Let’s be honest — learning algorithms can feel overwhelming.
Between confusing YouTube explanations, Leetcode burnout, and tutorials that skip all the why, it’s no surprise most devs either give up or brute-force memorize patterns they don’t understand.
After years of trial and error (and frustration), here are the 4 best ways I’ve found to actually learn algorithms — in a way that sticks.
1. Practice Algorithms Through Real Conversation — Algomastr
Most tools either give you the answer or throw you into the deep end with a problem and say "good luck."
Algomastr is different. It’s a GPT-powered tutor that walks you through algorithms like a real instructor would — step by step, using the Socratic method.
It doesn't just hand you solutions. It asks guiding questions, explains logic based on how you think, and helps you break down problems recursively or iteratively, depending on your comfort level.
It’s perfect if you:
- Struggle with video pacing or long tutorials
- Learn best by asking questions and getting instant feedback
- Want to master the why, not just memorize the what
Great for: Bootcamp grads, self-taught devs, or anyone prepping for interviews who wants 24/7 tutoring without judgment.
2. Focused Leetcode Practice — with Patterns, Not Blind Grinding
The biggest mistake with Leetcode? Trying to do 100 random problems without understanding the common patterns.
Instead, group your practice by category:
- Two Pointers
- Sliding Window
- Recursion
- Dynamic Programming
- Hash Map / Set tricks
- Backtracking
- Graphs & Trees
Once you recognize patterns, you’ll start to see how to approach a problem before writing any code.
Tools like neetcode.io or Blind 75 lists are great structured roadmaps.
3. Explain Problems Out Loud (Even to Yourself)
It sounds awkward, but this is the best way to solidify understanding.
Take a problem you just solved and explain it out loud — as if teaching a friend or junior dev:
- What was the problem asking?
- How did you approach it?
- What data structure did you choose and why?
- What’s the time and space complexity?
This builds your technical communication (a huge part of interviews) and forces your brain to process the logic deeper than just “it passed the tests.”
Even better: screen record yourself and build a “learning log.”
4. Visual Learning with Interactive Tools
Some people need to see things move to understand them — and that’s totally valid.
Use tools like:
- Visualgo.net — animations for sorting, trees, graphs, etc.
- CS50 by Harvard — legendary CS intro course
- YouTube — creators like WilliamFiset, Abdul Bari, and HackerRank have great explainer videos
- Excalidraw — for drawing recursion trees or pointer problems
Don’t underestimate the power of drawing out problems on paper or screen.
Final Thought
There’s no one-size-fits-all way to learn algorithms.
The key is to:
- Practice regularly (but smartly)
- Talk through your logic
- Visualize the process
- And use tools that adapt to your learning style — like Algomastr
However you do it, remember:
It’s not about memorizing 500 problems — it’s about mastering the thinking behind them.
Keep going. You’re doing better than you think.
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