Post by Akanksha Buchke

When I started DSA the first time, I almost gave up after struggling for months. I was stuck, frustrated & unable to move past arrays and make any progress. This is how I 10X my DSA skills and cracked DSA rounds of Microsoft, Intuit, Walmart, ServiceNow and more:- 1. Start topic wise, not any shortcut 75 or 150 questions sheet When you are a beginner, you need to practice, practice and practice. You will yourself start recognising patterns after a while. --> A total of 400-500 questions are a must 2. Follow a 10-15-20-15 Rule • 10 mins → understand + brute force idea • 15 mins → code it (or take a hint if stuck) • 20 mins → optimize + dry run • 15 mins → learn from other solutions --> You need to bring this total time to 25-30 minutes. 3. Don’t fall for the Language trap C++, Java, Python, use what you’re comfortable with. (Most) Companies don’t care about language. They care about how well you think. 4. Do make notes for Revision This is a must. You can't solve 400-500 questions every time you want to revise. So, make notes: - Problem statement - Approach/algorithm used - Why it works - Pseudo code 5. Build a Routine 1 hour daily > 5 hours once a week. Do it first thing in the morning or last in the evening. Before college or after classes/office. Your wish. But, make a routine and stick to it. You're not dumb. You're just one system away from making it click. If you’re also preparing for SDE 1/SDE 2/senior roles and struggling to get calls/clear interviews/stay consistent, I’ve compiled: • My full 2.5 months preparation strategy • Roadmap & resources for DSA + System Design • Real interview experiences across 15+ top product based companies • Outreach strategy to get calls and referrals Here's the link: https://lnkd.in/gGDZG8v6 Follow Akanksha Buchke for hirings, referrals and interview preparation.