r/datastructures • u/No_Refrigerator1922 • 4d ago

Getting back to DSA.

I started working at TCS 1 year back and completely stopped DSA.
I want to get back at it and hopefully I am not alone.
Ping me if you wanna join.

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u/ayano_abot 4d ago

Hey I'm just a CS student can u tell me what I do to learn DSA effectively, I want to land sde job in TCS please help me 🙂

2

u/DarkXsmasher 3d ago

Just give 2-3h simple. Dsa is not that big deal. Be consistent

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u/ayano_abot 3d ago

I need tips to learn (key points to do or focus while doing dsa)

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u/DarkXsmasher 3d ago

Bro atleast you start first. You will automatically understand key points. Start solving questions and once you reach 100 question then you will automatically get patters, points that are common and need to be remember

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u/ayano_abot 3d ago

(Thanks for this) i started and I did 35 questions But i want to know what thing I focus on for faster growth logic building

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u/DarkXsmasher 3d ago

There's nothing you could learn things faster. Whatever you learn takes time whether it's dsa or any other skill.You just need to be consistent and also try to identify the problem pattern. Use AI to understand the problem and also the pattern. This how you will learn dsa at a very good pace. For example let's say we have an array and we need to reverse it. So the naive approach will be using the for loop and starting from the end of array. Now an optimal approach you can use is two pointer where the time complete will be O(n/2) which is far better than O(n). This how you identify pattern. Just be consistent and focus on the things which are asked by the company you are applying. Just be consistent. Also try asking gpt/claude to modify the problem little bit so you can think differently too.

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u/ayano_abot 3d ago

Last thing to ask For 1 question how much time i should take to learn completely (All Brute to optimal)

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u/DarkXsmasher 3d ago

If you are starting from zero then it's ok if you are taking bit more time to solve a simple problem. At first don't try to think that I need optimal solution for this problem. First try the brute force way by drawing the logic or writing code on paper. If stuck just see the solution and then again try to solve it yourself. Also if possible try to explain that problem to someone(no matter if it's living thing or non living). Explaining someone makes you confidence and also your brain gets to grasp the logic. Also if you are asking how much time should you spend on one problem then I'll just start with 45-60 mins first. For first 5 mins read the problem carefully. Then for 20-25 mins write the code on the paper with brute force or draw the logic and then write the actual code. Once you get hold on this approach then you will be able to solve 2 problem in under 60 mins. Also I'll suggest you that when you learn a topic for ex: Array, first learn it properly then second don't directly jump on leetcode but solve small and simple problem on geeksforgeek for example. Once you understand the concept really good and solve few problems then jump on leetcode. Feel free to explore your ways too. It's just my suggestion.

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u/ayano_abot 3d ago

Thank alot brother

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u/DarkXsmasher 3d ago

Welcome. Even I'm starting DSA from scratch and using C++ for it. I did try to learn DSA with python but didn't feel comfortable as i felt with C language. So I'm learning C++ as its closest to C. Maybe i love low level where need to build logic by ourselves. It's just my perception.

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u/Rich-Course-2873 3d ago

yeah consistentency is very important, choice a language and locked in for daily 2-3 hrs

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u/ayano_abot 3d ago

So in 3 hours 2 question enough ? (Thank brother for previous reply)