Past winners of Cowbellpedia tell us about the experience
Akinkuowo Ayodeji
I was the winner of the Cowbellpedia 2015 Senior Schools competition. During the competition, there were a lot of challenges: I was first told the competition would be written, but then I learnt it was to be televised. My teacher and I set to work on my speed, accuracy and confidence. We were lodged in a very good hotel and properly taken care of. I managed to answer as many as 8 questions on my first attempt. When I got back to the hotel, I was very happy and that gave me the confidence to do better. After the first set of people was eliminated, I prayed to God to please see me through to the end of this. In the second round, the pressure was greater and I was only able to answer six questions. My teacher encouraged me to face my fear. After the break we came to Lagos and the following day we set out to the competition for the final round and I was able to answer 9 questions correctly. Throughout my junior secondary school, I collected the award for the best student in maths. In senior secondary school I was also the best in maths and further maths. I am also grateful to God, who made me worthy to win Cowbellpedia. Through this competition I have gained confidence to face different challenges of life. THANK YOU COWBELL.
Oguntade Ayooluwa
I was the winner of the Cowbellpedia 2016 Senior Schools competition. My stay during the CowbellPedia competition was a very fascinating one. Meeting new people and competing with them was very intense. For me to compete with my classmates and win took nothing but the grace of God. I feel happy to be known as a winner but I feel even happier and grateful to Promasidor for giving me the privilege to partake in such an educating show. I want to study mechanical engineering for my tertiary education, as this would help me in becoming successful and fulfilling God's purpose in my life.
Juliet Ekoko
I was the winner of Cowbellpedia 2016 Junior Schools competition. My experience on the CowbellPedia show was quite exciting and interesting and I achieved quite a lot. After I won the competition, I gained more confidence in myself and it made me realise that with God I can do anything. I plan to go to John Hopkins Medical University after I complete my secondary school education to study medicine and surgery. I feel great having been crowned the Cowbellpedia winner and that feeling drives me to be the best I can be, God permitting. I really want to thank Promasidor for the opportunity they provided, especially for encouraging girls.
Ernest-Eze Munachi
I was the winner of the Cowbellpedia 2015 Junior Schools competition. My Cowbellpedia experience was an exciting and wonderful one. It was one of the few competitions that will always remain in my memory. I encountered all kinds of problems, both interesting and challenging.
Starting from the state level, my Cowbellpedia experience began with the written exam in Abuja. Questions from all categories were presented ranging from easy to difficult and time taking ones and then to the no answer questions. The exam was a proper exam of a high standard, just like the LJC math exams. After the highly contested exam, I came out with a score of 88 out of a possible 100 marks. I was very glad with my result as I qualified as part of the top 20 in the country.
The Second stage of the competition, the quiz show, began on July 29, 2015 in Lagos. All the qualifiers were present with everyone ready to do battle for the grand price of seven hundred and fifty thousand naira. Day 1 gave us an opportunity to get familiar with the rules of the competition and how to use the gadgets. We also got to associate with each other. Though not all that sociable, I was able to socialize with many of the quiz participants. I made new friends of about the same age as me. This gave me great joy as I had wonderful and interesting times as we laughed and played, just to take the tension of the competition off us.
The preliminary and semifinal round began the following day. My preliminary round was a success and I was able to make a score of 100 points. It seemed like a walkover, as I finished tops in my round with 25 points clear. It was a thing of joy and happiness and a very good start to the competition. This gave me much hope that the competition might turn out to be very good for me. This also prepared me for the rest of the competition, as I had a clearer idea of the questions I could be asked and the speed I needed to answer questions. My semifinal group came out on August 3rd, 2015. It seemed very deadly as it included those great math geniuses that scored higher than me in the Mathematics Olympiad. This instilled fear in me and forced me to read extensively the night before. The semifinal round day came and luckily for me I ended up smiling all day as I qualified first in that group with a score of 85 points. Though I scored low, I was still overjoyed as I was the first contestant to make it to the finals of the competition.
The final round began in October 25th, 2015 in Lagos with all the semifinal qualifiers present. It was a really great moment and basically the highlight of my Cowbellpedia experience. Remembering those 10 seconds when I thought I had given up my chance of winning was an experience I can never forget. The final round started out well with me topping the objective round. The 60 seconds of fame round was something else. I missed so many easy questions which made me really sad as I thought I had lost my chance. Fortunately for me, my excellence in the objective round made up for it, giving me victory. My joy knew no bounds as I fulfilled my dreams and the one’s of my parents. This victory has brought me respect among mathematicians in the country, my peers and relatives.
In conclusion, my Cowbellpedia experience was an outstanding one helping me to become a known scholar nationwide. It influenced my values and my academic life in a positive way. Though there were sad times and challenging moments during the competition, they all ended up helping me become the overall winner of the competition. The Cowbellpedia has proven be one of the most prestigious math competitions in the country, due to all the bountiful gains and benefits.