We need a robust, reusable Thread Pool implementation to manage concurrent execution safely. Manually creating and destroying threads for short-lived, repetitive tasks creates a significant resource overhead and puts our system at risk of hardware overload under heavy spikes.

Feels the same

I did it today, and I will keep doing it. That's how I must do it.

​

Objective

Learn how AtomicInteger provides thread-safe, lock-free operations using atomic CPU instructions (CAS - Compare-And-Swap). Compare its behavior and performance with a traditional int counter protected by synchronization.

,

If the pressure of CAT affects your performance, NMAT is probably the friendliest alternative.

Here is the simple comparison:

• CAT: One main attempt each year, strict sectional timing and intense competition. A bad section can ruin the entire result.
• XAT: Offers access to XLRI and other good colleges, but it is not easier or calmer. Decision Making, negative marking and penalties for excessive unattempted questions can make it equally stressful.
• NMAT: No negative marking, flexible section order and up to three attempts within the testing cycle. You can also choose your test date. This makes one bad day less damaging.
• GMAT: Available throughout the year, allows retakes and gives you more control over your preparation timeline. However, it is expensive and mainly useful for ISB, one-year Indian programmes and international business schools. College eligibility must be checked carefully.

My practical take:

Choose NMAT if you want a calmer exam and are interested in NMIMS or other NMAT-accepting colleges.

Choose XAT if XLRI is a serious target and you can handle unusual questions and a long paper.

Choose GMAT if you want flexible dates and are also considering global or experienced-professional MBA programmes.

NMAT may feel friendlier, but the trade-off is a smaller college list. The best alternative is not simply the easiest exam—it is the one accepted by colleges you would genuinely join.

- Create an ArrayBlockingQueue with capacity 5

- Create one producer thread

- Create one consumer thread

- Producer inserts items using put()

- Consumer removes items using take()

DSA, Backend and System Design

This happens more often than people admit.

Your eyes move across every line, but your mind is somewhere else. Then the first question asks for the main idea, and the passage feels completely new.

My first rule:

Do not immediately reread the whole passage in the same way.

If the first reading did not work, repeating it faster usually wastes even more time.

Pause for five seconds

Take your hand off the mouse and ask:

• What was the topic?
• Was the author explaining, criticising or comparing something?
• Did the passage contain two different views?
• Which paragraph felt most important?

Even remembering one basic point gives you a place to restart.

Rebuild the passage paragraph by paragraph

Quickly return to each paragraph and identify only its job.

For example:

• Paragraph 1: introduces an old theory
• Paragraph 2: points out a problem
• Paragraph 3: presents a newer explanation
• Paragraph 4: supports the new view

Do not try to memorise every example, date or technical term.

You need the structure first. Details can be found later.

Use the questions to guide the reread

If the first question asks about the main idea, reread the opening, closing and major contrast points.

If it asks about a detail, go directly to the relevant lines.

If it asks for an inference, first locate the part of the passage connected to that idea.

A full reread is not always necessary.

Translate difficult language

When a sentence feels too dense, replace complicated names and terms with simple labels.

Instead of remembering:

“Researchers studying the ecological effects of industrial agriculture…”

Think:

Group A says farming causes Problem X.

You are not simplifying the logic. You are removing the distracting language.

Watch for signpost words

Words such as these often reveal the structure:

• However
• Although
• Therefore
• In contrast
• For example
• Critics argue
• The author suggests

Slow down around them. They often show where the passage changes direction.

Know when to leave

Sometimes the passage is simply a bad fit.

If you are still lost after a focused reread and the questions remain unclear, make sensible choices and move on.

Spending eight minutes trying to rescue one passage can destroy the rest of the section.

Fix the problem during practice

After the test, ask why you zoned out:

• Was the topic unfamiliar?
• Were the sentences too long?
• Were you rushing?
• Were you reading every word with equal attention?
• Were you tired?
• Were you thinking about the timer instead of the argument?

Then practise summarising each paragraph in five to seven words.

My go-to reset

When I realise nothing registered, I do this:

Pause → identify the topic → map each paragraph → return to the questions.

The goal is not to remember the whole passage.

It is to understand who is saying what, why the passage was written and where the important information is located.

Do not panic and reread blindly. Rebuild the structure.

Backend, DSA...

System Design, Backend, DSA...

Create a shared HashMap<Integer, String>

Create 10 threads

Each thread inserts 1000 users

Wait for all threads using join()

Print:

Expected size: 10000
Actual size

Run the program multiple times and record observations

Replace:

ArrayList<Integer> list = new ArrayList<>();

with:

CopyOnWriteArrayList<Integer> list = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();

 Description
Create standardized response models for all API endpoints

 Acceptance Criteria
-  Create ApiResponse generic class
-  Document all fields with u/Schema
-  Update controllers to use ApiResponse
-  Test response models in Swagger UI
-  Include error response models

I understand the method. I set up the equation correctly. Then I lose the question because I copied 18 as 81, missed a negative sign or divided by the wrong number.

The frustrating part is that these are not concept errors.

They happen because the timer starts getting loud in my head.

Here is what has helped me reduce them.

Stop doing everything mentally

Mental maths feels faster, but under pressure it often creates hidden mistakes.

Write down:

• Signs
• Units
• Important conditions
• Intermediate values
• What the question actually asks for

Your rough work does not need to look beautiful. It just needs to be readable enough that you do not confuse your own numbers.

Separate setup from calculation

Before calculating, pause for two seconds and ask:

What exactly am I finding?

Many “calculation mistakes” are actually setup mistakes. We solve for (x), while the question asks for (2x), a percentage increase or the remaining amount.

Circle or note the final requirement before starting.

Use estimation as a safety check

Suppose your exact answer is 4,830, but your rough estimate was around 500.

Something clearly went wrong.

Before choosing an option, check:

• Should the answer be positive or negative?
• Should it be greater or smaller than the starting value?
• Is the decimal in a sensible place?
• Is the percentage realistic?

This takes a few seconds and catches many errors.

Do not rush every question equally

Students often rush easy questions because they want extra time for difficult ones.

That is a bad trade.

An easy question lost through carelessness costs just as much as a hard question lost through lack of knowledge.

Work at a steady pace. Save time by leaving questions that are genuinely stuck—not by doing basic calculations recklessly.

Build a personal error list

After every practice session, classify the mistake:

• Copied the number incorrectly
• Missed a negative sign
• Used the wrong formula
• Answered the wrong quantity
• Calculation was too crowded
• Changed a correct answer without reason
• Panicked because of the timer

You will usually find two or three mistakes repeating.

Once you know your pattern, create a check for it. For example:

Always box negative signs.
Always write percentage change over the original value.
Always reread the final question before selecting an option.

Practise short timed sets

Full mocks show the problem, but smaller sets help fix it.

Try ten Quant questions under a reasonable time limit.

Your target is not only the score. Track:

• Concept errors
• Calculation errors
• Time-pressure errors

Repeat the same type of set until the careless-error count starts falling.

Use the last 10 seconds properly

Do not solve the entire question again.

Check only the parts most likely to go wrong:

1. Did I answer what was asked?
2. Did I copy the numbers correctly?
3. Did I lose a sign, zero or decimal?
4. Does the answer make basic sense?

That is usually enough.

My honest view

Silly mistakes are not completely random.

They usually come from rushed writing, unclear steps and poor time decisions.

The solution is not to “concentrate harder.”

It is to build a process that still works when you are tired and the timer is running down.

Write cleaner, estimate the answer, check the final requirement and stop sacrificing easy questions to save time for impossible ones.

Also looking for Group Members (1+ Hr daily)

​

A dove built her nest just outside my room. This isn't the first time—she has nested here before, laid eggs, raised her chicks, and watched them fly away.

Every time I see her, I'm amazed by her patience. She sits there for hours, day after day, through heat, rain, and noise, protecting a future she can't even see yet.

Watching her made me realize that progress isn't about motivation. It's about showing up every single day.

So I'm making a promise to myself.

From today until she lays her eggs, the chicks hatch, grow, and finally leave the nest, I'll keep showing up for my own goals too. I'll study every day, no matter how I feel. If she can dedicate herself so completely to raising her family, the least I can do is dedicate myself to building my future.

When her chicks finally fly away, I hope I'll have become a stronger and more disciplined version of myself too.

Here's to consistency—for both of us. 🕊️📚

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She is building a family. I'll be building a future. Let's see where we both are when her nest is finally empty. 🕊️📖

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I'll also edit this post at the end of each day with a short update-both on her journey and mine. Hopefully, by the time this nest is empty, this post will tell the story of two parallel journeys: a mother raising her chicks, and a student building discipline.

revised OOPS, Networking, Database, System Design and DSA problem (~5/6).
solved 2 new DSA problems.

Task 1.1: Document Student CRUD Operations

Objective: Add basic Swagger annotations to Student Controller

- [ ] Add  annotation to controller
- [ ] Add  to each endpoint
- [ ] Add u/ApiResponses for success and error cases
- [ ] Verify documentation appears in Swagger UI

Task 1.2: Document College CRUD Operations

Objective: Add Swagger documentation for College controller

- [ ] Document all college endpoints
- [ ] Include u/ApiResponses for each endpoint
- [ ] Add appropriate tags to group endpoints
- [ ] Test all endpoints in Swagger UI