Topcoder has members from all the continents (except Antarctica, but seeing the popularity trend, sometime in future we may have someone participating in an SRM from an Antarctica research station :D). Algorithm Competitions require everyone to participate at the same time, so improper timings of SRMs in some parts of the world are inevitable. Topcoder members, varying in locations and ratings, were asked to share their views on the clash of their sleep and an SRM starting at, say 4:00 am. As expected, there were interesting responses.
For most of them, Alarm clock is the main tool used to get woken up so early. However, some ‘target’coders get triggered by their biological clock, they automatically wake up as soon as SRM registration begins, the triggering has been observed to be more prominent in SRMs with cash prizes :D. For the usual coders especially the greys and greens, alarm sound starts a thought process for the coder (who is still in a drowsy state): “..how is this SRM going to affect my life?...” the mental debate continues for a while, oscillating between.. to be ,or not to be... a participant. But in the end, the Topcoder spirit wins over the pleasures of sleep.
A TopCoder member, AdrianKuegel, quotes : “TopCoder Competitions are more important than sleep ;-)” .
This alarm sound is a bit tragic for a member "LUCKY"( name changed ) , as for him these SRM dates and timings, and hence the alarm always coincide with the moment he is going to propose a beautiful girl in his dreams. He has 80-odd SRMs under his belt, but hasn’t yet reached "happy ending" of the dream .
After getting up,sipping coffee/tea ,listening music, splashing face with water etc. are prevalent amongst members to avoid getting sleepy again. Once the SRM starts, the excitement of competition takes away all the drowsiness, the warriors plunge in the 'arena' with full enthusiasm. Initial phase is lively for all, but in the latter half of match some coders suffer a mood swing, when they're unable to figure out solutions for a hard 500 or 1000 point problem,and think of taking a catnap till the challenge phase starts. But again the TopCoder spirit boosts their morale, and instead of sleeping, they prefer to observe the ROOM SUMMARY window for remainingtime :D .
The challenge phase reintroduces the thrill and gets everyone actively involved. Earlier, the members went to sleep again just after the challenge phase. Introduction of more efficient System tester has now compelled the coders to stay awake for five more minutes and see the results and updated ratings. They return to bed thinking about their performance, approach, errors, and statistics. Then the ‘arena’ style' countdown begins
“SLEEPING PHASE STARTS IN 00:00:03...00:00:02...00:00:01....”
P.S. – A picture is worth a thousand words: