"S"olid"J"osh"K"uan won MMU Annual Code Match 06 !
Until this minute i typing this charater, I still not 100% accept the fact that we actually won this! We won! Yes! We won it!!!!! We are the champion for MMUACM06!!! We got the RM1000 1st price! We did it! Not 3rd place as we expect which we said is the place we only get if we try our best. Not 2nd place which we said is the place we only get if we got the most luck in the world. It is the 1st place which is the place never think or consider in our mind (that just simply dreaming if we got it).
Even though we got the 1st place before the score board freezed (it stop updating the score at last 45 minutes so that we don't know who won at last). I think, due to the reason we don't want to have hope of winning, we just assume other submit some question after the 45 minutes while we still don't have the mind to win. After having the refreshment which is... ... ... so so. We was call to wait announcement for the winning team.
After FIT dean and IBM representative gave some simple talk, Mr. John See start announcing the winner, from 2nd runner up. Everyone hope they got something, I think we still hoping to get some place for the match and so, 3rd is the place we expected the most. Obviously it's not us. Our mind was, we lost? or we got higher standing? Then Second runner up, not us too. But then... Solid told me... his friend in the 1st runner up group, said they solved only 3 questions. Nothing much to think, we just wait...wait wait wait...and after the announcement, it was us, us...? US!? We stuned there. I was laughing...can't believe at all. No way. But we got it :)
Stategy of SJK
We solved 4 problems. All are ad-hoc question (which mean no fix or existed algorithm to the solution), we plan this before day because we 3 are bad in algorithm such as graph and such. I personally love number, 2D array, recursive problem. A little bit showing off here...I personally solve 1st and 5th question :P. But actually both is very easy pattern recursively question. We have a good stategy to actually earn the winning place.
Our stategy is solved the faster question we can. Start of the match we flip over the question, and chose question 2 as 1st attemp. Then try question 3. By the time I solved question 1. Question 1 just simple pattern question. for instance, create a square 2D array, put in number so that all row, column, diagonal add up is same total. Just a pattern building with recursive. I learn this pattern some day in Secondary while playing IQ question. After this, qustion 3 solved! That time, we left half hour I think, lucky we found out the solution to question 5. Actually that is the easiet question in the match, I think other just missed it because it's 5th question.
Factor of winning?
There was a time lecturer asked us go up front and share our stategy. Solid very frankly told all people the truth. We did our training yesterday ONLY. And that is a failure :P. We bring nothing to the match, no book no notes, just calculater and pens. We came unprepared. Then I said may be it because some question very suit for me to solve, and I knew the pattern before this. Josh said relate to Solid's. Main factor is, we don't have the pressure. We relax and doesn't have the desire to win. This cut off many confussion and pressure in mind, but focusing in trying the question together.
Here I really learn something. Skills, I think all the attendees have it, some even better than us. When it come to competition, skills is a factor, but the mindset and attidute become the most important factor in competition. Pressure and desperation will cause confussion and nervous. Debugging logic error need a very clear mind, to find the right solution need quiet mind. We have very good teamwork since we all 3 can clam each other and have the same mindset in the competition. Actually i think the failure of the training is the best helper :P Dare to Fail!
Appreciation
Earning this joy, need to thanks for the friends who support us! Thanks Min Bee reminding me not to underestimate ourself, waking me up in the morning and bring me lot of lucks. Thanks William for waking up Solid for us :P and also, supporting SJK. Same go to LeongKee, Eddie and Alferd who wishing us good luck before nights. Supports from Edmund, Jillian, John, Key, Jia Vui. hehehe...i also forgot who ever said this liaw...may be because I never expect to win :P
Today Feeling :: Great :D
