Hey everyone! I come from a non-CS background (I studied Commerce) and I recently jumped into the world of software development. Right now, I'm enrolled in a hybrid MCA program at IIT Patna while working as a Full Stack Developer and an AI Agent Developer, which means my time is pretty limited (I can only dedicate about 2 hours a day to learning).
So far, I've tackled around 40 DSA problems, primarily focused on Arrays. I often find myself only able to think of brute-force solutions and struggle to identify optimal approaches by myself. I'm really curious about how people develop intuition for solving problems in DSA.
Specifically, I'm wondering:
- How do I know which data structures or patterns to try?
- How can I naturally move from a brute-force mindset to more optimized thinking?
- Since I lack a CS background, what non-DSA habits or daily practices have helped others think like a CS grad?
I'd appreciate mindset-level advice rather than just a list of topics to cover. I know I can succeed in this area; I just need some guidance. Thanks in advance!
2 Answers
Honestly, the key is to keep coding, coding, and coding some more! With each problem, you get a bit closer to understanding and mastering different techniques. Make sure to pair coding with studying theory; it’ll complement what you're learning. Just remember: practice is everything!
Developing intuition really comes down to experience. The more problems you solve, the better you'll start to recognize which data structures or patterns to apply. It’s like building a library in your brain!
Also, make it fun—try writing algorithms to solve puzzles or develop simple games. Mixing theory with practical coding helps too; reading programming books can open up new ways of thinking about problems.
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