PUEC 2025 — Team Recruiting & Pre-Contest Course

A few items to put out together, plus a call for PUEC teammates.

1. Physics Unlimited's website database is broken and has been down for a while — no information is available there. For the latest news, check their official Facebook page.
2. If you're interested in the Princeton University Physics Competition (PUEC) but don't have a full team, reach out — I can help with team formation.
3. I recommend registering directly on the official website. The ASDAN registration only allows numerical team names (not exactly cool), and charges an extra entry fee.
4. Several parents have asked me to run a pre-contest prep class — get in touch if you're interested.
5. I'm also planning a PUPC summer intensive. DM if you want in.

Course Outline (8 hours total)

1. LaTeX basics & PUEC answer templates (2 h) — so students can focus on content, not formatting.
2. Mathematica intro & graphing (2 h) — Mathematica beats Python or MATLAB for this competition, especially on complex plotting problems.
3. Past-paper walkthroughs (2 h) — 1–2 full past papers with full solution logic, how to find background literature, and specific answering strategies.
4. Scoring criteria & medal strategy (2 h) — breakdown of how marks are awarded; many students write solid content but lose points on avoidable technicalities.

Quick FAQ

• Cross-school teams are allowed; open to Grade 9 and above.
• AP Physics C background is recommended.
• Roughly 2 hours/day for two weeks leading up to the contest.
• Prestige: ~3 stars (vs. ISEF Grand Award at 5). Useful for US top-30 physics/engineering applications.
• Winning a medal is achievable, and you'll learn a lot in the process.
• The course also helps with physics research preparation.
• Class schedule is set relative to the contest date — all sessions completed within the two weeks before.

To join or enrol, DM with your academic background.