In the fast-paced world of technology, keeping your coding skills sharp is essential. A colleague recently mentioned how “programming interview problems” are a fun way to practice coding and problem-solving skills. Intrigued, I decided to try them out for a month to see how they could benefit me.

Keeping Your Code Skills Sharp

Section 1: The TL;DR

Engaging in small logic problems is an enjoyable way to practice coding and enhance problem-solving abilities. These challenges can help you think differently and improve your coding proficiency over time.

Section 2: Exploring Coding Challenge Platforms

DailyCodingProblem.com

Initially, I tried Daily Coding Problem, a platform that emails you a new coding problem every day. While the idea sounds great, I found that having the problems sent directly to my inbox was overwhelming. The constant influx made me feel obligated to solve each one daily, and missing a day induced unnecessary guilt. This approach might work for some, but it wasn’t the best fit for me.

LeetCode.com

I then switched to LeetCode, and it turned out to be a better fit. LeetCode offers a vast array of challenges that you can tackle at your own pace. The free tier provides ample problems to work on, and you have the flexibility to choose which ones interest you. This platform eliminates the pressure of daily challenges and allows you to skip or switch problems if you’re not feeling particularly engaged with one. While this isn’t an option during an interview, for practice purposes, it’s ideal.

Section 3: Documenting My Progress

To keep track of my journey, I documented the problems, solutions, and tests in my coding-problem GitHub repository. Writing in Python, I found it beneficial to reflect on my solutions and monitor my improvement over time.

Section 4: Thoughts on the Problems

After working through several challenges, I noticed a pattern:

  • String Manipulation: Tasks like determining if a string is a palindrome.
  • Array Manipulation: Merging two arrays and sorting them.
  • Mathematical Problems: Converting a binary number to an integer.
  • Data Structures: Traversing binary search trees or other complex structures.

While these problems are excellent for honing specific skills, they can start to feel repetitive. The novelty wears off after encountering multiple variations of the same theme. I’ll continue with my goal of tackling one challenge per week, but I’m cautious about potential burnout.

Section 5: Final Thoughts

Engaging with coding challenges is a valuable exercise for maintaining and improving your coding skills. Platforms like LeetCode offer flexibility and a wide range of problems to keep you engaged. However, it’s essential to find a balance that works for you to prevent fatigue.