The Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) is coming up in a couple of weeks. With the idea that the competition is ultimately about teaching students to become better at mathematical modeling, I was wondering if anyone else on the site who has participated in the MCM or who coaches would be willing to share strategies they have for preparing for the competition. Since I'm bringing up the question, I'll start.
For those who aren't familiar with the MCM, the Wikipedia page also gives a brief overview.