I'm in my 40s doing the leetcode grind, but weird thing is, I'm actually ENJOYING it. I get a little high when I solve a problem, and I feel good about re-learning / re-discovering data structures and algorithms that I just don't use on a day-to-day basis. I paid for the premium version and enjoy reading the solutions and maybe learning a new trick or algorithm technique or whatnot. And who knows, maybe something that I learn when grinding on some leetcode problem will actually be useful in my day job? Thinking about it, if I ever do land a MAANG job, I don't think I'll stop doing leetcode problems. Sure, I won't go crazy with it like I'm cramming for mid-terms or something, but I'll still hack on them for the pure joy of problem solving, for the sake of problem solving.
I guess where I'm going with this is, maybe change your thinking about leetcode? Don't think of it as a necessary evil in order to land a high paying job that you dread doing each night; look at it as a fun little hobby, with the nice side-effect that you're keeping your data structure knowledge, algorithms and general problem solving skills sharp.
I guess where I'm going with this is, maybe change your thinking about leetcode? Don't think of it as a necessary evil in order to land a high paying job that you dread doing each night; look at it as a fun little hobby, with the nice side-effect that you're keeping your data structure knowledge, algorithms and general problem solving skills sharp.