It's already March, and time is flying by! I wanted to write this post because I feel like I’ve built some really good momentum with my goals, and writing it down will hopefully motivate me to keep going.
LeetCode Progress
I was able to complete a total of 155 problems between January and February. In terms of distribution, I solved roughly:
- 119 Medium
- 30 Easy
- 3 Hard
(For comparison, I solved around 50 Easy problems throughout last year.)
Time Management
Since I'm currently on my co-op term, I’ve had a lot of free time to grind out problems. One thing I realized quickly was that the key is avoiding burnout by not answering too many questions in a single sitting. My usual routine is doing at least 2-3 problems a day, usually mediums, and if I feel motivated, I might do an additional few easy problems. This keeps my progress consistent while still leaving time for other things I want to work on.
Solving Technique
One of the main things that I've worked on is my workflow while doing LeetCode. I used to jump into coding the solution right away, and then test different techniques until something worked. This made me waste time getting stuck in brute-force solutions that ended up just giving TLE errors.
My new approach has been focusing more on the constraints of the problem, to rule out certain approaches, and then try to visualize patterns on paper with the sample test cases. This change alone has made a huge difference in my ability to solve problems faster and more efficiently, especially with medium problems.
Problem Selection
Lately, I’ve been focusing mostly on:
- Dynamic Programming
- Greedy Algorithms
- Math-based problems
I haven’t been solving many hard problems yet because I want to master the core foundations first, since those are most commonly asked in internsip interviews.
Looking Ahead
Overall, I’m suprised with how much progress I was able to make withing the span of two months. Weirdly enough, the more questions I solve, the less I feel confident in my abilities. I think this is because I'm realizing the depth of knowledge required to solve harder problems. This is a good thing though, because it feels like I'm playing a game where the skill ceiling keeps rising as I get better, which motivates me to keep improving.