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This sounds like a great advice! Any specific tips on getting the most out of Leetcode? For example. Should I do the questions on paper first, then the editor

This sounds like a great advice! Any specific tips on getting the most out of Leetcode? For example. Should I do the questions on paper first, then the editor? Should I have multiple solutions to each (n2 and nlogn) if it exists? How do you guard against just memorizing the questions? I feel like if i can't do a problem and look at the solution, then going back to it later will be useless since I already have memorized the answer but not the methodology to solve it. Thanks!

joshuakcockrell 9y ago
> How do you guard against just memorizing the questions? I don't think you need to worry about this. A simple search for "binary search" shows 20 different questions. If you can't do the 1st bst problem and you look at the solution then that's okay! You have 19 more to try it on. Even if you do all 20 then come back in a month and try them again. There's no way you're going to be able to memorize that many variants. And that's just 2% of their entire set of questions. To really answer your question, I prefer to just hit the "random problem" button and see if I can solve it in 15 minutes with an optimal solution. If I struggle, then I just go read the solution (to understand how I should have solved it) and try a couple related problems to make sure I'm not just memorizing it and I actually understand the methodology behind solving it. Good luck!
- marktangotango 9y ago
  This is how I used solutions manuals to ace calc 1 and 2 in college. I went through every problem in the book at least twice. Some people say 'don't read the solutions' but it worked for me, going back and testing myself to make sure I "got it" was the key.
wingerlang 9y ago
I've read "cracking the coding interview" over Christmas. One of the suggestions it had was to write the code on paper. Then write that exact code into your computer. Only when you've fully written it in, fix the errors.

joshuakcockrell 9y ago

> How do you guard against just memorizing the questions? I don't think you need to worry about this. A simple search for "binary search" shows 20 different questions. If you can't do the 1st bst problem and you look at the solution then that's okay! You have 19 more to try it on. Even if you do all 20 then come back in a month and try them again. There's no way you're going to be able to memorize that many variants. And that's just 2% of their entire set of questions. To really answer your question, I prefer to just hit the "random problem" button and see if I can solve it in 15 minutes with an optimal solution. If I struggle, then I just go read the solution (to understand how I should have solved it) and try a couple related problems to make sure I'm not just memorizing it and I actually understand the methodology behind solving it. Good luck!

marktangotango 9y ago
This is how I used solutions manuals to ace calc 1 and 2 in college. I went through every problem in the book at least twice. Some people say 'don't read the solutions' but it worked for me, going back and testing myself to make sure I "got it" was the key.

wingerlang 9y ago

I've read "cracking the coding interview" over Christmas. One of the suggestions it had was to write the code on paper. Then write that exact code into your computer. Only when you've fully written it in, fix the errors.