I am an aspiring IOI participant who has recently started practicing competitive programming consistently. Currently, I solve around 4 to 10 problems per day. I have a good grasp of C++ and some familiarity with the Standard Template Library (STL), but I have limited knowledge of data structures and algorithms (DSA).

My goal is to achieve a Specialist rating on Codeforces as part of my long-term preparation for the IOI. I would greatly appreciate suggestions from the community on which topics, techniques, and problem-solving strategies I should prioritize to reach this milestone. Any guidance on structured learning paths or resources would also be very helpful."