I started **Competitive programming** in **August 2024**, at the beginning of my second year of college.↵
↵
My first few Div.2 contests were humbling — I could solve 1 problem, sometimes 2. In Div.3, solving 3 problems felt like a win. But what kept me going was not the rating, but the nature of the problems themselves.↵
↵
At the **800–1000 level**, it’s mostly about thinking — no fancy algorithms, no heavy data structures — just logic and clarity. **That fascinated me**, and I decided to stay.↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
↵
The Phase Nobody Talks About↵
----------------------------↵
↵
In the first four months, I climbed quickly and reached **1459** on **12 January 2025.**↵
↵
Then the graph stopped moving. For the next **110 Days**, I was **stuck below 1450**.↵
↵
I practiced. I gave contests. I did everything I had been doing before. But nothing showed.↵
↵
Only after breaking that level again on **3rd April 2025** did I realize how important that phase was.↵
It forced me to learn how to work without validation, how to trust effort without feedback, and how to stay disciplined when progress was invisible.↵
↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
Another Plateau, A Bigger Test↵
------------------------------↵
↵
After that, I reached **Expert** quickly and hit **1650 on 24 April 2025.**↵
And then came another long stagnation.↵
↵
From **April** to **September**, I revolved between **1550 and 1650.**↵
**September** was especially difficult. Doubts started appearing: Am I doing the right things? Should I change everything?↵
↵
I won’t pretend I never thought of giving up. But I didn’t.↵
I kept solving. I kept learning. I kept trusting the process. By the grace of God, I managed to push through.↵
↵
In **October** and **November**, things finally started **rolling** again.↵
↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
When Belief Became Real↵
-----------------------↵
↵
In **October**, I had two contests in one week with deltas of **+53 and +98.**↵
That momentum carried forward, and over five good contests, I climbed from **1647 to 1831.**↵
↵
That was the first time belief stopped being hope and became certainty. **“Okay, CM might actually be possible.”**↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
The Contest That Changed Everything↵
------------------------------------↵
↵
↵
One contest before reaching Candidate Master, I gave the **best performance** of my life till then.↵
The predictor showed a **2140 performance and a +85 delta.**↵
I needed **80 to reach CM**.↵
↵
I got 70.↵
↵
It didn’t hurt — but it felt incomplete.↵
What it did give me was **confidence**: **On my best day, I could cross 1900.**↵
↵
Then came **Codeforces Round 1075.**[contest:2189]↵
↵
I started fast with A and B. Got stuck on C1 while watching many others solve it — pressure built.↵
Then something clicked. I solved C1, stayed calm, found the right approach for D1, and optimized it for D2.↵
↵
That was the contest where everything aligned. **Global Rank 179. Candidate Master.** [standings:2189]↵
↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
The Most Important Lesson↵
-------------------------↵
↵
If I had to summarize my entire journey, it would be this:↵
↵
**Growth is rarely linear, but it is always cumulative.** There will be phases where the graph lies to you. Where effort feels invisible. Where you doubt yourself.↵
↵
That is exactly when you need to trust your process — while staying flexible enough to learn from others.↵
There are many ways to grow, but not all of them are meant for you. Find your way. Stick to it. Improve it slowly.↵
↵
If you’re stuck right now, let me tell you this:↵
↵
**The graph is not the truth, Your effort is. If you show up honestly every day, even when nothing moves — one day it all connects.**↵
↵
↵
**Candidate Master is not the destination, It’s just another checkpoint.**↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
My Practice Regime (What I Actually Did)↵
----------------------------------------↵
↵
Many people asked about my practice routine, so I’ll keep it simple.↵
↵
My entire journey revolved around **consistency**. I gave almost **every Codeforces contest** in the past 16 months, and if i could not attend a contest, I made sure to attend it **virtually**. I was not a big fan of getting stuck on a problem for hours and would prefer **referring to the editorial** after giving a honest shot to a question for about **40-50 minutes**, because there might be a thing being used in the problem, that I might not be aware of. But after reading the editorial, make sure to **internalize the idea** and **code it up** on your own.↵
↵
On normal days, I practiced mostly from the **Codeforces problemset**, focusing on problems near my **current rating** and sometimes when i felt the need to work on a particular topic, Apply the filter for the same on CF problemset. I normally did around **100-120 problems of a particular rating** and post that i generally became comfortable with that rating and moved ahead to the next.↵
↵
I didn’t follow a strict schedule or long study hours. I learned topics as and when **problems demanded** them. When I crossed 1500, I spent time on the **CSES problem set**, which helped me get comfortable with many common patterns. Topics like **DP or number theory** felt difficult at first, but facing them through **practice** helped me slowly overcome that fear.↵
↵
During plateaus, I avoided changing everything. I didn’t switch platforms or increase volume drastically — I just kept **showing up and trusted the process**. In hindsight, that **patience mattered more than any single technique**.↵
↵
But please keep in mind, this was something that worked out for me, but each and everyone is **different**, and you need to find the **best methods** for **yourself**. Never try to copy others, you can pick good things from others, but ultimately, **you are the best Judge for yourself**.↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
Help and Feedback:↵
------------------↵
↵
If anyone reading this is stuck or needs help — whether it’s about practice strategy, contests, or mindset — I’d be more than happy to help in any way I can. You can reach out in the comments or messages, and I’ll try my best to respond.↵
↵
At the same time, I’d genuinely love to learn from all the Candidate Masters, Masters, International Masters, and Grandmasters out here — your guidance and perspectives would mean a lot as I continue this journey forward. Please give your honest and constructive suggestions as to how can i improve further in my Competitive Programming Journey.↵
↵
It is my first blog. Forgive me for any mistakes i might have made unknowingly. ↵
↵
My first few Div.2 contests were humbling — I could solve 1 problem, sometimes 2. In Div.3, solving 3 problems felt like a win. But what kept me going was not the rating, but the nature of the problems themselves.↵
↵
At the **800–1000 level**, it’s mostly about thinking — no fancy algorithms, no heavy data structures — just logic and clarity. **That fascinated me**, and I decided to stay.↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
↵
The Phase Nobody Talks About↵
----------------------------↵
↵
In the first four months, I climbed quickly and reached **1459** on **12 January 2025.**↵
↵
Then the graph stopped moving. For the next **110 Days**, I was **stuck below 1450**.↵
↵
I practiced. I gave contests. I did everything I had been doing before. But nothing showed.↵
↵
Only after breaking that level again on **3rd April 2025** did I realize how important that phase was.↵
It forced me to learn how to work without validation, how to trust effort without feedback, and how to stay disciplined when progress was invisible.↵
↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
Another Plateau, A Bigger Test↵
------------------------------↵
↵
After that, I reached **Expert** quickly and hit **1650 on 24 April 2025.**↵
And then came another long stagnation.↵
↵
From **April** to **September**, I revolved between **1550 and 1650.**↵
**September** was especially difficult. Doubts started appearing: Am I doing the right things? Should I change everything?↵
↵
I won’t pretend I never thought of giving up. But I didn’t.↵
I kept solving. I kept learning. I kept trusting the process. By the grace of God, I managed to push through.↵
↵
In **October** and **November**, things finally started **rolling** again.↵
↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
When Belief Became Real↵
-----------------------↵
↵
In **October**, I had two contests in one week with deltas of **+53 and +98.**↵
That momentum carried forward, and over five good contests, I climbed from **1647 to 1831.**↵
↵
That was the first time belief stopped being hope and became certainty. **“Okay, CM might actually be possible.”**↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
The Contest That Changed Everything↵
------------------------------------↵
↵
↵
One contest before reaching Candidate Master, I gave the **best performance** of my life till then.↵
The predictor showed a **2140 performance and a +85 delta.**↵
I needed **80 to reach CM**.↵
↵
I got 70.↵
↵
It didn’t hurt — but it felt incomplete.↵
What it did give me was **confidence**: **On my best day, I could cross 1900.**↵
↵
Then came **Codeforces Round 1075.**[contest:2189]↵
↵
I started fast with A and B. Got stuck on C1 while watching many others solve it — pressure built.↵
Then something clicked. I solved C1, stayed calm, found the right approach for D1, and optimized it for D2.↵
↵
That was the contest where everything aligned. **Global Rank 179. Candidate Master.** [standings:2189]↵
↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
The Most Important Lesson↵
-------------------------↵
↵
If I had to summarize my entire journey, it would be this:↵
↵
**Growth is rarely linear, but it is always cumulative.** There will be phases where the graph lies to you. Where effort feels invisible. Where you doubt yourself.↵
↵
That is exactly when you need to trust your process — while staying flexible enough to learn from others.↵
There are many ways to grow, but not all of them are meant for you. Find your way. Stick to it. Improve it slowly.↵
↵
If you’re stuck right now, let me tell you this:↵
↵
**The graph is not the truth, Your effort is. If you show up honestly every day, even when nothing moves — one day it all connects.**↵
↵
↵
**Candidate Master is not the destination, It’s just another checkpoint.**↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
My Practice Regime (What I Actually Did)↵
----------------------------------------↵
↵
Many people asked about my practice routine, so I’ll keep it simple.↵
↵
My entire journey revolved around **consistency**. I gave almost **every Codeforces contest** in the past 16 months, and if i could not attend a contest, I made sure to attend it **virtually**. I was not a big fan of getting stuck on a problem for hours and would prefer **referring to the editorial** after giving a honest shot to a question for about **40-50 minutes**, because there might be a thing being used in the problem, that I might not be aware of. But after reading the editorial, make sure to **internalize the idea** and **code it up** on your own.↵
↵
On normal days, I practiced mostly from the **Codeforces problemset**, focusing on problems near my **current rating** and sometimes when i felt the need to work on a particular topic, Apply the filter for the same on CF problemset. I normally did around **100-120 problems of a particular rating** and post that i generally became comfortable with that rating and moved ahead to the next.↵
↵
I didn’t follow a strict schedule or long study hours. I learned topics as and when **problems demanded** them. When I crossed 1500, I spent time on the **CSES problem set**, which helped me get comfortable with many common patterns. Topics like **DP or number theory** felt difficult at first, but facing them through **practice** helped me slowly overcome that fear.↵
↵
During plateaus, I avoided changing everything. I didn’t switch platforms or increase volume drastically — I just kept **showing up and trusted the process**. In hindsight, that **patience mattered more than any single technique**.↵
↵
But please keep in mind, this was something that worked out for me, but each and everyone is **different**, and you need to find the **best methods** for **yourself**. Never try to copy others, you can pick good things from others, but ultimately, **you are the best Judge for yourself**.↵
↵
↵
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**↵
↵
Help and Feedback:↵
------------------↵
↵
If anyone reading this is stuck or needs help — whether it’s about practice strategy, contests, or mindset — I’d be more than happy to help in any way I can. You can reach out in the comments or messages, and I’ll try my best to respond.↵
↵
At the same time, I’d genuinely love to learn from all the Candidate Masters, Masters, International Masters, and Grandmasters out here — your guidance and perspectives would mean a lot as I continue this journey forward. Please give your honest and constructive suggestions as to how can i improve further in my Competitive Programming Journey.↵
↵
It is my first blog. Forgive me for any mistakes i might have made unknowingly. ↵
