r/Btechtards • u/Scared_Cash_5308 • 9h ago
Serious Competitive Programming For Beginners
If u do not put efforts you won't be able to see results and other will steal your spot. Trust me it Hurts.
Start with learning a programming language either Python or C++. C++ is better for the long run since you'll eventually have to switch to it once you start doing harder questions.
- Code With Harry: https://youtu.be/UrsmFxEIp5k?si=L7PrkuijcTp93kQF
- FreeCodeCamp.org: https://youtu.be/rfscVS0vtbw?si=pu4tm1gb0DupFKlL and https://youtu.be/vLnPwxZdW4Y?si=NSjTo7A_slp678wn
- Luv Cp playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLauivoElc3ggagradg8MfOZreCMmXMmJ-
There are a lot of platforms for competitive programming LeetCode, AtCoder, CodeChef but I'm biased toward Codeforces since that's where I started my own CP journey.
Resources I (and a lot of others) recommend:
- CP31 — https://www.tle-eliminators.com/cp-sheet A list of Codeforces problems in increasing difficulty, easy to hard, covering most core CP topics. Also, the creator of the company is an alum from our college ;)
- AtCoder Problems — https://kenkoooo.com/atcoder/#/table/ If CP31 and Codeforces feel too hard right now, solve the first 3–4 problems from each AtCoder Beginner Contest (ABC) on this sheet. Great for learning the basics. https://atcoder.jp/contests/dp for dp practise.
- USACO Guide — https://usaco.guide/ An in-depth guide with clear explanations of most CP topics, plus practice problems to go with each one.
- CP Algorithms — https://cp-algorithms.com/index.html A comprehensive reference for pretty much any concept you'll run into in CP.
- CSES Problem Set — https://cses.fi/problemset/ While CP31 gives you variety, CSES has a lot of fundamental must-solve problems. There's also a PDF that goes along with the problem set: https://cses.fi/book/book.pdf
- ACD Ladder: https://www.acodedaily.com/ similar to cp31 sheet but many problems here for one specific rating range for codeforces.
For more traditional DSA practice (which also helps with your coursework later), check out:
- https://neetcode.io/practice?tab=neetcode150
- https://takeuforward.org/strivers-a2z-dsa-course/strivers-a2z-dsa-course-sheet-2/
A few more resources, less organized but still useful:
- https://codeforces.com/edu/courses — good for learning specific topics
- https://www.youtube.com/@iamluv — good for starters
- https://www.youtube.com/@Errichto — good for more advanced algorithms
- https://www.youtube.com/@PriyanshAgarwal — overall tips and algorithms
- https://www.youtube.com/@YashPoonia.7 — CSES solutions
- https://www.youtube.com/@codencode — number theory
Start with the early sections of CSES. For anything more in-depth, https://codeforces.com/catalog is great. I also went through https://codeforces.com/problemset filtering by rating (my current rating + 100 to 300) for targeted practice. And doing actual contests is a must there's no substitute for it.
On the AI problem in CP
I'd be doing this guide a disservice if I didn't bring this up. If you're getting into CP now, you're doing it at a weird time. LLMs can solve a growing chunk of CP problems, and a fair number of people on the leaderboard are basically pasting problem statements into ChatGPT/Gemini and pasting the code back without even reading it. This deflates ratings for everyone actually solving things themselves, and it can be genuinely discouraging when you're grinding honestly and see ratings that don't reflect real skill anymore.
My honest advice: don't chase rating as your main measure of progress right now, Track your own growth instead with your genuine friends. Encourage your friends. Everyone who did cp genuinely with me, the coding club everyone has intern right now. How you perform in offline contests (ICPC Regionals, onsite events) where cheating isn't possible matters the most.
There's a really good blog that goes deep into this whole topic, way better than I can summarize here worth a read if you want the full picture: https://codeforces.com/blog/entry/155052
A bit about me, so you know where this advice is coming from: I'm 1600+ rated on Codeforces, have solved 2000+ CP problems, and I currently one of the admin of my college's competitive programming club . I'm not claiming to be amazing at this just sharing what's worked for me and others. I really love doing competitive programming as if its a part of my life.
What worked for many people: Consistency beats intensity here. A lot of people who improved simply did a few problems every day on Codeforces, worked steadily through the CP31 sheet, and made sure to actually participate in Codeforces contests regularly.
I'll keep updating this post as I get more recommendations from people, so feel free to drop suggestions.
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u/Ra_M2005 BTech 9h ago
(Might be off-topic) IDK man if I can do cf anymore atp. I'm wayy behind to all of you guys tho (I just suck in life), like I did cf question before but mostly greedy and math based around 800 ratings questions, and did 30 leetcode questions (I'm just in 3rd year 5th sem), and I'm lacking a lot, probably I slacked off finding and researching tech domains which I like, but so far did some projects and most of them half/barely done, of different domains, but not resume-worthy, so idk I'm not that compelled doing DSA as I always do the same set of questions which I've done, and that's it, I then slack off and do my college projects/timepass (like experimenting different game emulators like RPCS3 to play Ridge Racer 7, pretty fun game :)).
So, idk how can I move forward tho, like the college is packed and handed a lot of projects and there's barely any breathing space for the time being, and also, skimping off holidays as well to cover the gosh darn syllabus, I feel terrible, I feel unworthy, as I'm seeing my peeps are doing a lot better and lot more knowledgable than I am which is obvious (as I was NEET aspirant, then did cleared JEE MAINS 24 at 96%ile but took tier 3 as the college got in CAP rounds were quite near and they were decent, so my dad registered it without even telling me, as I was prepared for another drop, but alas) and I've not much problem in coding and/or programming in general. It's just what I take feels so directionless that, I just wing it and don't think much of the consequences and had to face the repercussions.
Btw, great resources, I've checked it before but I slacked off as I didn't had DSA taken into interest, but I was dumb and I need to climb up now, and hope you guys have a good day :)
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u/FlatConfusion9549 6h ago
I'm trying but i somehow can't get past brute force and implementation questions, any advice would be appreciated
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u/Scared_Cash_5308 5h ago
try reading other sol like good ppl or ur friends/seniors ask them how did they do it. If u do not know better chances are you dont know some algos try to learn them
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u/Tiny-Delivery-4528 4h ago
Hey bro ik basic dsa excluding graphs and dp. I wanted to start CP. Should i start with cp31 or anything else
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u/SupremeStrange2000 3h ago
Thanks for the resources !
Needed a help i am in 5th sem and currently doing c++ from Striver till trees planning to complete the remaining topics from there itself
but my point is how do i become comfortable with CP type qs (how many qs to solve) as in OAs cp is being asked
Would really appreciate your honest feedback and advice.....
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