Losing confidence the more I LeetCode

New
OldChunk🪨

New

OldChunk🪨
Apr 18 23 Comments

I've worked through most of the blind 75 and some others (~100 altogether), I don't feel like I'm making any progress though. I can solve some easy's sight unseen, but medium and hard's aren't happening. I feel like I've actually gotten worse somehow recently. I brushed up on a DS / algo course and have been focusing on understanding concepts as I doubt I stand a chance memorizing problems.

Typical approach to studying is:
- Try the problem for 10-20 min without seeing a solution, try to wrap my head around the ask.
- Look through discussion solutions
- Watch a NeetCode video if there's one available
- Try the problem again, reference the solution if I can't code it up correctly.

What am I doing wrong?
In my day to day I'm a solid engineer, this just makes me feel stupid
TC: 200k / 4 YOE / LCOL

To the people who actually find joy in LC, what changed your perception? I can't get into it.

Edit: Based on the suggestions of the kind folks of Blind, here's my updated strategy.
- Focus on one area at a time for 1/2 week and revisit as needed.
- Spend more time struggling with the problem, going to time out after 1 hour moving forward.
- Go back to easy's for confidence if you feel stuck. Also, just because a problem is labeled medium doesn't necessarily make it easier than a hard.

Recommended resources here: codeshare.io/leetcode are handy as well.

Happy LeetCoding folks, we can do it!

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TOP 23 Comments
  • I would suggest to not try varying topics at this stage of preparation. Pick one and nail it to the bottom for half a week. Two topics per week. Secondly, make notes of what you usually miss out while thinking a solution of a particular topic. Might seem weird but it greatly helps when you WRITE down your mistakes. Something gets hardwired
    Apr 18 4
    • Also the most important point, never lose your nerve if you are not able to solve a question which you think you should. Just try an easy question for calming yourself and revisit that previous question sometime later but not too long
      Apr 18
    • New
      OldChunk🪨

      New

      OldChunk🪨
      OP
      Massively helpful, 1850. Really appreciate it.
      Apr 18
  • I’m in the same boat. Keep grinding, you’re doing better than you think
    Apr 18 0
  • I was very much on that boat, and trust me your confidence will go up and down depending on the day. I'm 1.5 months in, a few onsite scheduled. I started struggling on easy tbh, and yesterday I did a hard on first try no bug in maybe 15 minutes (more of a fluke, but still, the me of 1.5 months ago would have given up 10 minutes into that problem, eventually you can recognize patterns)
    Apr 18 0
  • I also think after you've done a decent amount, it helps to redo old problems, and see if you can now come up with a solution faster.
    Apr 18 2
    • New
      need moar🥜

      New

      need moar🥜
      Or a different solution! Even if it’s not a better one.
      Apr 18
    • Yeah! and the funny thing, is sometime the old solution is better, especially if you did problems within the same theme, then odds are your old solution might be like right on theme and your new solution can be a bit more messy.
      Apr 18
  • Amazon
    Iced

    Go to company page Amazon

    Iced
    10-20 before viewing solution is too little time. U need to give ur self more time even if it would fail the interview. Focus on getting the answer then focus on speed. Look after 1 hour

    You need to understand the solution and patterns then reflect on your thinking process during the problem. How come you weren’t able to think of the correct pattern. What threw you off and why. Most probably you haven’t seen the pattern before.
    Apr 18 1
    • New
      OldChunk🪨

      New

      OldChunk🪨
      OP
      Appreciate this - definitely recognizing a theme here.
      Apr 18