61–69 of 69 posts
I would say to forget about problems involving algorithms and try to build projects with a very concrete use case. Maybe you should just quit trying to be a programmer that can pass a whiteboard interview at Google, and start trying to be a programmer that can provide usable software that solves a problem for a regular company.
Do you love it? Do you love programming? It all comes down to this. To get really good at this (or anything) requires such an investment in time, and for you to push through all the stops when things get really difficult or tiring. I know many entrepreneurs have said this repeatedly, but it's something I've really only learnt in the last few years. It's better to find some way to make money doing what you love, than…
I would say to forget about problems involving algorithms and try to build projects with a very concrete use case. Maybe you should just quit trying to be a programmer that can pass a whiteboard interview at Google, and start trying to be a programmer that can provide usable software that solves a problem for a regular company.
If I was only interested in programming to become a google worthy programmer, would you say I have enough evidence that I should quit?
It sounds like you're not very satisfied with how your coding practice is going. If you have the resources, I would definitely recommend trying to find a tutor to do 1-on-1 sessions with. I've seen a lot of the behaviors you mention in people I've tutored. This is especially relevant if you think your disability is affecting the quality of your practice. You made need to engage in different strategies to get the most…
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The thing is I have no idea I need more planning. When I start to code the solution I've come up with seems genuinely complete and correct. It's only when the incorrectness hits me right in the face, usually in the form of test cases failing or not being able to code something I thought I could, that I realize I didn't have it. To be concrete, yesterday I tried to solve this question: https://leetcode.com/problems/wi…
>>I spent 2.5 hours in total trying to get them all to pass without realizing the central issue of the question is what to do when you hit a * character. The necessity to try all the combinations of the string after a * doesn't not occur to me in 2.5 hours; The fact you kept trying for 2.5 hours shows you are persistent -- an awesome ingredient to be a great programmer. In my opinion, you shouldn't blame yourself for…
And the truth is I've been doing interview prep on and off for at least a year and I'm still at this stage. My goal is to be good enough to get into a Big 4. If I can't do that, I don't want to continue. Given that, do you think I should quit?
Here are my two cents. The reason why you're talking such a long time to get simple things done is because you haven't had enough experience. You said you were carried through projects and assignments, so this is all coming back to bite you. By letting yourself get carried, you missed out on the opportunity to make stupid mistakes, think through design choices, and learn what's good and bad. Alas, not all is lost. Sc…
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Yes
Could you expand a little? It's a big life decision I would be making.
But I do believe you should try to be a software developer at all before you decide what exactly what kind of software developer you should be for all your career. You have never worked with software developer and you are willing to consider only one aspect of it "worthy"?
*A comment, google-type whiteboard interviews does not mean that they do select better software developers. It is a bias, not necessarily a bias to the best ones.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
>>I spent 2.5 hours in total trying to get them all to pass without realizing the central issue of the question is what to do when you hit a * character. The necessity to try all the combinations of the string after a * doesn't not occur to me in 2.5 hours; The fact you kept trying for 2.5 hours shows you are persistent -- an awesome ingredient to be a great programmer. In my opinion, you shouldn't blame yourself for…
It seems we both agree, indirectly, that these interview tests are like IQ tests. You are comparing them to the SATs and the SATs are just wrapped up IQ tests like the tech interview. Studies have shown scores on the SAT don't increase by more than 100 points or so even with 100s of hours of practice. In the end, the algorithmic thinking you mention just seems like another way of saying intelligence which would be a…
Aside from personal opinion above, the chance of getting to Google is less than the chance of getting accepted to Harvard. And as you probably know, there are people who are qualified who got turned down by Harvard because they don't have enpugh spots anyway. So if your goal is merely to get there, statistically speaking there are much more plausible things to aim for, so you shouldn't waste your time..