Pretty much what others have said. In this case, a language and library I'm comfortable with, and some specific tools for handling the types of input and logic

Pretty much what others have said. In this case, a language and library I'm comfortable with, and some specific tools for handling the types of input and logic that tend to recur in each year's problems. Since it's your first year, none of that's needed - just enjoy the puzzles, and search for any useful patterns or tools as you go along. Eric's recommendation is to make the puzzles work for whatever goal you're aiming for - speed isn't necessarily one he recommends, instead recommending it as a tool to learn new languages, or to try new skills, such as visualization.