We experienced a competitive research environment in the 2021 University of Melbourne Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition.
The competition was hosted online in two stages; the first was a report submission, followed by a webinar-style presentation to a panel of academics from the university. It was a unique enrichment opportunity and allowed the development of our mathematical thinking and reasoning skills.
We experienced great success, with our report and presentation achieving a result of equal first. It was a key test of teamwork in a competition where communication was an essential skill. We integrated a variety of communication and online collaboration tools, including emails and text messaging, into our ways of working to stay on track and perform well. We were also able to work collaboratively on the same file using Google software.
Newington College provided a range of support. We had access to communications support to help us make our presentation more effective and worked closely with the Maths department to further enhance our work. We had a comprehensive support network of mentors and other resources to support our participation.
The University of Melbourne Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition was a test of collaboration and communication, and a valuable enrichment opportunity – we learned how to present work rigorously and in a concise manner.
Minh Nguyen and Preston Zhang
Year 10
This article first appeared in the Autumn 2022 edition of News.
