I've been at it intensively for a couple months and my mind simply refuses to cooperate. If anything, after having done 400+ problems I seem to be worse at them than when I started.Yup -- brain fog, paralysis and negative performance are the sure-fire signs of burnout (as least as pertains to your capacity for grinding LC). Excellent preparation for the daily grind of actually working for companies that rely on these tests.
Leetcode isn't about fun and challenging things, it's about thinking in one particular way, spitting out solutions using the same exact data structures and jumping through hoops on command without philosophizing or creating anything that can be reused/extended.
Exactly. And these are apparently precisely the "skills" these companies are "desperately" seeking to find among the engineers they invite for an on-site interview.
And don't forget the strong "culture fit" signal indicated by the sheer willingness to grind, grind, grind.
You memorize, regurgitate and participate in the agile masquerade. Creativity is shunned. Tried architectures/patterns are what is expected.
That's ticket. This is exactly the mindset these companies are after. That's why they swear up and down on the efficacy of these tests.
On the bright side: at least you've been freed of any illusions, by this point, about the intrinsic value of your advanced hard science degree.
Yup -- brain fog, paralysis and negative performance are the sure-fire signs of burnout (as least as pertains to your capacity for grinding LC). Excellent preparation for the daily grind of actually working for companies that rely on these tests.
Leetcode isn't about fun and challenging things, it's about thinking in one particular way, spitting out solutions using the same exact data structures and jumping through hoops on command without philosophizing or creating anything that can be reused/extended.
Exactly. And these are apparently precisely the "skills" these companies are "desperately" seeking to find among the engineers they invite for an on-site interview.
And don't forget the strong "culture fit" signal indicated by the sheer willingness to grind, grind, grind.
You memorize, regurgitate and participate in the agile masquerade. Creativity is shunned. Tried architectures/patterns are what is expected.
That's ticket. This is exactly the mindset these companies are after. That's why they swear up and down on the efficacy of these tests.
On the bright side: at least you've been freed of any illusions, by this point, about the intrinsic value of your advanced hard science degree.