How to Start Competitive Coding? | Complete Path | GauravSingh9356

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 Introduction:

Competitive Coding is a sport where candidates/users across the globe  compete in coding contests to outshine others. Well, why is so important and why everyone is talking about it?










Why?

Well, competitive coding as mentioned is a sport where your thinking skill is tested. You are given some interval in which you have to solve the particular questions. It helps in your better understanding of algorithms and data structures. Also, you understand why learning algorithms are very important. You understand that how data structures and algorithms are used for solving real life questions.











Where to Start?

Ideally, you want to learn the basics of data structures & algorithms in a programming language of your choice before you start on HackerRank, as it will save you a lot of unnecessary frustration and allow you to breeze through many of the easy problems. You’ll also want to regularly practice what you learn — it’s better to practice for 1 hour every day than 10 hours once a week, for example. That way, what you learn will remain fresh in your mind, and you’ll progress more quickly.

If you need some help learning the basics of data structures and algorithms, there are plenty of resources that could be useful for you. For example:

  • Grokking Algorithms, by Aditya Bhargava: A great resource if you’re a beginner to data structures & algorithms. It’s an illustrated book that teaches you the core fundamentals of DS & A without delving into complex mathematics.
  • Tech Interview Pro: An interview preparation course designed by a former Google software engineer. It covers data structures & algorithms at both a basic and an advanced level through 100+ video lessons.
  • GeeksforGeeks: An online portal that acts as a library of programming knowledge. It covers a huge number of topics in extreme detail through both written articles and videos.



If you get stuck on a problem, try to avoid looking for solutions elsewhere online. Seeking out the principles behind a solution rather than the solution itself will help you learn more efficiently, and encode what you’re learning in your long-term memory.




My Story

I also started coding from scratch from Hackerrank. I didn’t know the c of ‘coding’ when I was in the first semester (CSE ) of IIIT Kalyani. Students around me in the lab were from ICSE background and they use to solve lab problems easily, this always frustrated me at that time. Sometimes, I use to feel “Is it was the right decision by me to take CS”?

But with challenges comes an opportunity, I grind harder at hackerrank and at books made me confident and You all be amazed to know that I was 2nd in CS theory paper in mid sem of my first semester itself. So just believe in yourself, and do hard work.

So my Path Guide would be:

HakerRank -> SPOJ -> CodeChef -> CodeForces

And Yes Don't forget Geeks for Geeks it will be your ultimate helper in your path.

Cheers and Happy Coding!

My Hackerrank Profile 

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