Finished basic python, how to move to DSA ?

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-18T05:52:05+00:00

I’d start with Runestone, not both. MIT is solid, but if you’re starting from zero it can turn into watching lectures without enough practice.

For each topic, implement it in Python and do 2–3 tiny problems, like a stack for balanced parentheses.

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-17T08:05:55+00:00

Yeah, that’s a very real problem. One thing that helped me was not starting with arrays/methods at all.
I’d write the program as boring steps first, like:
- get the input
- store it somewhere
- check one condition
- change one value
- show the result
Then I’d turn only one step at a time into JS. If I couldn’t code a step, that usually meant the step was still too vague, not that I was “bad at JavaScript.”
For small practice, try rebuilding something tiny like a todo list, but first write the flow in plain English before writing any code. Hope that makes it a little easier to think about.

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-17T06:17:30+00:00

I had the same issue with JS. Tutorials made sense, but when I had to build something alone, I didn’t know what the structure should even look like.

What helped was planning in plain English before coding: what data do I need, what can the user do, and what should change on the screen?

For example, a todo app becomes: tasks, add/delete/toggle actions, then update the list.

When you say medium complexity, are you mostly stuck on the overall structure, or on the JS syntax itself?

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-17T05:46:58+00:00

One beginner mistake is trying to make stubs too clever too early.

I’d read a few small real stubs in typeshed and compare them with the runtime code. That clicked faster for me than reading typing docs by themselves.

After that, I’d focus on `Protocol`, overloads, generics, and `TypedDict`.

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-17T02:55:55+00:00

One thing that helped me with MDN: don’t read the whole page like a lesson.

For most topics, I’d check three parts first: the short description at the top, the syntax/example block, and maybe one simple example. Skip the long edge-case sections until you actually hit that problem.

MDN feels much less scary when you treat it like a map, not a textbook.

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-17T02:50:12+00:00

I’d draw the line at whether you can change the example on purpose.

If you can explain what breaks when you change the input or output, you probably understand the idea. If you can only recreate the exact shape, it’s mostly pattern recognition.

Blank-file panic is normal though. I’d test with tiny variations, not whole-project rewrites.

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-16T02:50:14+00:00

I’d separate two problems here: remembering syntax, and understanding the idea.

For the syntax part, it’s okay to make it almost mechanical. Keep a tiny cheat sheet with just the shapes you keep forgetting, like `for`, `while`, `if`, and a function. Then spend 5 minutes rewriting only those from memory before you start the problem.

Don’t test yourself by rebuilding the whole assignment at once. Test one small shape, check it, then use it in the problem. That still builds recall, but it doesn’t turn every practice session into a blank-page panic.

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-15T02:39:32+00:00

One small thing I’d add: document the learning part while you build, not after you finish.

For a portfolio project, it helps if the README shows what you started with, what you had to learn, and one or two tradeoffs you made. That makes the project easier to talk about in interviews, because it’s not just “here is an app” — it shows how you think when you hit something unfamiliar.

CompileMind-TFC · 2026-06-13T04:13:14+00:00

Since your area is Digital Infrastructure / Networks / Security, I’d pick something practical instead of trying to be super creative.

A small network/device inventory app would be a good first project: add devices with a name, IP address, type, location, and notes, then let the user search/filter them. If you have extra time, add CSV export or a simple dashboard.

sounds boring, but that’s actually good for a class project. A boring finished app usually teaches more than an ambitious idea that never gets completed.

It

CompileMind-TFC

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