Why I Got Into Competitive Programming — and Why You Should Too

Saanvi Gunda — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 04:42:41 +0000

"Honestly, I didn’t even know what competitive programming was at first. But once I figured it out, it became one of the most fun and rewarding things I’ve done in CS."

How It All Started
It began with ZCO. I heard about it from seniors, and everyone made it sound terrifying — like some big scary Olympiad. I wasn't sure if I belonged in that space. But I gave it a shot.

I didn’t solve every question. I didn’t understand half the words in the problem statements at first. But slowly, one question at a time, I started getting it.

And when I saw my first test case pass — actual joy.

Why I Stuck With It
It teaches you to think: Not just memorize syntax. Actual thinking — how to break problems down, how to test edge cases, how to optimize.

It makes interviews easier: So many internship interviews ask DSA-style questions. CP gives you a head start.

You get better at failing: Seriously. You try a problem, your code fails, you debug for an hour — then finally figure it out. That’s resilience.

It’s fun. It’s like solving a puzzle. And who doesn’t like a good challenge?

Why You Should Try It Too
If you’re just getting into CS, CP can feel overwhelming. That’s okay. You don’t need to start with Codeforces Div 1 problems.

Try ZCO past papers first.

Start with problems that only require solving the subtask — don’t worry about the full score.

Focus on understanding question types: greedy, brute-force, DP basics.

Don’t rush through tutorials — try your own approach before reading solutions.

It’s completely okay to Google things. We all do.

Advice I Wish I Heard Earlier
You don’t need to know everything before starting.

You will fail tests. It’s normal.

Practice > theory.

Start with what you can do. Even 20 points on ZCO can get you to INOI if you’re smart about what you attempt.

Make your own tracker. Do 3–4 problems a week. Slowly build up.

I used to think CP was only for "smart" people — the ones who already knew C++ in 6th grade. But honestly, it’s for anyone who likes solving problems and is okay with struggling a bit at first.

So if you're on the fence — just start. Pick a platform (I like Codeforces + ZCO papers), find a problem, and go.

You might surprise yourself :)

💻 Cracking ZCO: What I Wish I Knew Before Taking It

Saanvi Gunda — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 03:23:26 +0000

When I first heard about the Zonal Computing Olympiad (ZCO), I thought it was going to be just another programming contest. I was so wrong. ZCO can feel intense — not just because of the questions, but because of the pressure, the time limit, and honestly, the feeling of not knowing if you’re even close to the right answer.

So if you’re preparing for ZCO, or even just curious about it, here’s what I learned from my experience, and what I wish someone had told me when I was starting out:

You won’t solve every question. That’s normal.
ZCO usually has two questions — but they’re not meant to be fully solved by everyone. In fact, very few people solve everything perfectly. So if you feel stuck on the last subtask, that’s completely okay.

Instead of stressing about solving everything, focus on solving the parts you can solve — especially the early subtasks. These are often easier and carry a decent chunk of the points. Honestly, just doing well in the first few subtasks of each problem is often enough to get you to INOI.

Start small: subtask-first thinking
This helped me a lot: Don’t try to solve the whole problem at once. When you first look at a problem, it might feel too big, too confusing. So start by asking: “Can I at least solve the subtask where N ≤ 10 or where time limits are relaxed?”

Once you get the basic version working, it becomes easier to build on top of that. And even if you don’t get the full solution, you’re scoring points and building confidence.

Practice > Passive Learning
If I could go back, I’d spend less time watching tutorials and more time actually solving problems. You get better at competitive coding by doing it, not by watching it. I know it's tempting to go through ten lectures on segment trees, but if you're not applying it to real problems, it won't stick.

Past problems are gold
One of the best things I did was go through past ZCO problems. I didn't just solve them — I read them, tried to understand the patterns, and figured out what kind of thinking each problem required. Over time, I noticed that ZCO tends to focus on topics like:

Greedy algorithms

Basic Dynamic Programming

Binary Search on answers

Implementation with arrays and loops

This doesn’t mean you need to know every algorithm out there. In fact...

Prioritize what you learn
You don’t need to master segment trees or graphs for ZCO. Focus on what actually comes up. If you understand the common types of problems (like train platforms, scheduling, or basic DP), you’ll be in a much better place than someone who’s trying to learn everything at once.

Final thoughts
ZCO is hard, but don’t let the difficulty make you feel like you don’t belong in competitive programming. You absolutely do.

If you're consistent, strategic, and okay with not knowing everything right away, you’ll do great. Get better at spotting patterns, practice subtasks, and most importantly — don’t be scared of the question. Break it down.

Good luck, and see you at INOI 😄. Let me know how your ZCO experience went like.

DEV Community: Saanvi Gunda

Why I Got Into Competitive Programming — and Why You Should Too

💻 Cracking ZCO: What I Wish I Knew Before Taking It