Thank-you PFO!
 

I just wanted to use this thread to thank PFO for all the help it has given me over the past years. Three years ago, I literally started from nothing, and used this website as a portal to learn every language and every programming-related thing I know today. Then, over the past year, my studies have focused mainly on performing well on the Canadian Computing Competition. The CCC is a nation-wide competition held in Canada, used to determine the best young computer scientists.

I competed over a month ago, and got the results yesterday. All of what PFO has given me seems to be paying off. I was able to get a perfect score on the competition (75/75), to tie for 1st place in Canada. The top 20 and I will be heading to Waterloo for the nation's finals near the end of May. If I manage to keep a spot anywhere in the top 4, then I will be a part of Canada's national programming team. This team represents the 4 best in Canada, and they will compete in the 2008 IOI World Finals, one of the most highly known global competitions between over 80 countries, which yields the very brightest young computer scientists in the world.

I'd also like to use this thread to put out an invitation to anyone who wants to study algorithms with me until the end of May. I will have to do a lot of preparation in order to do well in the nation's finals. So if anyone wants to learn with me, or better yet, teach me, it would be much appreciated. I am also considering paying someone $20-$30/hour to come to my house several times a week to mentor me (if you live in Ottawa).

Thanks again to all who helped me directly or indirectly in algorithms and C, including andro, Infinate, Narue, The Dark, lectricpharaoh and Jessehk. I am trying to recall names off the top of my head, so I apologize if I missed anyone. I honestly would not have been able to do this if I didn't learn and grow up on PFO. Therefore, I owe an extra, and most sincere, thanks to Bigk and cscgal for developing PFO into what it is.

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Congratulations, bout all there is to say.
goodluck witrh next competitions i know you will do well lol.

Well done
Chris

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Congrats man, that is awesome! I am sure you will do great in the National finals. :)

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Congratulations Sane! You are a very talented programmer, I'm sure you will do quite well in the international competitions. Good luck!

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

So what comes after the competition? You get a crummy job working for the government?

Any word of scouters at the competitions?

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Congratulations and good luck in the finals.

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Congrats! :) Make Canada proud!

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Thanks everyone. :)

Hopefully it will get me some very good co-op jobs during my work terms in University. I've also heard that a large US-based company will be picking up people based on their CCC scores.

But I will still be going to the University of Waterloo since I am aiming for a PhD, and would like to land a job as a director in research and/or a professor for Computer Science. No crummy government jobs for me.

I wish. Some of the other countries are absolutely insane. Last year all of China's 4 team members claimed gold medals in the IOI World Finals. But Canada has at least managed to tag a few here and there over the past years. If I manage to make the national team, I will certainly try to be one of those people.

http://www.ioinformatics.org/locatio.../results.shtml

And, just to point out something interesting. Both medalists from Canada (Konstantin and Andy) are now attending their first year at the University of Waterloo. In fact, they are travelling today to Banff Alberta to represent Canada in the ACM world finals. I wish them good luck.

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Way to go! :)

Re: Thank-you PFO!
 

Congratulations! You deserve it, Sane. :)

EDIT: and stop pretending I had anything to do with it. ;)