I wish I got into competitive programming earlier...

WIP! Last updated Oct 26 2025 while I am still updating my site

I’m taking a class for Competitive Programming, and it’s been really great. I love the competition format, improving at DSA, and practicing my implementation.

But man, I wish I started earlier.

I mean, it’s not like I was doing nothing before college, but like…I’ve learned so much in comparison (maybe it’s just the CS grindset…). I did some competitive math in middle/high school, but I was never super elite and I think I grew less fond of it over time. The fast computation and clever idea parts appealed more than the mature evaluation of formal logic, which became more present as levels rose. But CP - it felt so exciting, with more opportunities to perform online (like chess…which I also played a lot more than I should have) and ALSO the actual, practical benefit of fast typing (I did not know how to touch type) and technical interview practice (though objectively, they are not a good measure of coding/problem solving proficiency). If I had this drive, I could have been, like, really good. Super good? Quite good. I got to around 2200, or top 99.9% on chess.com for reference.

I wonder how many other people had a similar regret. If only I’d known. But all we can do is carry on, keys clacked ceaselessly into the past; the second best time is now. Huh. That sounds familiar…