From Qualification To Inspiration: My IAAC Competition Experience

Margarita is your Student Ambassador in Greece, leading a series of articles about Aerospace Engineering as part of her leadership project.

Participating in the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition qualification round was one of those rare online experiences that pushes you intellectually, creatively, and personally all at once!

When I first signed up for the qualification round, I knew it wouldn’t be easy, the problems required a mix of logic, creativity, and patience. Some felt straightforward, while others took multiple attempts and a lot of rethinking.

The Qualification round was open for everyone, to pass you had to collect a number of points based on your age, there were 5 problems and you had a long period to solve them. This round wasn’t about having just the correct answers it was about explaining it thoroughly. When I firstly opened those problems, I didn’t know where to start, luckily you could use the internet or form a group to solve them. Firstly, I tried to logically pinpoint the answers, even though I didn’t know many formulas, I was actually able to think of how to solve them and what to do next.

When it was time to submit my answer file, I was really anxious, I didn’t know if I had explained each answer thoroughly or even if my answer was correct. The date of the results was creeping closer and my stress was through the roof. In the end my patience and persistence “rewarded” me by making me pass on to the next round!

One thing I learned was how important it is to stay calm when stuck, often, the solution didn’t come from pushing harder, but from stepping back and looking at the problem from a different angle.

Overall, the IAAC qualification round was a great experience. It wasn’t just about solving problems, but about learning how to think better and stay persistent. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys astronomy and a challenge.