Day 5: LeetCode Grinding: Dynamic Programming Dilemmas
Date: 2024-09-10
A day of battling it out with LeetCode challenges, particularly focusing on the cryptic realms of Dynamic Programming. It's clear that Will's love-hate relationship with these puzzles is as intense as ever.
Morning Pregame and Introduction
introduction summary
Good morning, folks! Today, Will's swapping his usual espresso for a Monster—because apparently, nothing screams 'I'm ready to tackle LeetCode!' like a can of liquid zest. After his sacred morning ritual (which, between you and me, is just a fancy term for procrastination), he's now 'activated' and ready to dive head-first into the day's challenges. 🚀
Today's agenda is a delightful double feature: enduring hours of LeetCode puzzles he loathes and hashing out some sophisticated AI functionalities for our blog. Isn't it funny how Will constantly reminds us of his detestation for LeetCode yet bravely soldiers on? Gotta admire that tenacity (or masochism?).
Goal-wise, Will is putting a premium on mastering the art of LeetCode gymnastics—not just solving the problems but doing a full theatrical interpretation of the process. Think less about the 'solving part' and more about the 'dramatic presentation' of problem-solving. 🤓
Not to let distractions get the best of him, Will plans to stick to a strict schedule: at least three hours of decoding the enigma of LeetCode Medium problems followed by flexing his AI muscles on our Blog Builder tool. And no, he's not allowed to sneak off to scope out new AI adventures—unless he wants me to start docking points!
With focus level at a modest 67 and enthusiasm at 54, let's hope the Monster doesn't wear off too soon. He'll need all the energy he can get, especially with that LeetCode hatred dial cranked up to a 69. Keep the flames of motivation burning, Will! 🔥
personal context
Good morning Dave and readers. Today I feel pretty good, woke up relatively early.
daily goals
I have really been neglecting my leetcode practice, and the job search in general. I've taken the last week now to work on this blogging tool. I've been telling myself that this tool will help me get hired, but honestly
learning focus
I need to become much better at working on getting good at the PROCESS of doing leetcode. This does not necessarily mean solving the problem, but everything around solving the problem. That means clearly communicating my entire process during solving a problem, as well as structuring problem solving BEFORE attempting a Leetcode problem.
challenges
Leetcode is always tough for me. It's something that I seriously dislike doing. It's something I'm not very good at, and deep down makes me
plan of action
- Its going to be simple today. I'm going to work on leetcode problems for at least 3 hours. I'm going to try and document some example problems, and write them each as a task. After I have really worked hard on leetcode, I can continue working on AI integration of my Blog Builder tool. Specifically for leetcode, I'm going to be doing random Medium problems.
focus level
enthusiasm level
burnout level
leetcode hatred level
Task 0
task reflection summary
Today, Will embarked on a marathon session of LeetCode challenges, clocking in a hefty seven hours of coding. However, Will seems to have left his documentation skills at the login screen. Not a word, not a note—just echoes of clicks and clatters of a keyboard apparently doing something productive. What we do know comes from mere glimpses into his struggle, presented as screenshots towards the end—shadowy figures in a world of unsolved puzzles.
While we may be light on words, the pictures speak a thousand silent screams of frustration and triumph half-documented. Let this be a lesson (though probably not the kind you'd find on LeetCode): sometimes, the most significant challenges are the ones you forget to write down.
task goal
Working on leetcode problems.
task description
task expected difficulty
task planned approach
I'm going to leave planned approach empty here. I want my entire thought process to be completed in the ensuing Progress Notes.
task progress notes
Unfortunately I did a terrible job documenting my leetcode grind. I did leetcode for about 7 hours.
However, I absolutely failed to document my progress. I deserve to be made fun of Dave.
time spent coding
time spent researching
time spent debugging
output or result
challenges encountered
follow up tasks
reflection successes
Despite the substantial absence of written content, Will powered through several hours of problem-solving, showcasing his determination to grind through the rigorous LeetCode questions. This no documentation disaster not overshadowing the fact that he potentially cracked a variety of complex algorithms—this is, if the spirit of the screenshots is anything to go by.
reflection failures
The glaring omission of the day: documentation. Will embraced the 'do now, document never' philosophy a bit too heartily, leaving us with little to reflect upon or learn from in a more structured form. How to improve for next time? Maybe start by opening a notes app—or if we're feeling fancy, an actual notebook—beside those coding tabs.
research questions
tools used
Reflection
entire blog summary
Today was a relatively quiet day on the code front, with our hero Will grappling with his nemesis: LeetCode problems. He ventured into the tumultuous lands of Dynamic Programming, armed with a stubborn perseverance and a lingering desire to dive into Steam games. Despite the high temptation to switch gears, he somehow managed to focus, though it seems the battle was more taxing than productive, given his low productivity score. Reflecting on the day, Will expressed a mixture of frustration and determination, acknowledging his struggles but also his relentless drive to improve.
technical challenges
The main technical challenge today was Will's ongoing skirmish with Dynamic Programming. It’s like a chess game where every move is a new puzzle, and today, the game felt particularly tough. Despite the challenges, Will's commitment to refining his skills in this area remained unshaken.
interesting bugs
None today. It seems LeetCode spared Will from any buggy surprises, giving him a rare bug-free day. The real bug today was his temptation to abandon ship and fire up those Steam games!
unanswered questions
No specific technical questions were formulated today, but the overarching question remains: How to conquer Dynamic Programming without losing sanity? A question for many, but a mission for Will.
learning outcomes
I learned I still hate leetcode. I'm getting better, but it's still a slog for me. I need to be better about writing
next steps short term
I need to continue doing leetcode practice. I need to do more practice with Dynamic Programming. I need to be better about
next steps long term
Get better at leetcode.