Weekly Overview

I have been solving LeetCode problems following the NeetCode Roadmap for one week. This is not my first time solving LeetCode or practicing Data Structures & Algorithms. I had a period one year ago when I was actively solving them, but I did not go beyond DFS and BFS concepts.

What I Did Differently

This time, I decided to follow a learning loop by recording 45-minute sessions of myself approaching problems and then reflecting on the result. I evaluate each recording based on whether I solved the problem, what I missed from the basic flow, and how I delivered the solution. This process helped me realize that I keep mixing up solving problems in my head, writing down the solution, and speaking out loud.

To fix this, I started using intent-first coding. I say out loud what I will do in the next 3 seconds, and then I write it. This approach shows my thinking process and gives an interviewer time to react before I write a line of code.

Additionally, I decided not to concentrate on mastering one concept for too long. Instead, I solved easy or medium problems for each concept to build breadth rather than depth of knowledge. As a result, I reached the bottom of the roadmap pretty quickly.

I also noticed how easily I recalled concepts I mastered previously. Breaking concepts into smaller pieces and making connections really helps to recall or recreate knowledge after a long time.

Next Steps

I plan to finish the advanced concepts next week and start system design while keeping my Data Structures & Algorithms skills fresh by solving a couple of problems per week.