Okay so here’s how it started.
It was like 11:47 PM. I was half-asleep, procrastinating an English essay, doomscrolling on my laptop, and I saw this ad:
“Are you smarter than 90% of students worldwide? Prove it.”
The background was some clean UI with numbers and triangles flying around, like an Avengers-level math app.
Now normally, I’d laugh and click away. But something about it? It gave villain origin story energy. I clicked. Sue me.
Next thing I know, I’m signed up for an online math competition I didn’t even fully understand. There was a timer. A practice round. A chat filled with people talking about calculus and modular arithmetic (whatever that is). I panicked. But instead of dipping, I started solving.
And that’s when everything changed.
Chapter 1: Me vs. The Timer (And My Pride)
So the first round starts. 15 questions. 20 minutes. I thought it’d be like school-level math. Multiplication tables, maybe some baby algebra. NOPE. These problems came swinging like they had beef with me personally.
The timer is ticking, the leaderboard is LIVE, and my screen says things like:
"An ant walks 3 cm north, then turns 60 degrees clockwise and walks another 2 cm. What is the final distance from its starting point?"
Like… bro. It’s 12:06 AM and I’m calculating bug GPS routes now?
But yo, it was kind of… fun?
I was sweating, but in a gamer way. I answered maybe 9 out of 15. Got 6 right. Not great. But here’s the messed up part — I wanted to do it again. Immediately.
Chapter 2: Brain Gym, But Make It Competitive
Over the next week, I did one online math competition every night. I don’t even know why. It was like a weird ritual. Brushed my teeth, checked TikTok, then boom — math time.
And it wasn’t just about the math. It was the way it felt.
My brain wasn’t melting like during a school test. It was firing. Solving these problems was like cracking codes. And every time I moved up on the leaderboard — even just a few ranks — it gave me that same serotonin hit as getting a TikTok that doesn’t flop.
Some nights I even stayed up redoing old problems just to get faster. I had a playlist. A math playlist. Who even was I?
Chapter 3: Math Nerds… Are Kinda Cool?
So here’s a twist. The platform I was using had a chat feature. You could talk to other competitors after each round. I expected it to be full of smug prodigies, but it was chill.
There were people from literally everywhere. A kid from Brazil who solved a geometry problem in under 10 seconds. A girl from Malaysia who explained combinatorics like it was cake. A dude from Germany who made math memes in the chat.
It wasn’t cliquey like school. Everyone was just vibing. Helping each other. Laughing at how the final problem cooked us all. It didn’t feel like competing against people — it felt like competing with them.
And for someone who always felt kinda mid in class, this was new. It was empowering.
Chapter 4: Why It Lowkey Slaps
So I started asking myself — why am I so into this? What’s the catch?
And then it hit me:
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It’s fast. Unlike school tests where you wait forever to know how you did, here you get results instantly. No stress, no red pen trauma.
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It’s low commitment. One competition takes like 20 minutes. It’s like doing a puzzle — satisfying and done quickly. No homework, no grades.
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It’s kinda aesthetic. The platform was actually nice to look at. Smooth UI, dark mode, cute icons. It didn’t scream “boring school website” — it looked like something built for our generation.
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It doesn’t judge. Whether you’re top 10 or bottom 50%, no one cares. You’re there to challenge yourself. No side-eyes from classmates, no pressure. Just you vs. numbers.
It was like math without the trauma.
Chapter 5: I Became “That Math Kid” By Accident
Look, I’m not saying I turned into a math genius overnight. I still get confused when they bring in letters and weird Greek symbols. But slowly, I started noticing changes:
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I could solve stuff in school faster.
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My brain stopped glitching during word problems.
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I caught myself doing mental math during bus rides… for fun?
And get this — one day, my math teacher asked a bonus problem, and I solved it in front of the whole class. They clapped. I was shook.
Someone even asked me if I was “that kid who always does online math stuff.” And I didn’t even deny it.
Because yeah… I kinda am.
Chapter 6: It’s Not Just a Phase, Mom
By now I’ve joined like three different platforms. There’s one with weekly tournaments, another that hosts global finals, and one that’s more puzzle-based and chill.
They all hit different. One’s good for speed, one’s good for logic, one just makes you feel smart.
And it’s not even about being “the best” anymore. I just love the vibe. The rhythm. That feeling when you stare at a brutal problem for 10 minutes and then suddenly—boom—you crack it. That rush is real.
Math stopped being a subject. It became a vibe.
Chapter 7: For Anyone Who Thinks They “Suck” at Math
Let me be real. If you told me last year that I’d be voluntarily doing an online math competition on a Sunday night, I would’ve laughed and gone back to watching cat videos.
But here’s what I learned: you don’t have to be a genius to enjoy this. These platforms aren’t just for the top 1%. They’re for curious people. People who want to stretch their brain a little. People who want a challenge that isn’t just trying to understand what your chem teacher is saying through a bad mic.
If school math feels dry, competitive math is spicy. It’s got flavor. It’s got energy. And once you catch that first win — even a small one — you’ll start chasing that high.
Final Chapter: So, Should You Try It?
If you’re still reading this, maybe you’re curious. Maybe you’re bored. Maybe you’re a little skeptical but also a little intrigued.
So here’s my advice: just try one. One online math competition. No pressure. No prep. Just vibes.
Maybe you’ll hate it. Maybe you’ll forget about it.
Or maybe… just maybe… you’ll be 12 competitions deep, blasting lo-fi, solving weird triangle puzzles at 1AM, and loving every second.
You’ve been warned.
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