Professional Development & Resources
No one enjoys hard computation or a tedious grind through formulas and equations. Brute-force work should be undertaken only as a last resort! Do what a mathematician does - think very hard first to devise a creative, elegant approach that avoids hard work!
Read more about this strategy here: Problem-Solving Strategy Essay #9 Avoid Hard Work
Find other problem-solving strategies you can use on the MAA American Mathematics Competitions and other competitions here.