In 5th grade, I went to my very first math competition, called Math-a-Palooza, at Bob Jones High School. I remember feeling pretty relaxed and not too nervous about it. The environment was unfamiliar, with lots of competitors hanging out and talking. It was fun to see how others approached the same questions differently. They had several stalls for sponsors such as Mathnasium. They also had candy, snacks, and rooms with a different purpose like Lego and Kahoot.
During the test, I found the problems fairly easy because I had practiced similar ones before. I ended up doing really well, answering 20 out of 25 questions correctly. It felt rewarding to see my preparation pay off.
During awards, it turns out I got bronze and I was very happy.