As we three are all interested in modelling, we teamed up in the summer before CUMCM. To prepare for the competition, we found an online tutorial to familiarize ourselves with the requirements and procedures of CUMCM.

During our studies, we not only learned some classical algorithms, like linear regression, clustering, linear optimization, but also tried to use MATLAB to implement these algorithms with real data. Before the competition, we also prepared some templates for the report and graphs. This made our report more organized and well-formatted. When the competition started, we chose the problem related to optimizing a logistic system. During the competition, we discussed several ways to model the problem and choose the best one. After that, we wrote and ran the programs to get results. In spite of the preparations, we still spent a lot of time organizing our words and formatting our report.

Three days were not too long for us to write a 20-page report and transcribed our results in the prescribed format. We submitted our report at the last minute of the deadline. There is one important lesson that we should read ahead of all the submitted requirements to save time in post-editing. Although we were very tired, we all felt a sense of achievement, as there are not many chances for us to solve a real-life problem and write a long report during our undergraduate studies.

From this competition, we learned useful statistical algorithms and programming skills, which helped us a lot in our future studies. Besides, this experience enhanced our communication and teamwork skills. After CUMCM, we aimed to participate in MCM/ICM 2022 to further enjoy mathematical modelling.