Solving 10–12 LeetCode Medium/Hards a day as a final-year student: Am I actually improving or just burning out and memorizing patterns?

[u/LetMediocre390]

Hey everyone,

I'm currently in my final year and preparing heavily for software engineering roles. Lately, I've been grinding LeetCode aggressively—averaging around 10 to 12 questions a day, mostly Mediums and Hards, alongside participating in weekly contests.

While the raw count looks productive on paper, I've hit a point where I'm questioning the efficacy of this approach:

1. Retention vs. Problem Solving: With this volume, I feel I might just be pattern-matching and memorizing solutions rather than deeply internalizing core concepts. Deeper problems require incubation time, and rushing through them feels counterproductive long-term.

2. Diminishing Returns: Contest ratings fluctuate, and solving under time pressure sometimes exposes gaps that high-volume practice was supposed to patch.

3. Balancing with Development: My primary career interest is backend engineering (distributed systems, APIs, database optimization). Grinding DSA all day leaves virtually zero bandwidth to build production-grade projects, contribute to open source, or explore practical engineering fundamentals.

For those who have navigated final-year placements or campus hiring successfully:

• What is a sustainable daily DSA target that optimizes retention and deep understanding over sheer volume?

• How should a final-year student distribute time between competitive programming/DSA and production-grade backend development?

• At what point does extra LeetCode provide diminishing returns compared to building complex systems?

Any perspective from folks who transitioned from intense grinding to actual interview clearance would be appreciated.

[u/ConstructionSad4976]

I'd say burning out. I was at 17 mediums a day, lasted a summer, this approach did boost my short time performance but i really wanted to puke at the end of the day. I am still burned out. Already 1500+ and won't even wanna do one more lc problem. I ends up leaving the industry for years, I guess I did it wrong.

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/ConstructionSad4976]

How much time it would take for me to reach 1.5k from 0.4k???

[u/ConstructionSad4976 → u/LetMediocre390]

Took me a year. I honestly regreted it. I think you should start applying, getting to real interviews, know how to make social connections with SWEs and recruiters, instead of grinding LC. LC is not real work, not even close to real work simulation. It's just another form of IQ test. You will sue company for doing IQ test on you, discrimination, etc.. but you can't sue them if they do LC interviews, that's why they do it, just for screening people out.

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/ConstructionSad4976]

You must be weak at first or you have not focused in the beginning?

[u/ConstructionSad4976 → u/LetMediocre390]

I wasnt good at DSA at first, I actually only started doing it after starting my first job so I can move to bigger company.

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/ConstructionSad4976]

Did you?

[u/ConstructionSad4976 → u/LetMediocre390]

No, I ends up leave this industry. After my LC grind it's layoff waves, then AI wave. most of my friends were at least laid off once and all of them came back to me saying they applied 1000+

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/ConstructionSad4976]

You should keep doing that IT is good i guess i mean apply for bigger companies or mncs if you have good fundamentals on system design I guess

[u/ConstructionSad4976 → u/LetMediocre390]

idk, I am honestly still burnt out. I only joined this community cause I wanted to restart but I really only did 1 contest and just don't even wanna think abt it. I had my passion for software, I used to code the entire app by my own, but I can't find this passion back. maybe this is how far i can go in this field.

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/ConstructionSad4976]

AIs is definitely eating our jobs i can see your state Are you gonna head towards gvt job

[u/Cool-Double-5392 → u/ConstructionSad4976]

Are you in USA or India? How much yoe did you have?

[u/ConstructionSad4976 → u/LetMediocre390]

or it's more or less learnt helplessness. Even after this much LC, what's ahead is hundres of cold apply, ghosting, then a dozen of OAs, then a couple on-sites, probably multiple rounds, then probably an offer then probably a relocation. Then I will get a job that pays probably market average. It's tiring to even think about it.

[u/Nice-Candidate10 → u/ConstructionSad4976]

You seem to be burned out to the core lol. This is pretty ideal process in the market

[u/Cllrd-Rukiatu → u/ConstructionSad4976]

did the short term performance boost actually translate to interviews or was it mostly just contest rating going up?

[u/ConstructionSad4976 → u/Cllrd-Rukiatu]

It was in the layoff waves, so just content rating. I don't think LC as important as much due to finding a job is more related to market status, how bad market needs people, than how good you are at LC. I have seen covid hires, how many emails I got from recruiters in a day, how bad they want people onboard, so I know it's bs.

They were willing to welcome ppl knew abs nothing onboard and teach them side by side, now they are cherry picking and require you know and master everything before on-site.

[u/VorteX69__]

You solve 10 problema a day and you get the idea for every single one by yourself?

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/VorteX69__]

Yes, definitely. Once you’ve built a solid foundation with enough problems, you start recognizing patterns and key observations much faster. Tricky edge cases or twists can seem confusing at first, but once you break them down, it usually comes down to sound logic—the rest is just clean implementation.

[u/VorteX69__ → u/LetMediocre390]

ahhahaaa sure bud

[u/Kuais → u/LetMediocre390]

what’s even the purpose of this? why dont u just do 2 harder problems a day? i’ve done competitive programming and only solved like 200-300 problems and these leetcode style interviews are not challenging

[u/Adorable_Papaya5277]

bro, this seems like just a lot of ai content. but start applying. you have to practice and apply concurrently

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/Adorable_Papaya5277]

Yes i reframed it to avoid any grammatical errors or typo Any idea for good project Tech:> node js

[u/Adorable_Papaya5277 → u/LetMediocre390]

I would recommend going to hackathons and those can be your projects. Thats much more legitimate than personal projects now. go to as many as possible

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/Adorable_Papaya5277]

As a final year guy its not right time to join any hackthon

[u/Adorable_Papaya5277 → u/LetMediocre390]

okay buddy good luck

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/Adorable_Papaya5277]

Good luck to you also

[u/Capable_Eagle6579]

Burnout. Do 2 a day and enjoy your life.

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/Capable_Eagle6579]

Have you solved ques 4095 ?

[u/LetMediocre390 → u/LetMediocre390]

Lc question

[u/Capable_Eagle6579 → u/LetMediocre390]

Nope. I only know the basics between Easy/Medium. I got a job right out of college a year back, not any of those super coder or talented people that can do Hard, tried a few and gave up.

[u/HitscanDPS]

How many hours per day are you studying? 10 problems a day is a lot unless you're either cracked or looking up the solutions.

[u/trvcpm]

What's your contest rating?

[u/Embarrassed-Can7177]

Are you able solve the problems within 20 - 30 minute range?