Don't watch my A2Z DSA Course | take U forward YouTube Video Summary
In this video, take U forward discusses how to approach and study effectively for the A-Z DSA course. He discusses whether the course is paid or not, and debunks some common misconceptions around DSA. Take U forward also recommends having a mentor, and recommends 'Preplaced' as a mentor-search resource. Finally, he touches upon some common problems, and gives advice such as it is not necessary to solve all 455 problems, and make sure you practice in contests.
Detailed Summary:
Don't learn data structures and algorithms (DSA) from the YouTube channel itself
When studying DSA algorithms, it is recommended that you head over to the website to study the algorithms instead of directly studying from the YouTube channel. This is because the YouTube channel is not organized in a structured manner. You will want to check out the website, takeuforward.org.
What is the Striver's A to Z DSA Course / Sheet?
Striver's A2Z DSA Course is a course / sheet that contains 455 modules, which cover around 18 or 19 topics. Each topic has sub modules, so there are a bunch of problems that you will solve on the course. The course is absolutely free, and covers a lot more problems than paid courses would do.
How to get the best output from the course
In order to get the best output from the course, there is some theory that you should watch the videos, but not dive too deep. Instead, solve problems step by step. If your initial brute solution doesn't work, then head over to read the blogs for more information, and find categorized solutions, then watch the video and make notes, then retry the problem until you get a solution yourself. This will help develop your problem solving ability.
Common Misconceptions about the Course
There is a lot of misinformation in the market about the course, here are some common misconceptions:
- That this course is only in C++
- That it is not beginner friendly
Take U forward states that the course is absolutely beginner friendly, which is why there are 455 modules. Furthermore, a lot of paid courses have in depth basics, but they skip over the medium and harder problems. Over here we do a bunch of advanced problems, and is a good resource to grow.
Do you need to solve all 455 problems?
No, it is not necessary to solve all the problems. This course has 250 to 300 core concepts, and for every concept I have multiple problems to solve. You don't need to solve all follow up problems.
In addition to the course, make sure to participate in Contests
Along with the course, make sure you participate in contests, such as on Leetcode and Codeforces. After learning the basics of programming, immediately jump into the contests. Even if you solve one problem, that is still absolutely fine. He recommends you give a contest with what you learn in the course every week for 2 years. Giving contests will help you learn a lot more and get comfortable with new problems.
Consider getting a Mentor from Preplaced
Preplaced is a website which offers amazing mentors who work at FAANG companies, or India's top product-based companies, who can give you a personalized roadmap, including deadline checks, resources, project ideas, mock interviews, resume reviews, and referrals.