finally have pictures of my fossils, if you’d like to see them! I can also show you my astronomy stuff!

Also, chances are that if you dig deep enough in your yard, you can find some fossils there! I found some ammonites with my brother in elementary, but we got scared and buried them again.

[eliteprepsat]

WHAT RISING 9TH GRADERS SHOULD DO DURING THE SUMMER TO PREPARE FOR HIGH SCHOOL

Preparing for the first year of high school can feel overwhelming, but starting in the summer can help ease the transition. Here are some practical steps to get rising ninth graders ready for this exciting new chapter.

1. Strengthen Academic Skills

High school will build on what you’ve learned in middle school, so it’s crucial to have a strong foundation. In ninth grade, students typically take biology, world history, and algebra or geometry. Use the summer to brush up on subjects where you feel less confident or preview subjects that are new to you. There are plenty of online resources, such as Khan Academy, that offer free courses in various subjects. If working with a live instructor or tutor is better for you, then enroll in a preview class at Elite Prep.

2. Read Regularly

Reading is one of the best ways to improve your comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, reading skills are important to many high school subjects, including history, science, and (of course) English language arts. Choose a mix of fiction and non-fiction books to expand your horizons – doing so will not only prepare you academically but also make you a more engaged learner. Check our Recommended Summer Reading List for Ninth Graders.

3. Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities

Explore extracurricular activities that interest you. High schools offer a variety of clubs, sports, and organizations. Summer is a great time to try new things and discover what you’re passionate about. Whether it’s joining a sports team, learning a musical instrument, or volunteering in your community, these activities will help you develop new skills and make new friends.

Furthermore, if you plan to participate in particular extracurricular activities in high school, consider using your summer time to prepare and hone your abilities (e.g., work on past exams for Science Olympiad and math competitions, practice your skills for a sport like basketball and track and field, and learn to code for robotics or website design).

4. Learn Time Management

High school will demand better time management skills than middle school. Start practicing now by setting a schedule for your summer activities. Include time for study, hobbies, and relaxation. Learning to balance these activities will prepare you for the busy high school schedule. Try techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working for 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.

5. Understand High School Expectations

Familiarize yourself with what will be expected of you in high school. Attend any orientation sessions offered by your high school and read through the student handbook. Knowing the school’s rules, dress code, and academic policies will help you adjust more quickly. Talk to older students or siblings about their experiences to get a sense of what to expect.

6. Set Goals

Setting goals can give you a sense of direction and purpose. Think about what you want to achieve in your first year of high school. These could be academic goals, such as maintaining a certain GPA, or personal goals, like joining a club or making new friends. Write down your goals and revisit them regularly to track your progress.

7. Get Organized

High school comes with more responsibilities and a heavier workload. Start by organizing your study space and materials. Create a filing system for your schoolwork and important documents. Invest in a planner or use a digital calendar to keep track of assignments, extracurricular activities, and important dates. Being organized from the start will help you manage your time effectively.

8. Develop Good Study Habits

High school courses will be more challenging, so developing good study habits now will pay off later. Find out what study methods work best for you. Some students prefer studying alone in a quiet environment, while others do better in study groups. Try different techniques like summarizing information, using flashcards, or teaching what you’ve learned to someone else.

Starting high school is a significant milestone, and preparing over the summer can make a big difference. By strengthening your academic skills, reading regularly, getting involved in extracurricular activities, managing your time, understanding high school expectations, setting goals, getting organized, and developing good study habits, you’ll be well-prepared to start high school with confidence and enthusiasm. Enjoy your summer and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead!