Hello , everyone

So I have been doing leetcode for some time now solved around 300 problems , covered almost every topic ( excluding bit manipular , L R Dp ,mst) . Now I have to get a summer internship for which I want a partner so that we can account for each others prep and help each other learn more and in a better way , not as a competition but like collaboration.

As of now I am learning MERN and Agent AI , I know python (flask , fastapi , EDA )trying to build some projects , I have 2 for my resume but I want to build more and learn more about systems, how to think from scratch about a project , the trade offs , scaling , design patterns etc.

So anyone in 3rd year , 4th year , or looking for switch , ready to fully dedicate ,please comment or dm me , would really like to achieve milestones together .

My future plans ---

Continue leetcode contest and problem solving ,

Keep learning about MERN,

In between have a glance over Agentic AI.

I have solved Striver's A2Z DSA Sheet. Now I want to solve more questions, specific to interviews only. The issue with other Striver sheets is that the topic is already mentioned, I want to solve questions blinded without knowing what topic it is.

Kindly help!

Learning it pattern wise btw. Any suggestions are welcome.

I’m trying to understand what works best for long-term DSA preparation.
Is it better to follow a structured sheet like Striver’s 180, solving questions topic by topic (arrays, binary search, linked lists, trees, etc.) until you complete the entire sheet? Or is it better to mix questions from different topics, regularly revisit older concepts, and use contests to identify and work on weaknesses?
My concern with going topic by topic is that by the time you reach advanced topics, you might forget what you learned earlier. But with mixed practice, you might not build a strong enough foundation in each topic.
For those who’ve prepared seriously for placements and interviews, which approach worked better for you, and why? Did you follow one sheet from start to finish, mix topics from the beginning, or use a combination of both?

Hi everyone, im 22 years old fresher working as a automation developer in a fitech company. Can i able to switch from automation developer role to SDE roles?

I have been trying to learn data structures and algorithms (DSA) for the past two or three months, but I feel like I haven't made much progress. Despite spending time learning the concepts and practicing problems, I still struggle to solve problems on my own.

Sometimes, I understand a solution when I read it or watch someone explain it, but when I try to solve a similar problem later, I get stuck again. I often find it difficult to figure out how to approach a problem, which data structure or algorithm to use, or how to come up with the logic on my own.

This has started to make me question whether I am learning the right way or whether I am simply not good at problem-solving. I know that DSA takes time to learn, but after putting in a few months of effort, I was hoping to see some improvement in my ability to solve problems independently.

For those of you who have been through a similar situation:

How long did it take you to become comfortable with DSA and start solving problems independently?

Is it normal to struggle this much after two or three months?

What is the best way to practice DSA effectively? Should I focus more on understanding concepts, solving easier problems, or studying solutions to problems I cannot solve?

When I get stuck on a problem, how long should I try before looking at a hint or solution?

How can I improve my problem-solving skills instead of just memorizing solutions?

I am willing to put in the effort, but I am starting to feel discouraged because I cannot clearly see the results of my practice.

I would really appreciate advice from people who have been in a similar situation and eventually improved. I would especially like to know what changes you made to your learning approach that helped you get better at solving problems on your own.

Thank you!

I tried something new with the DevScribe AI Agent.

I asked it to create study notes for Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm, including:

• A guide explaining how the algorithm works.
• An implementation with executable code and test cases.
  

And it created both directly in my workspace!

But what it makes this more interesting.

Not everyone codes in Java. Some developers prefer Python, others use JavaScript or TypeScript.

Instead of searching for a different tutorial or manually translating code from a PDF, you can simply ask the agent to generate the notes and implementation in your preferred programming language.

The best part is, You can read the explanation, run the code, test your implementation, and update your notes — all in one place, without constantly switching between tools.

I'm building DevScribe to make this kind of workflow easier for developers, whether they're practicing DSA, learning new concepts, or documenting complex systems.

I am still working on it, but it's exciting to see what a simple prompt can do.

Sharing the generated output so you can see it yourself.

Hi everyone, 3rd year here, currently prepping for placements and off-campus.

DSA is sorted at least in terms of resources. Striver’s sheet, NeetCode 150 whatever you pick,there’s a clear path. Dev also has a thousand roadmaps and project ideas on YouTube

But I’m stuck on DBMS and system design. Here’s what I’ve noticed/doin so far

• I’ve read DBMS theory (ACID, normalization, indexing, joins, transactions) and I think I know it. But when someone asks me to write a query with a self join or a window function, I go blank.
• In interviews even for SDE roles i keep seeing questions like “how would you optimize this query?”, “what’s the difference between clustered and non-clustered index?”, “explain isolation levels” blah blah
• System design feels like an endless void to me, i keep reading stuff from duckduckgo and I watch videos understand them and then can’t design anything from scratch bascally the approch is missing

With DSA I can solve 3 problems a day and track progress but with DBMS and SD I just read stuff and have no idea if I’m even improving a bit

So my questions are

1. Is there a good structured sheet for DBMS/SQL like a list of questions in order of difficulty,the way Neetcode/Striver’s sheet works for DSA?
2. Where do you practice SQL??
3. For system design, how did you go from “I watched the video” to “I can actually design something”? Do you practice with mock interviews or by designing your own mini projects and cases?

Currently my plan is 2 DSA problems a day, 1 SQL problem a day and 1 system design topic a week but I honestly have no idea if that’s a good split.

If you have sheets, playlists, GitHub repos or even just a routine that worked for you please drop it here ..

Thanks in advance 🙏

i'm in hunt of resources for now guys, something genuine and more of free and structured

Hey guys!!!!!!

I’m interested in learning AI Engineering, but I’m a bit confused about where and how to start. I have basic knowledge of Java and Spring Boot, and I would like to know whether it’s possible to learn AI Engineering using Java instead of Python.

If anyone has a clear roadmap, good resources, YouTube channels, or suggestions for beginners, please guide me on how to get started and what technologies I should learn step by step.

Also, is it better to learn AI Engineering with Java, or should I switch to Python?

Any advice or guidance would be really helpful!!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance! 😊

I’m a senior mobile engineer (Flutter/iOS) with around 7 YoE prepping for senior/lead interviews. Almost every system design resource out there defaults to backend concepts like Kafka, sharding, distributed databases, load balancers, etc. How much of that traditional backend system design do mobile engineers actually need to know, or there something related to dedicated mobile system design ? What should I actually be prioritising? Didn’t find much content for mobile system design. Please share if you have anything.

Hey everyone!

I've learned all the topics using Python, but when I try to solve LeetCode problems, I struggle to come up with a solution on my own.

I understand the concepts theoretically, but applying them to actual problems is where I get stuck.

Is this normal for beginners? Should I keep practicing easy problems, follow a structured problem sheet, or learn problem-solving patterns first?

Also, is learning DSA with Python worth it for placements and coding interviews in 2026, or should I switch to C++ or Java?

Hi everyone,

I’m a 3rd-year BTech CSE student preparing for placements. I’ve made this handwritten roadmap to track my DSA and Web Development preparation.

DSA: Recursion → Sorting → OOP → Linked List → Stack → Queue → Trees → BST → Maps & Sets → Heaps → Greedy → DP → Graphs → Backtracking → Segment Tree

Web Development: CSS → JavaScript → DOM → React → Backend

I’m planning to complete these topics with regular revision and problem-solving rather than just watching lectures.

My target is campus placement around 2027, so I want to know:

1.Is this roadmap realistic?

2.Am I missing any important DSA topics?

3.What should I prioritize for placement coding rounds?

4.Should I focus more on DSA or Web Development at this stage?

Any suggestions from people who have already gone through placement preparation would be really helpful.

Thanks!

Hey everyone.

I've been learning DSA for a while now, mainly following Striver's A2Z Sheet on takeUforward.

I've completed around 43% of the sheet so far, and I genuinely feel confident with most of the topics I've covered. I'm able to solve quite a few problems on my own now, which wasn't the case when I started.

One thing I like about the sheet is how structured it is. I don't have to worry much about what to study next, and Striver's explanations have been helpful whenever I get stuck.

But there's something I've been thinking about lately.

Am I actually getting better at problem-solving, or am I just getting comfortable with the types of questions I've already practised?

I wanted some advice from people who've been through this phase.

1. How do you know when you've actually mastered a topic?

2. How frequently should I revise previously covered topics?

3. Is completing the A2Z Sheet enough to build a strong DSA foundation for SDE-1 interviews?

4. How do you develop the ability to solve completely unfamiliar problems?

I'm not trying to rush through the sheet just to reach 100%. I genuinely want to improve my problem-solving skills and become interview-ready.

Would love to hear from people who've completed the sheet or are currently preparing.

As a beginner who wants to start learning DSA, which is the best free resource available? I'm seeing lots of suggestions for Striver's TakeUForward, Kunal Kushwaha, DestinationFaang, Learn code with Durgesh, etc. If anyone can suggest which one is best to begin for someone with basic knowledge of Java, it would be really helpful. Pls Pls Pls do reply.

Hey peeps,

I wasted whole 1st year of college and didn't even learned a single skill that can place me higher from consistent students to get a better placement.

Ik I've done a hell lot of mistake by not starting dsa in my first year and neither doing web dev or aiml in this AI era.

I want to be consistent with DSA & AIML from now and don't want to lose my remaining hope of getting a better placement at F/MAANG.

My target for one year is:

1.) Complete DSA & give weekly contest both in leetcode and codeforces and secure a high ranking in both of them.

2.) Learning AIML from scratch and building and successfully deploying 3 best projects that can easily help me to get a high paying job or internship by the end of college.

3.) Can I also pursue Web Development side by side or just focus on AiMl ? Looking for a great satisfactory explanation from experienced guys.

4.) Also I want to participate in GSoC'27, so is it possible to get selected if I start by now, I don't even know git hub.

I am serious and I really wanna lock in this time fs, pls don't take it in sarcasm or joke about me as it would drag me into guilt trip!

Also give some noticeable and crucial advices for understanding, solving and recognising DSA patterns. Like how to start DSA if I am a complete beginner, shall I watch all the videos of arrays from strivers playlist and then go to leetcode and practice or just understand the basics of arrays, how to operate on them and do the problems on my own and if I get stuck after 3-4 tries, I shall watch the video? Which one is the most recommended path to be followed. What steps u guys followed to get better in DSA? How to not mess up with DSA !!

ALSO, some advices for all of the below - AIML, WEB DEV AND GSOC WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED. KINDLY HELP ME GUYS🙏🙏🙏

I built a debugger specialised for learning data structures and algorithms.

It draws the state of the program at each line. It's an actual debugger that runs with the code, so the results are deterministic and show the real state.

Like a normal debugger, it lets you inspect stack frames, pointers, and objects. But instead of showing them as raw values, it draws every data structure in its own way. It knows how to draw all the common data structures like trees, graphs, queues, stacks, linked lists, etc.

This should be helpful for understanding, debugging, and verifying your code.

You can try it on popular interview problems (write your code or paste from the "Solutions" tab). Python, JavaScript and Java are supported today. More are coming, but I'm sharing it now to get some feedback.

Everything is free. Feedback would be really appreciated. Let me know what you think.

https://ntree.ai/problems/lowest-common-ancestor

Hey everyone! I've always found that looking at dry code makes it harder to truly understand why certain algorithms work—especially during interviews.

I put together a quick, animated visualization for Two Sum showing how the O(n) hash map solution tracks complements on the fly compared to a brute-force approach.

Check it out here if you're interested: https://youtube.com/shorts/WD8XGHcnYbs?si=Zow5HH1pKDt0fKJ2

Would love to hear what DSA problem you think needs a visual breakdown next!

Hi folks! I’m looking for one good System Design course, free or paid, that I can follow from start to finish. Studying across different platforms gets confusing, so I want to stick to one structured resource.

Which course would you recommend based on your experience? Thanks!

Can someone please tell me the resources for the system design from basics ?

for dsa which one is best

1.watching lecture and then practising ,OR
2.trying from our end first and then if not able to do , then watch the solution ?

So recently inrolled in this program in which they are using C programming for DSA. But the problem with C programming is that it has no inbuilt Hashset and Hashmap Which Is sometimes crucial to use because most of the Coding platform questions uses hashsets and Hashmaps to solve the problem. So if anyone is doing DSA using C programming Can you please tell me how to implement Sets and maps in the C programming

Can i start from here, everyone suggests strivers playlist but that is for cpp and i want to learn in java, please review this playlist, also suggest a better one if you know

Hey folks , I have recently developed a project which is like a roadmap to cook your problem solving skills. It helps you to solve and understand the algorithms and patterns across leetcode and gfg. So if you are a really motivated individual, I have built this for you. Comment for link !!!

I'm a backend software engineer with 7+ years of experience.

I'm looking to connect with a small group of like-minded working professionals who want to prepare consistently and improve through collaborative practice.

What we can do together:

• Solve DSA problems and discuss different approaches.
• Practice recognizing patterns in unfamiliar problems rather than memorizing solutions.
• Conduct mock coding interviews and challenge each other's reasoning.
• Discuss time and space complexity, edge cases, and optimization.
• Gradually cover LLD, HLD, and backend engineering interviews.

If this sounds like you, feel free to DM me with your experience, target roles, current preparation stage, and preferred timings.

Let's build a consistent preparation group and help each other get interview-ready!