HackerRank contest - stryker codesprint preparation talk

Sept. 11, 2016
It is always a good idea to learn how to prepare very well for a programming contest. Five days away. Let us count down.

Preparation of the coming contest:
Register stryker codesprint  - Sept. 17, 2016

Get prepared, and things to look into:

1. How to prepare for the codesprint?

1. Read the competitive programming book - time analysis, data structure etc.

2. Learn to solve problems using traditional solutions

3. Read some Leetcode solutions - 2+ hours
http://juliachencoding.blogspot.ca/2016/09/a-drill-c-learning.html


4. Read the article - why the company sponseres codesprint?

https://www.hackerrank.com/codesprint5/sponsor
https://www.hackerrank.com/work/customers/rocketfuel
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-benefit-of-solving-problems-on-HackerRank

Julia only has 4 contests so far/ less than 6 months contest experience vs people over decades of contest experience; be realistic, be pragmatic

Read the article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitive_programming

Borrow ideas from professional tennis players and teaching pros on contest preparation:

Professional WTA player habits:

1. http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/learn-the-practice-habits-of-tennis-professionals

Practice to win
Learn to concentrate

Visulization/ margin of error -

2. The 7 Habits of Successful Teaching Pros

http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/articles/2011/01/2_the_7_habits_of_successful_t.html

Blog reading:
1. How to spend the time?
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-tips-for-programming-interviews-Amazon-Facebook-Microsoft-etc

Julia's note: apply separation of concern, abstraction level -> go to various abstraction level -> various functions, main

concern/ trivial jobs;
main target is to cut time to short, leave time for second question, or things to ask.

5 minutes costs a job - in other words, give different priority for different tasks -
45 minutes interview time / 25 minutes is a threshold - do not push over 25 minutes, leave 20 minutes for something more

meaningful - prepare questions to ask/ figure out if you are best fit/ what is biggest hurdle to overcome

2. 20 minutes reading:
http://www.mohsinali.net/guide.html#prep

3. Leetcode 307: Range sum Query
Spent time to read segment tree - 2.3.3, page 22, 23, 24, competitive programming book.

 So, Julia likes to have some practice on segment tree.

Will come back very soon.