int_tempp's blog

By int_tempp, history, 21 month(s) ago, In English

Hello everyone.

How did you become good at competitive programming? I know it would be answered as practice. But how should I practice? How am I supposed to choose problems to practice?

like how did you use to practice when you were like 1600-1700 (In actuality)?

If you don't mind listing down how you used to practice and learn around, what kind of problems and how you used to choose, on rating-basis or contest basis?

Like sometimes I'm able to do 2100's and other times I don't feel any way. What should I do? How should I keep going?

Please be easy while replying. I don't intend to annoy you. I feel like a dumb.

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But how should I practice? How am I supposed to choose problems to practice?

umm it's kinda hard to give any advice as you have solved only 2 problems in total on Codeforces.

Here is how I practice:

  1. Fix rating range (Keep tags hidden) and open random problem, If i am not able to think anything about it in first 10-50 minutes (depends on problem actually), I leave that problem and move on to another.

  2. After a day or when I feel refreshed, I come back to that problem and try it again.

  3. After good 2-3 tries (plural of try :p) if I am unable to solve it, I read its editorial but not complete. I stop at first point where I find something new and then think about problem in that direction. [Editorial with hints makes it easier :)]

  4. If I still cannot solve I read the editorial try to understand it (but I don't look at the code).

  5. If I still fail to code I check the editorialist or other's code ( jiangly special mentions ^_^).

  6. Even if I solve it in first try I still check out the editorial and other top coder's code (unless the problem is too easy) to find any better way to implement. But in case I fail to solve it before taking hints or reading editorial, I note it down in my pocket diary and then after some weeks (time gap depends on whether I actually remember the editorial code or not) I try to solve it again.

  7. I don't choose 2000+ rated problem for practice but if I, by stalking submissions of people in my peer group, find them I give them a try.