Why engaging in extracurricular math
Why is it necessary to study math courses outside of school?
It is not uncommon for students to self-study math in advance or take math classes outside of school. Students typically have several reasons for learning math outside school and in advance.
First, pre-studying school math courses can provide students with the necessary knowledge and techniques to excel in more advanced math courses and courses that use math as the foundation (such as physics), giving them an edge at school. Additionally, excelling at school math allows students to devote more time to other subjects, which increases overall school performance. This is especially important as high school GPAs are the most crucial factor in college admissions.
Second, students interested in participating in school math clubs can benefit from extending their knowledge beyond what is covered by the school math curricula. Studying math outside of school can give them an advantage, particularly for those aiming to be selected into their school math team, such as MathCounts teams.
Third, for students planning to apply for STEM majors in college, meeting the basic math requirements in high school may not be sufficient. Upon entering college, they may face a noticeable gap between the math skills acquired in high school and the math skills required for their STEM majors. Thus, supplementing the school math curricula with additional math training is often necessary to meet the requirements for STEM majors.
What is your goal?
There are two types of goals for students interested in extracurricular math.
Some students focus on excelling in school math. They usually have a goal of achieving excellence in school math curricula, participating in school math clubs, qualifying for school-level MathCounts teams, and preparing for future STEM major in college.
Other students have the goals of excelling not only in school math but also winning math competitions. They may wish to make some achievements in math competitions such as qualifying for AIME or more advanced contests such as JMO and AMO.
