Studying and LC fatigue

New
SU3xSU2xU1

New

SU3xSU2xU1
Jun 18, 2021 21 Comments

I have been "studying" for 5-8 hours a day for the past week. I am starting to get really fatigued. I get a headache after a hour or two, make no progress, get frustrated and distracted. I have only been on the studying grind for 1.5 weeks now. I know I have to do this for at least a few more months.

I started out struggling with Easy and after one week, I am now only slightly better. I am starting to realize some ideas on how to answer each problem. Still struggling, especially with coding, edge cases, indices, etc. I feel like my brain is tired, sometimes fried. But I know I need to persist and keep going. I think I only function optimally for at most half of the time (whether that is studying EPI/CTCI/CLRS or LC).

What is most optimal? When you are tired and not optimally functioning, do you keep going? Until you faint? How many hours should I strive to study per day? I have no job at the moment.

Distractions are a problem. I have put 15 minute time limits on all social media and Blind on my phone and computer and force myself to study in a separate room. Still, I am fidgety and tempted to waste time and not study.

YOE: zero. PhD (science but not computer science).
TC: zero.

#engineering #software #swe #996

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  • Start with Hacker rank easy. LC easy is next level.
    Jun 18, 2021 4
    • Rubrik
      karasuma

      Go to company page Rubrik

      karasuma
      That's not how it works.
      Think of this as going to the gym to train, the first day/week you are going to be very nauseous and soar. You are probably doing very less real workout if any workout at all.
      Couple of weeks later you up the game, you no longer feel nauseated and as soar as week1.
      Jun 18, 2021
    • That’s a great analogy here ^
      Jun 18, 2021
  • Pace yourself. Leetcode is a ballache at the best of times. Counting time tells us nothing. Whats your approach like? If you're spending 5-8 hours trying to blitz through mediums as fast as possible that's nowhere near as beneficial as doing a deep dive into 1 or 2 a day. Also break the monotony by brushing up on other interview fundamentals. System Design, Networking, OS, concurrency are things that I regularly got asked about in interviews. One time I got asked why an array is almost always faster than a linked list in practice, even though in theory linked lists have their benefits. I would've never been able to answer had I not done some random OS reading the day before that interview.
    Jun 18, 2021 1
    • New
      SU3xSU2xU1

      New

      SU3xSU2xU1
      OP
      Thanks for your reply. I will take your suggestion and read some more interesting material. I have DDIA and books on C++ that I think would be helpful.

      My approach is:

      - open LC Easy or Medium problem (I am going through the LC explore cards at the moment)

      - stare at it for as long as it takes for me to get an idea of how to solve it. I give myself at least a hour without solution or hints. I may take a break and come back to it. If I am really stuck or I don't have an idea by the end of the day, I peek at the solution. Then, try to implement the code without the solution. I try to challenge myself, which leads to quite a headache after a while.

      - I write pseudo-code first, then write the code. Sometimes this is where I struggle. There's a higher level of abstract thinking that I am struggling with...for example, imagining what happens in test cases.

      - at the end of the day, I read from an algo text for a hour or so. CTCI seems very brief. I'll finish the DS and algo chapters of it and then move onto EPI and CLRS at the same time

      - before I go to sleep, I also try to review the problems I did before and today. Look at the problem, imagine the solution, think about the test cases, then review the code I wrote.

      Any modifications suggested?
      Jun 18, 2021
  • Infosys / Eng
    BRY47

    Go to company page Infosys Eng

     BRY47
    Take 1-2 weeks off and then cut LC time down to 1-2 hours/ day. I’d fatigue pretty fast at 5-8 hours of LC/ day too, even if I found solving the problems fun.

    You’d be wise to spend the rest of the time developing skills for the job or maybe other skills that you find intriguing.
    Jun 18, 2021 6
    • New
      SU3xSU2xU1

      New

      SU3xSU2xU1
      OP
      Well, if I only do 1-2 hours a day, then that means only 1-2 problems solved per day. 30-60 per month, 100-180 in three months (when I want to start feeling prepared for interviews). That's not enough practice, I'm afraid.
      Jun 18, 2021
    • In the beginning yes, but you'll get from 1 easy per hour to 1 hard a day with time. Plus continuing to code is more important than going all out for 2 weeks and then burning out tbh.

      You can also try ramping up after a while but right now it's too much.
      Jun 18, 2021
  • Goldman Sachs / Eng
    πŸ–ŠοΈπŸπŸŽπŸ–ŠοΈ

    Go to company page Goldman Sachs Eng

     πŸ–ŠοΈπŸπŸŽπŸ–ŠοΈ
    LC is really brain draining, way more than real coding, so no wonder you are burning out with 8 hours a day. I can't even imagine doing 3 hours let alone that lol. Just keep chugging away a bit at a time and slowly your mind will mold into an LC machine. It takes time, repetition and good sleep for the intuition to be cemented.
    Jun 18, 2021 0
  • Samsara
    KAY5$ga

    Go to company page Samsara

    KAY5$ga
    Start with firecode.io,

    It’s does a much better job of helping you slowly progress and in a structured manner.
    Jun 18, 2021 1
    • New
      SU3xSU2xU1

      New

      SU3xSU2xU1
      OP
      Seems like I need an invite code?
      Jun 18, 2021