Competitive programming is solving clear problems by writing computer programs where the program must run and generate the answer within a certain time and memory limit. The programs must be written with a specified set of permitted programming languages such as Java.
In this post, you will learn the top five tips to improve your competitive programming skills but before that take a look at why you should even invest time in competitive programming in the first place:
Benefits of Competitive Programming
Enhances Problem-Solving Ability:
Every person faces difficulties in life. Some are complex while others are not that serious. Competitive programming helps you solve many of the daily challenges you face. It is like solving puzzles. As you make progress the more complex problems you will solve. It assists you in reaching a position where you are capable of effortlessly solving the problems you could not have solved prior.
Competitive programming does not only allow you to resolve complex programming problems but is also quite helpful in real-life situations as well. Through the assistance of competitive programming, you can crack daily problems such as finding out the shortest paths, handling your finances, daily routines, and so much more.
Improves Thinking Ability:
In competitive programming, you think more regarding how to find a solution and initiate coding when you have found a better way to solve the problem. This process requires more time to think and a smaller amount of time to code.
Competitive programming has an impact on your everyday life as well. Through practicing competitive programming often you will normally become used to thinking quickly and more effectively. It will train you to make the correct decision in the smallest amount of time possible.
Teaches To Work In Teams:
Competitive programming teaches you how to work in teams which is a desirable trait for employers. It helps you in learning how to effectively work together, as you are required to work with others in your team to finish a singular task. You will also learn how to evaluate your team members’ strengths and weaknesses helping you in effectively dividing responsibilities between one another.
Top 5 Tips to Improve Competitive Programming Skills
Now that you know what you should do in competitive programming, here are the top tips you have been waiting for:
Know the Concepts:
You may have rushed through the concepts at the beginning because of all the excitement you had when you started coding. This can also happen because you are not motivated enough to learn them. Even the most motivated, passionate, and result-oriented individuals feel unmotivated (Eazyresearch, 2020). Either way not having a proper understanding of the key concept means that you will be unable to solve any competitive programming problems.
There will be situations in which you will have more than one solution present for a problem and your task will be to come up with the most suitable solution. This is based on how optimal the solution is. You have to decide this by checking how much time and space the algorithm needs to crack the problem. This is why you must learn about time and space complexity concepts.
It is recommended that go for standard books, numerous online platforms, and technical communities to gain more knowledge and a thorough understanding of the programming.
Top Websites for Learning Programing:
- Codecademy
- CodeGym
- Treehouse
- W3Schools
- GeeksforGeeks and many more (Selawsky, 2021)
Books on Programming Concepts:
- Guide to Competitive Programming by Antti Laaksonen
- The Algorithm Design Manual
- Programming challenges by Steven S Skiena
- CLRS: Introduction to Algorithms
- Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
Take Small Steps:
To start any big task it is important to break it down into smaller ones. In terms of competitive programming, you should begin with solving simple programing problems then map out how you are going to solve them. Gradually you can move to the bigger, more complex programming problems. Competitive programming may appear tough but it really is not if you move strategically.
Include Real-life problems:
After you are aware of the basic concepts and have a clear understanding of them, you will be able to write codes that are successful in solving small problems. Your next step should be to start practicing them more on your daily life issues. Some instances of everyday life projects include telephone directory listing, library management system tickets, reservation system, and a lot more.
It is a very effective tip, so do not miss out on it. If you are a student who is thinking of compromising on this tip because they have some persuasive essay pending then you can take the help of a friend or a persuasive essay writing service. This way you will have time to do work and practice programming.
Optimize Code:
Now that you know how to write codes for resolving real-life problems, your main focus should be on shortening those codes. You should start with getting rid of unwanted lines and cancel repetitive codes. In addition to this, you also need to learn code improvement.
This is one of the important tips as well to improve your programming skills. It is the main conversion stage where you enter the competitive programming phase from the basic programming stage.
Stay Updated:
Last but not the least, to enhance the competitive programming skills you need to stay up-to-date with the new technologies and the innovations in the existing technology. Being aware of the technology assists you in generating better codes every time you take part in a coding contest. It is similar to how academic help services such as Economics essay writing services are always on the lookout for new and best plagiarism detecting tools to improve their help services.
Conclusion
Now that you how to enhance your competitive programming skills then go ahead and put this knowledge to use.
