Updown's blog

"I could have gotten that if I just had more time", How to get those points!
By Updown, 16 months ago, In English

Contest strategy is a very important part of most OI contests (USACO, IOI, and similar contests for other countries).

The goal of good contest strategy is so that after the contest, you don't get the feeling that "Man, I could have gotten that subtask or that problem if I just had more time". That is the worst feeling ever, because you did the preparation, and you had the skills, but your skills just didn't convert to points in contest.

With good contest strategy, all the points that you are able to get, you get in contest. While I don't get this every single time, I get it about 90% of the time I compete now, which is a vast improvement from missing "easier" points in almost every contest a few years ago.

Here's a video I filmed detailing how you can improve your contest strategy in a week: https://youtu.be/9Fn1-0jfVik.

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Comments Comments (11)
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16 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +17 Vote: I do not like it

guess who's back

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16 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +20 Vote: I do not like it

have more time.

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16 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

Subscribed.

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16 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

Lol I was so certain the link is a rickroll.

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16 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +26 Vote: I do not like it

I 100% relate to this, I cannot measure how many points I've dropped from being so adamant that I could solve a problem and then devoted hours into it, only to get barely anything and leaving myself to no time left. Just look at me getting 3/0/23 in IOI Day 1.

As such, even before watching this video, I'm certain that it'll be a banger and would be of great help to anyone participating in olympiad-style contests, where it is often difficult to allocate time. :D

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    16 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    Yah, for me when that would happen it was the worst feeling, especially when I saw others getting the easier subtasks. That's part of the reason I began to work on my contest strategy in the first place.

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