 What's up guys Mike the Coder here today? We are going to Give some advice to competitive programming advice because I didn't really have time today or the last week In order to do some spodge. I'm sorry. I just didn't because of midterms all this stuff and homework I just didn't have time but What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna give some tips in competitive programming. So what helped me So this was like a contest a while back. I think it was a few weeks ago This is the first time I actually solved three problems. So I solved three problems and Actually the first half of the contest I think I solved the first one in ten minutes and the second one. I was just super stuck So I was doing this problem and I did solve the first one in ten minutes, but the second one I just couldn't figure it out For whatever reason I kept getting wrong answers wrong answer TLE and then a runtime error, right? So for every reason I just couldn't figure out the problem So what really helps me the most in doing these contests is that you don't want to look at the standings And what I mean by that is that let's say you can't figure out this problem gcd length, right? And then you're gonna like be like, okay. How many how many other people solve this problem? Am I behind am I not? So if you go go to standings you're gonna realize oh damn someone solve this problem in eight minutes Right the top person solves it in eight minutes. So that's just self-defeating you, right? Your job at this moment is to try to solve the first problem or the second problem, right? You right now nothing else exists in the world besides you on the problem, right? So looking at these standings is not going to help you Right. How what are you gonna do? When you realize someone solved this earlier than you right that just demotivates yourself It demotivates yourself and it demotivates you when you're trying to solve the problem So what I did during this contest is when I couldn't solve the problem What I did was I just kept looking back at the cabri in the problem again and tried coming up with different test cases Myself on pen and paper because if you look at the standings while you're doing the problem that demotivates you And then you end up not being able to solve the problem. So what I did was during this contest I did not look at the standings at all. I didn't see what ranking I was. I didn't see anything All that mattered for me was me and the problem and then in the end I was actually able to get this problem aced even after getting wrong answer and TLE and runtime error So I was able to figure out the problem by just trying my best So you have to try your best When you're doing these problems, don't look at the standings. Don't even think about other people and what Your rank is what what what you are compared to other people because that doesn't help you What really helps you is you trying to solve the problem if you could solve the problems while you're doing them Then you're gonna be good. Okay, if you're if you solve these problems very fast Definitely if you solve them very fast, you're gonna be like, oh wow, that's amazing But when you having trouble to solve them, don't look at the standings looking at what other people can solve It doesn't help you it makes you more like anxious and then you realize dang I couldn't solve this problem and then it's just a deep self-defeating prophecy So don't look at the standings never look at the standings when you're doing problems Just try to solve the huge problem by yourself and sooner or later You're gonna end up being able to solve three problems. So I was able to solve three problems So yeah, this is a this is some advice I have for you guys But yeah, let me know what you guys think rate com subscribe. I'll check you guys later. Peace