Achilles Heel of Coding Test Failures — And an Attempt to Heal It (Pun!)
I have always been terrible at coding tests. But, perhaps, it’s time to fix this Achilles heel of mine.
You know, there are many things that are problematic with me. For example, I recently wrote the GATE Exam (and I am chronicling my GATE MTech journey, here, if you want to read it) and after writing it, I know that I have done so bad, I won’t even qualify the basic score.
I have written about my failures in test scenarios before.
Of course, it’s weird but not entirely unexpected, but, still I have a decent thing going as a freelancer coding tutor and software developer since 2012.
I earn a livelihood in the IT industry, without even the basic protection of a salaried job. So, I must have some engineering skills in software. I also have some decent tutoring skills. Look at this client feedback. This one was a year long work assignment. So, clearly, I have some skills.
Still, the recent GATE experience showed me that, especially now, as I grow older and keep asking for more money from my clients, the ‘test’ situation is becoming untenable. It’s not hail Mary time yet, but it might become one. Or I must resign myself to making less money in my twilight years.
I also express regret for NOT showing more focus on the theoretical aspects of computer science engineering during my college days. I had the brains, the time, the patience and the acumen for it. I did not take advantage of it. I took advantage of these abilities of mine for other venures (romance, career advancement), but not for computer science engineering.
So, what can I do about it. Well, one possible solution amongst several. For some years now, I have been award of websites that help a person get better at coding tests.
One of them is LeetCode.
So, I decided to jump into the LeetCode site, purchased the annual subscription (man, it’s expensive!), and started solving the ‘easy’ puzzles. Hopefully I will keep doing this till I solve a few hundred puzzles. It’s very early, but, already, my lack of knowledge of engineering basics is affecting how I solve things.
https://leetcode.com/vijayasimhabr/
On the plus side, it also means, I can now learn these things that I never learnt. Fill the holes in the water basket.
Hire me at UpWork or Fiverr or GitHub. more about me on my personal profile, and also on my personal website.
