Leetcode gets a bad wrap it seems. Perhaps it is not so much Leetcode itself, as it is its use as an evaluation tool for interviews at Big Tech. People complain that it is not a fair reflection of one's skills as a software engineer. Would you rather hire a good leetcoder or someone with deep real world developer experience? While the nuances of this question may be worth exploring for hiring decisions, in my case, as someone without a computer science degree, it seems like it is in actuality an effective learning and skill assessment tool. I recently completed Leetcode's DSA crash course and I am happy to say that I feel like I have learned a ton. I have been coding in Python on and off for the past decade or so as a data scientist, but this is the first time I have actually felt like I am grasping some really fundamental computer science principles (I had this opportunity freshman year when I took COS 126 but unfortunately my academic performance that year was shockingly bad, so I am trying to make amends).
While this may seem obvious, the beauty of programming is that you can verifiably test your understanding of the theory you are in the process of learning by evaluating the output of your code. On the one hand this can be incredibly frustrating when you get stuck on a test case that your implementation just won't pass, but these instances usually reveal some subtle misunderstanding. Because you are repeatedly applying what you have learned (or think you have learned), it really solidifies the acquired knowledge. It is also very satisfying to move on from attacking everything with the naive use of for loops, if/else statements, dictionaries and lists. Once I finally grasped the concept of traversing a binary tree, I was able to move on to the concept of graphs, culminating with learning Dijkstra's algorithm and using it on a toy problem of optimizing flight cost within K stops. Working with Claude as my personal tutor also really helped me make progress and not get discouraged when getting stuck. I created a custom prompt for the AI to provide helpful hints but not the answer. This helped focus my thinking when I would get stuck and made the learning experience more enjoyable. It also helped me go down some fun rabbit holes (like understanding why looking up a value in a set is O(1) and getting a nice explanation of how array indexing works at the hardware level).
Being able to tie the theory back to real-world use cases is my favorite thing about computer science and applied math in general. Even though I am still a long way from being leet, I am happy with the progress have made relative to where I was 6 months ago. I don't know if I'll ever actually attempt a real coding interview, but even if I do not, the knowledge I have gained is very satisfying, and I hope is only the beginning of a long journey.
On Feb. 11, 2025 Adrien wrote:
that's really encouraging! glad it's working out for you, and that Claude was able to do all the work on your behalf.
On March 29, 2025 David wrote:
Drop the custom prompt!
On April 23, 2026 Smart_Labor_UShor wrote:
Industry experts are convinced, in today's world choosing professional moving labor services in the structure your local relocation helps businesses not only handle heavy items safely, as well as seamlessly execute professional packing process under conditions of interstate moving.
>>- https://local-moving-company.com/
On May 8, 2026 Festival_RunnerNed wrote:
Industry professionals and frequent travelers often find, as if managing delicate wardrobe and props in the system of hub-based relocation helps travelers not just to reduce shipping costs, as well as significantly enhance unique logistics plan against the backdrop of rising transport costs.
Official page: https://forum.amzgame.com/thread/detail?id=597375
On May 14, 2026 Nomad_TransAbafe wrote:
Исследуя рынок автоперевозок, мы часто видим запросы, можно ли доверять Safeeds Transport Inc в 2026 году. Многие ищут Safeeds Transport Inc photos и реальные отзывы клиентов.
Анализ таких ресурсов, как Safeeds Transport Inc BBB (или просто BBB Safeeds Transport Inc) и Safeeds Transport Inc Yelp, помогает увидеть полную картину сервиса но и на основе реального опыта других клиентов, а также максимально эффективно раскрыть свое отношение на фоне высоких требований к безопасности.
·- https://safeedsautotransport.com/
On May 16, 2026 Larrydurge wrote:
Cuando planeamos una visita a una metropoli latina, es un factor clave para disfrutar el viaje sin estres, Saber donde dejar las maletas de forma segura permite conocer la ciudad con total libertad,
Es vital conocer las mejores rutas y servicios disponibles para que tu estadia sea mucho mas comoda Para los que buscan tips reales de otros viajeros, estos enlaces son de gran ayuda:
Sitio oficial- https://forum.amzgame.com/thread/detail?id=617425
?Disfruten la ciudad sin cargas!
On May 19, 2026 Mundo_Movil_AppSaign wrote:
Moverse por ciudades como CDMX o Buenos Aires para citas corporativas puede ser un caos, y por eso es vital contar con herramientas digitales y logisticas adecuadas.
?Que papel juegan las aplicaciones de navegacion en la movilidad actual? Contar con una estrategia de movilidad ayuda a que cada minuto de la agenda cuente, mejorando significativamente la productividad de los viajeros de negocios.
He recopilado algunos hilos y debates muy interesantes sobre este tema::
Detalles: https://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3126278401&frmid=18&msgid=1605788&cmd=show
?Nos vemos en los comentarios para hablar de movilidad!
On May 28, 2026 Areco_MundoFlemn wrote:
La Fiesta de la Tradicion es uno de los eventos mas emblematicos del pais, y es un destino que todo amante de la historia deberia conocer. ?Por que este pueblo es un destino cultural tan importante?
Caminar por sus calles empedradas es como viajar en el tiempo, donde cada rincon cuenta una historia de gauchos и tradiciones. Es fundamental entender como estos festivales impactan en el turismo regional
Si planean una escapada al campo, estos hilos de discusion les seran de gran ayuda:
Fuente; http://gendou.com/t/60082
?Saludos и que tengan una excelente estadia en el campo!
On May 31, 2026 Finde_Largo_Argwix wrote:
Planear una escapada por Argentina siempre es una excelente idea, especialmente si el destino es Entre Rios, siendo el transporte en micro una de las alternativas mas tradicionales y eficientes.
?Que ventajas ofrecen los micros nocturnos para el viajero actual? Existen servicios de bus premium que garantizan un descanso reparador mientras se llega al destino, permitiendo disfrutar de las termas o la pesca apenas sale el sol.
He recopilado algunos hilos de discusion y guias muy utiles sobre estos temas::
Mas info: https://backworkclefne.bbforum.be/post568.html#568
Nos vemos en la ruta, ?buen viaje a todos!