DEV Community: Akshay Varshney

Few awesome tricks in Python

Akshay Varshney — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 11:56:08 +0000

Few awesome tricks with Python that will save both your time and extra Lines:

A. Assigning Values according to the condition:

Normal Code:👉

Better way:
In spite of writing these lines of code what we can do is use in this way.👇

B. Using indexes and values of a list at the same time

Normal Code: 👇

Better way:
Using the enumerate function. Enumerate is a function that will return both the values and index that we are looping over the list.👇

C. Unpacking
Suppose there are a few variables in code and we have to use some of them then we can use the unpacking technique.
Normal code: 👇

Better way:
If we are using only one variable then we can get rid of that by using _

D. Reverse a list or string:
In python, we can reverse a list or a string by just using one line of code.
Better way : 👉

E. Swap numbers without using temp variable:
Normal code:👉

Better way: 👉

F. Looping over multiple lists at the same time

Suppose there are multiple lists and we have to loop over all of them and use them in one statement or function, then in that case we can use the zip function like this: 👇

That's it for this one. Thanks for reading :)

How do I maintain consistency to focus for at least 1 hour in coding every single day?

Akshay Varshney — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 11:00:08 +0000

As a beginner in coding, we struggle a lot to build consistency, and due to which we lost our pace. In the start, things look favorable to us so we did it consistently but when things become slightly complex we start losing our way. I also struggled a lot to build consistency and it's ok if you also do. Coding is like a marathon of sprints. I think there are a few things that we need to understand while studying coding.

I would recommend everyone to follow the 100dayofcode challenge. But the question here is How to focus for at least 1 hour/day continuously and that too for 100 days?

If I plan to have a long coding session for around 3-4 hours continuously then after some time I will definitely get bored with my studies and I may start to play movies, start thinking about something else, or maybe start checking social media. It's like I study with my laptop open but my mind is somewhere and this was really the root cause of my problem. What is the threshold? what should be enough for me. So I have to identify this threshold limit. But how to identify this limit let's find out...

Building 1-hour consistency at the very start is not an easy task. So what I used to do is I started with short sessions. Like I do coding for around 30 min then I take a short break of 5-10 mins then come back for another 30 min. In this way, at my initial stage, I completed 1 hour. After around 7-10 days when I start to feel comfortable, I kept increasing my timelimit by 5 mins until I reach my threshold. I have 2 sessions of 35 min followed by a 10 min break in between. In this way, I am tricking my brain to get comfortable with coding, brain now coding is your thing & you have to learn it so please cooperate. Follow this until you find your threshold limit.

If you start directly with 1 hour then I know we will be able to focus for the first few days but after some days when things start getting out of our way, we start losing consistency.

When I am sitting down to study I have some specific rules.

What are my rules to study?

I am working it means I am working period. Not allowed to do anything like I kept my mobile phone in another room. Turn off email, social media notifications from the laptop if possible.
Plan to start with a short 30 min session then start adding the time until you reach your threshold. My threshold was 1 hour 20 min.
If you have a break that means you have a break, no coding in your break. Like, suppose 30 min is over you should get up from your desk and do what you want to do in your break. It's like forcing myself to step away from the screen when the break starts.
Decide what time you will sit for study. Try to follow the same time for a few days and after some days it will become your habit. My time was 8:00 AM- 9:15 AM & (9PM-10PM)
If you find to struggle a lot with the motivational side then start Listening to some podcasts when you get time. I don't know but listening to them will give me some energy and I feel energetic.
If possible try to have some meditation or yoga before your study session.
Whenever you get the free time it doesn't mean that you have to think about coding all the 24*7. Try not to think about code each and every time your brain will break down. The brain is only a muscle so it also needs some time to relax.
When I get bored with my regular studies then for a change I used to do some side projects as my hobby. Like I was learning DSA, whenever I feel too tired to do DSA and feel like not studying I move to my side project. This will give me a change and the next day you can pick what you were studying with much more energy.
Sharing progress with someone will give you motivation. Strongly recommend sharing your progress with friends or on Twitter/Linkedin. Don't think about what other senior developers will say.
No longer distraction, Simple to understand but harder to implement.
You should enjoy the process of coding.
Set goals for every single day. Make sure your goal should be realistic.

By following this process after around 1.5 months I was focused to do coding for at least 1hr each day

Some reasons for your struggle:

Don't go for a longer coding session in a day and skipping the next few days.
Try not to think about code each and every time your brain will break down.
Unclear boundaries between work and break.
You enjoy coding but don't enjoy the process it could be a lack of boundaries.
You have unclear goals or your goal are unrealistic.
You are working with a lot of distractions.

It's all about tricking your brain to learn discipline. Hope this will help you reach where you want to go. You can apply this to whatever you are learning if it works for me then it will work for you as well.

Happy 100daysofcoding...

Thanks for reading :)

What is the best way to start with Data Structures?

Akshay Varshney — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 16:38:40 +0000

Data Structure & Algorithms are considered to be one of the most complex topics to understand in computer science and I believe it is true. So how do I get started?

It is important to understand the Data Structure well because most companies judge you by your understanding of the data structures and Algorithms.

I am not an expert in DS but telling you the strategy which I followed. Coming from a non-cs background I struggled a lot to choose the right resources and what amount to learn and what topics to learn in DS.

First, we need to clarify the basics very well. There are a lot of resources and most of them are very good so you cannot go with all of them pick anyone and focus on it. If you preferred to watch videos over any other preferred material of study then you can start with these tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92S4zgXN17o&list=PL2_aWCzGMAwI3W_JlcBbtYTwiQSsOTa6P
These are awesome and will help you clarify your basics.

The next thing is practice, you have to practice daily. For that, I would highly recommend everyone to start the 100daysofCode challenge in which you will have to do coding daily for at least 1 hour. It will work for you but you have to do it consistently.

After watching these tutorials the next step I took is to start doing questions by myself. GeeksforGeeks, Leetcode, Interviewbit, Hackerrank all are very good platforms to practice coding. I pick two platforms GeeksforGeeks (https://practice.geeksforgeeks.org/explore/?page=1) and Interviewbit(https://www.interviewbit.com/courses/programming/). I start by doing 3-4 questions in 1 hour in which I cover 1-2 easy questions and 1-2 medium level questions and try to complete all 5 questions in 1 hour. After every 15 days when I feel comfortable & started to solve problems, I increase one question in my list. One more point I used to write the URL of the problem which I solve and with some details in the form of an excel file.

What to do when you get stuck? What is the right way to approach a problem?

Yeah, we'll get stuck and it is completely normal. Pick a question read the question then solve the question on paper by brute force approach first. Give yourself a time of around 10-15 min to think about the approach. If you solved it by brute force you got 5 points next is to find the solution in an optimal way. In the start, it is not easy to find the optimal solution by yourself and it is completely ok if you have to look for the solutions. Think this way if you feed some solutions in your mind then only you will come to know how to solve the problem. So it's ok if you have to look at the solutions in start to reach the optimal solution. But next time when you solve a similar kind of problem try to solve it without looking solution.

If you weren't able to solve it by brute force as well in the early stage then you can start by looking at the hints/solution. Do not memorize the solution but instead try to understand how it is working. In the start, I struggled a lot I was not able to solve problems even with the brute force approach I used to read a lot of solutions. So in this way, I am feeding myself what is the way to solve the problem.

After around a month try solving around 5-6 questions in an hour and follow the same approach pick 2-3 easy problems first then move to harder ones.

I continued this process for around 6 months then I got comfortable with DS.

Few Tips:

Do not try to memorize every solution.
You have to be patient to see the results.
Practice coding daily for at least 1 hour/day.
Turn off mobile data while practicing or keep your phone in another room.
If you feel stuck then don't quit but take a small break and invest some time in any other side project for a change.
You can share your progress on Twitter/Linkedin it will help to keep motivated and do much more.
Keep challenging yourself to do more or you can take help from your friend who can challenge you to do more.
Keep track of your progress.
Never hesitate to ask for help if you are getting any issues.

Remember you should never quit. Just be patient and trust the process. Thanks for reading :)

How did I get into Software Engineering?

Akshay Varshney — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 17:24:21 +0000

"Switching fields until you find your passion is difficult but not impossible..."

After my engineering my parents wanted me to do a Government job so with the family's decision I decided to choose Electrical Engineering.

In my first year, I was being taught about coding (C-Programming). I performed very poorly in that subject and at that time I did not understand the basics of coding rather than I was focused on writing complex programs without knowing the basics. Somehow I managed to clear that subject and get promoted to the second year. After that, I had made an image in my mind that coding is very difficult, and it's not my cup of tea. So I quitted coding and started studying for my curriculum, I gained a bit of interest but I was not getting a feeling of satisfaction from inside so I just keep studying for the sake of the marks or getting a government job.

Then in my third year, I started my preparation for the "GATE" exam like everyone else. I used to study for the exam for more than 2-3 hours/day but still, I was not satisfied with what I was doing. In my 3rd year last semester, there was one subject "MATLAB Programming" this time when I heard this subject I decided to study this subject in depth. So I clarified my basics of programming and my interest automatically got emerged.

After some time I started applying for an Internship then again the process of rejection started. Finally, after around 500 applications, I got selected for a research internship in India's most premier Engineering college IIT Madras. I continued coding in MATLAB programming language.

Finally, when I entered the final lane of engineering I started learning Python. It is the time when companies came for campus recruitment. In my first interview, I performed so poorly that I got rejected in the first quiz round all my friends cleared that round. I gave the exam for TCS got rejected. A couple of more companies started to come got rejected from everywhere. In some companies other software companies I was not eligible to appear as I was not from a CS background. At this point, I decided to work more and more I started publishing a few research papers. At the same time, I was studying for interviews as well. With this much amount of load, I was working 6-7 hours daily after my college. By end of the year, I had no placement and I got rejected from more than 20-30 companies...

I was seeing no hopes from on-campus placement so I started with an off-campus approach. Daily I used to apply for a lot of companies to get one single interview. I just keep going and practicing my coding daily for the interview. One day somehow I got one mail from Adobe regarding my interview. I got the chance to present myself but when I reached there then I looked there were a lot of other students who were from cs background and some of them knows coding better than me. But I know one thing that I have the ability to solve problems. I faced 5 interview rounds and after several days I got my mail...Congratulations you are on...

"Never lose hope & keep trying until you reach your final destination..."

Thanks for reading :)