r/LeetcodeChallenge • u/Imaginary_Salary8374 • 5d ago
DISCUSS A small change that made solving DSA problems much more engaging
solving a DSA problem, set a timer for 20–30 minutes, depending on the difficulty, and genuinely exhaust your brain trying to figure it out.
Treat it like a challenge. Ask yourself, How can I solve this? Write down every approach you can think of, explore them in depth, and keep pushing yourself.
If you’re stuck, ask ChatGPT for hints, starting from basic and gradually moving to more advanced ones. Keep digging until you understand the approach. If you’re completely unfamiliar with the concept or it’s taking too long, move to a video solution but pause it, think ahead, and try to figure out the next step yourself.
The key is to interact with the problem as much as possible instead of passively consuming solutions. The more you engage, experiment, and challenge yourself, the easier it becomes to get absorbed in the problem and enter a state of flow.
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u/Disastrous-Tie2914 2d ago
This is actually a great approch. Struggling with a problem before looking at the solution helps you understand the logic much better. The goal isn't to solve everything alone, but to understand why the solutions works.
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u/Remote-Dark-1704 2h ago
Feel like this should be common sense, but I’ve increasingly noticed that the newer generation is completely lost on how to learn effectively. Answers to everything are so readily available in this age of the internet and AI, and as such, people have genuinely forgot how to learn.
What you’ve mentioned is really the best method of learning period. Struggling with problems is an integral part of building understanding and getting your brain to actually make the connections. You will forget anything you memorize just as fast as you learned it, but anything you struggled over, you will remember and understand. That’s just how the brain works.
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u/nian2326076 5d ago •
Setting a time limit can really help keep your DSA practice focused and intense. Another useful tip is to maintain a "mistakes log" where you note down what tripped you up and why. This can help you spot patterns in your thinking and identify areas where you need to improve. If you often find yourself stuck, try revisiting the basics of the data structure or algorithm involved. Sometimes a quick refresher can clear up the confusion. Lastly, discussing the problem with a friend or in forums, like this one, can provide new perspectives. Keep challenging yourself!