Pratham Jiwanani

The whole batch is crying now, and now it is not because of exams…

At the start of my final year, I thought leaving college would feel normal.
But on the D-day, the day we were supposed to leave, it suddenly hits you.

You look around and realize:
1) You’re never coming back to this place again.

2) You’ll never eat in the mess you once cursed every day.

3) No more aimless rounds around campus with friends, laughing about nothing.

4) No more rushing to your friend’s room when you’re feeling low or just need someone to talk to.

While writing my last exam, I paused. This wasn’t just another exam.
This was the last exam of my life.
I won’t be using my college ID ever again.

The hostel corridors get quieter.
The campus starts to empty.
Even students who had never been seen crying were breaking down.

Because every goodbye feels heavier than you expect.

I don’t know when I’ll see my friends next. And even if I do, will it feel the same?

Everyone around me was silently wishing,
“God, just one more semester. Please. Just one more chance.”

But time doesn’t rewind.

So, if you’re still in college,don’t waste this time.
Don’t spend your days on things that won’t matter.

Go out.
Make memories.
Laugh a little louder.

Because when it’s time to leave, you don’t want regrets.

It Took Me 760 LeetCode Problems to Land My First Job, But You Need Only 320...(it’s not about solving any sheet 🙃)


During my college placements, I watched one of my friends crack a 31 LPA job after solving just 300 LeetCode problems.
Yes 300!
Meanwhile, I was stuck grinding through 500 problems and still feeling lost.

Yes, placements have a bit of luck involved, but this wasn’t about luck.
This friend was different, while I was rushing through problem after problem,
he was sitting with a single LeetCode Hard problem for an entire day.

I noticed a pattern with a few other students as well.

What They Did Differently
1. They Didn’t Rush: Instead of chasing problem counts, they spent hours (sometimes days) on a single problem, dissecting its logic and patterns.
2. They Built Patterns: By deeply analyzing problems, they started recognizing recurring patterns in problem-solving.
3. They Valued Quality Over Quantity: While I was solving problems for the sake of solving, they were solving to learn.

Why This Works-
1)Spending more time on fewer problems helps your brain identify patterns.

2)Deeply thinking about one problem trains you to approach new problems with a structured mindset.

When I realized this, I started solving fewer problems but made sure I understood every single line of code and why it worked. I started to see different approaches for the same problem.
And believe me the difference was huge.

#placement #dsa #leetcode

Who Said You Need to Spend Thousands to Learn DSA and crack placements?

I still remember when I started learning Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA).
Coming from an electronics background, we didn’t even have a proper DSA course in our curriculum.

I have seen many students around me who were buying expensive courses.
Some spent ₹10,000. Some ₹20,000. Some even more.

But I didn’t.

Because in today’s world, everything you need is available for FREE.

1) TakeUForward.(Raj Vikramaditya ) go-to resource for structured, high-quality DSA content. Strivers DSA sheet is quite helpful and to be honest 90% of my interview questions were asked directly for this sheet.

2)CodeStory with Mike. (Mazhar Imam Khan ) The channel that made me fall in love with problem-solving. You will find a unique teaching approach which will make complex topics more approachable and enjoyable.


Only 2?
Yes ! More than enough

I didn’t waste money on paid courses. I followed these resources.
And guess what? I still managed to crack top companies OA.

If you’re just starting, here’s the path I followed:
1)Master the concepts → Learn from free YouTube resources.
2)Solve at least 100-150 problems → This isn’t a random number.
Scientific reason? Your brain forms neural pathways through repetition. The more you solve, the better your pattern recognition becomes.

Once you reach this level, DSA becomes second nature.
Now Leetcode and CodeForces are your best friends. Start practicing as much as you can.

To anyone thinking, “Should I buy a course?”
STOP. Learn from these free resources first.

And if you know any other great resources, drop them in the comments.
If you need suggestions, just ask, I’ll let you know the best sources.

You don’t need money to learn. You just need the right mindset.