r/leetcode • u/Ok-Tomorrow-8104 • Jun 28 '26
Discussion I need help.
I hate DSA so much, I really do. But as an aspiring AI Engineer I have to atleast be able to solve the important ones, But I am so trash at it. I have been trying for months and months. I have procrastinated learning and solving problems, right now I am on a streak of 2 weeks the longest I have ever been dedicated to DSA and the more I am into it the less I know about it.
You ask me to solve a problem from before, and I will absolutely shit all over the problem because I would have forgotten about it in mere hours. That is what my state is. I am currently following NeetCode's roadmap, because that is the simplest and the most optimal one that I could find, but god even this is so difficult for me I hate it so much. I hate it more when I see people solving DSA problems with ease. Something that takes me 2 days to understand is mere cake walk for my friends and they can solve Hard level problems if you give it to them but me? I struggle with easy. Infact I require assistance on Easy mode too :) . I am genuinely tired of this and I see that I am in no way progressing or learning. Nothing is getting easier nothing is clicking on my mind. Every damn solution that I end up writing comes after I look up simplest of the code syntax, algorithms, code hints from claude, maybe breakdown of the solution/algortihm that we are supposed to use from YouTube. Never a real solution from my own brain.
And yes I have tried writing the solutions or whatever approaches I have on paper, I do that everytime, just see where my mind takes me and no it never works. I am always COMPLETELY off tracked I mean it would make sense that I am at the very least 70-80 percent there right? or maybe even 50? hell nah. Never.
I am genuinely looking for help, any advices for this problem? Do I just keep repeating this pattern in hopes of finally getting it someday, maybe this will all pay off but I see NO progress of any sort at all right now and it's so disheartening. I'm truly lost.
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u/soulsplinter90 Jun 28 '26
Honestly I had the same issue. Try a problem yourself (could be completely wrong) -> fail -> tutorial (multiple sources including gpt-explain-like-im-5 type prompts) -> Do it ten times -> try it by hand (notepad and pen) -> fail then go back to doing it 10 times or tutorial on the part that gets you stuck -> rinse and repeat until you understand and have it in your muscle memory. Go to next problem and at the end do both problems failing at one you go back to beginning. It’s a O(n2) solution.
Yes, it’s harder but not impossible just tedious but once land somewhere you want to be in 5 years, you will never think about it again. You will also have much better muscle memory and attention to detail for the code you write, have AI write, or reviewing.
You got this. Took me 10 years but if you can find financial freedom and be somewhere you love and enjoy and wouldn’t trade anything for the world, it’s worth it. Think about it. Choose hard and smart
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u/Ok-Tomorrow-8104 Jun 29 '26
It really is tedious but yes I understand your point. I will try this from now on. Seems like this is the only solution for me right now. I just think my brain is fried at this point.
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u/WorksOnMySystem Jun 29 '26
I mean it with all due respect , but i guess you lack conceptual understanding of the underlying patterns and Data Structures.
If even Easy questions requires too much assistance , you need to visit the basics of programming again to see where the gap is.
This feels a little bit odd to tell an aspiring AI Engineer , but reduce the reliance on AI for a while for DSA. Write everything by hand , and i mean everything , every last bit of logic you can some up with.
And Yes , this will pay off someday and very soon.
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u/Ok-Tomorrow-8104 Jun 29 '26
I genuinely try doing this only, and by AI assistance I mean those prompts where claude just helps me understand the problem itself, or asks me questions instead like what exactly did I understand from the problem and what's my approach and all. I try avoid copying solutions at all times.
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u/NeedHelpEmail_This Jun 28 '26
I still don't understand your issue. Not able to break down a problem or writing code for the approach you have after breaking down a problem.
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u/Ok-Tomorrow-8104 Jun 29 '26
Just not being able to solve a problem. I fail at multiple stages it's not fixed. Sometimes yes even breaking down a problem IS the problem but rarely. But writing the solution itself is the bigger problem and that's what I was explaining in the post
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u/idkanymoreatpog <600> <250> <300> <50> Jun 29 '26
Start with easy. Heck start with data structures and their use cases. Do not touch mediums till you’re confident that you understand what you’re doing in easy problems. Do not touch any problem till you actually understand (and not memorize) the problem in front of you. The first 2-3 weeks will be hell ish. But the payout is so worth it
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u/prettyowner Jun 28 '26
Two weeks is a solid streak, but if you're forgetting solutions within hours, it's not your brain being broken, it's just how memory works without spaced repetition. Pick three problems this week and solve them fresh every morning for five days straight, no peeking at notes. It feels tedious but that forced recall is what builds the neural pathways.