+ 849 (div. 4)—8/94/2025 +
+
+ Defeating. My speed is improving but I completely wasted my focus.
+ Div. 4 is too easy for me to take seriously now. This itself,
+ though, is a problem with discipline.
+
+ + I only practice for 2 hours a day. There's no point in practicing + problems and not trying—just go do something else. ++
-
+
- A = B = trivial +
- + C: lost focus on what was being asked, returning the number of + removals rather than the minimal length of the string. I want to + write code that works first try—validate your code is actually doing what you're saying before + running, both conceptually and in the fine-grained details. I move too fast. Still, I justified \(l\lt r\) instead of + \(l\leq r\), a small improvement. + +
- + D: Instantly saw the solution but rushed the implementation. + Eventually I slowed down and then considered the valid split + indices. + Consider edge cases first. Go through one iteration in your + head before coding. + +
- + E: Utter disaster. + Did not read the problem statement and answered a similar (but + very different) problem I'd done in the past. By the time I saw this after impatiently submitting ~5 WA, I + had lost mental focus. Never submit and hope for a correct answer—know it. + +
- + F: Then, I let my previous failure carry through to the next + problem. This happened in my last contest but I also dealt with it + well: + +
+ When you're done with a problem (in contest), whether because you + solved it or simply gave up, forget about it. Don't obsess about a + better solution or put yourself down. Ceaselessly move forward + with confidence at all times. ++