🧠 Problem Solving & Debugging Roadmap

Welcome! This roadmap is designed to help you build a strong foundation in problem-solving and debugging. Whether you're a beginner or aiming to sharpen your skills, follow this structured path step-by-step.

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📍 Phase 1: Fundamentals (Week 1–2)

🎯 Goal:

Understand programming basics and learn to think logically.

🔧 Topics to Cover:

• Variables, Data Types
• Loops and Conditionals
• Functions and Recursion
• Arrays, Strings, and basic Input/Output

🧩 Practice:

• HackerRank: 10 Days of JavaScript
• LeetCode Easy Problems

📚 Resources:

• freeCodeCamp - JavaScript Basics
• Book: Eloquent JavaScript (First 4 chapters)

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📍 Phase 2: Learn Data Structures & Algorithms (Week 3–5)

🎯 Goal:

Grasp essential data structures and common algorithms.

🧰 Topics:

• Arrays, Linked Lists
• Stacks, Queues
• HashMaps, Sets
• Binary Trees, Graphs (Intro)
• Sorting: Bubble, Selection, Merge, Quick
• Searching: Binary Search, BFS, DFS

🧩 Practice:

• NeetCode 75
• GeeksforGeeks – DSA for Beginners

📚 Resources:

• Book: Grokking Algorithms
• Visualizer: VisuAlgo

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📍 Phase 3: Master Problem Solving Patterns (Week 6–8)

🎯 Goal:

Apply techniques to solve unknown problems efficiently.

🔄 Patterns:

• Sliding Window
• Two Pointers
• Fast & Slow Pointers
• Divide & Conquer
• Backtracking
• Dynamic Programming (Basics)

🧩 Practice:

• LeetCode Patterns Sheet
• AlgoExpert Pattern List

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📍 Phase 4: Real Debugging Skills (Week 9–10)

🎯 Goal:

Identify and fix bugs confidently in real-world code.

🛠️ Techniques:

• Read error messages carefully
• Use print/console.log debugging
• Use IDE tools (VS Code Debugger, breakpoints)
• Binary search in code (narrow down)
• Rubber duck debugging
• Unit testing

🧩 Debugging Practice:

• Solve buggy problems: Codewars, Exercism
• Create intentional bugs in your code and fix them

🧪 Tools:

• Chrome DevTools
• VS Code Debugger
• Node.js Debugging
• Python pdb / JavaScript debugger keyword

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📍 Phase 5: Competitive Programming & Deep Dive (Ongoing)

🎯 Goal:

Tackle complex problems under constraints and improve speed.

🧩 Platforms:

• Codeforces
• AtCoder
• LeetCode Weekly Contest

🧠 Learn:

• Time & Space Complexity
• Mathematical Problems
• Advanced DP & Graph Problems

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🗃️ Tools for Practice

Tool	Purpose
LeetCode	Problem-solving platform
GeeksforGeeks	DSA learning & practice
VS Code	IDE for writing/debugging code
Codeforces	Competitive programming

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📈 Tips to Improve Consistently

• Practice daily — consistency is key.
• Solve at least 2–3 problems per day.
• After solving a problem, explain it aloud.
• Revisit problems you failed after 2–3 days.
• Join developer communities like Discord, Reddit, StackOverflow.

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📅 Sample Weekly Plan

Day	Task
Mon–Fri	2 Problems + 1 Debug Challenge
Sat	Learn a new pattern/technique
Sun	Revisit wrong problems + contest

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✅ Final Checklist

• Know basic data structures
• Comfortable with problem patterns
• Debug efficiently using tools
• Solve medium-hard LeetCode problems
• Participate in coding contests

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Start now — even 20 minutes a day can create a big change. Good luck, coder! 🚀