I've always wondered about the optimal way to practice (I even did spam some reds back in the days), and while there definitely isn't any "magic" that's going to accelerate your growth, a mere psychological factor did result in immense growth for me after being stuck for so long (my rating increased from 1523 to 1853 in three months and my level was consistent, in other words it wasn't just some lucky contests). Yet, I still have many questions unanswered. For instance, can sometimes too much practicing lead to detrimental results?

Because of this, I, alongside Lime. designed a brief survey (it takes less than two minutes to fill) to gather insights from programmers across different levels. Currently, we have 94 responses. Hopefully, after having big enough sample, I'll be sharing the results on what factors really affect one's growth and what don't.

Please take two minutes to fill the survey here: survey

If you believe there are additional factors that I should include in the survey—perhaps something unique from your personal experience—please don’t hesitate to DM me or comment down below.

This year's Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad (APIO) will take place on the 18-th of May.

For those who don't know about APIO, it's an IOI-style competition with 3 tasks and 5 hours and it serves as one of the main team selection tests for IOI 2024 for most of the participating countries. You can find more on apio2024.org

Let's discuss problems/cutoffs/results here in the comments after the contest (and the mirror, if there's any) ends.

Looking forward to a great contest!

As we approach the end of another year, I believe it's the perfect time to reflect on our achievements, lessons learned, and set our sights on new goals for the upcoming one.

Looking back at 2023, each one of us has made significant progress and overcome obstacles in our journey, there were moments of triumph that will forever be etched in our memories, and other times when we stumbled, faced setbacks, and encountered failure. It was a year full of pride, motivation, frustration and hard work.

2024 holds immense potential for further growth and success. It's a blank canvas waiting for us to paint our dreams and set new targets. I'm thrilled to read about your accomplishments and dreams for 2024. Wishing you all a fantastic end to 2023 and a remarkable start to 2024!

Hey everyone,

I've recently participated in IOI 2023 and unfortunately, I didn't get the results I was hoping for. However, I'm determined to improve my skills and do better in IOI 2024.

To achieve this goal, I'm looking for a mate to practice OI style problems with and get comfortable with this type, as this can make the journey more fun and effective. We can discuss hard problems, help each other understand solutions, and motivate each other to keep going.

Ideally, I'm looking for someone who has a Master or Candidate Master rating on Codeforces so that we can be at a similar level. But most importantly, I'm looking for someone who is committed, communicative, and open to learning.

If you're interested, please feel free to reach out to me. Let's make IOI 2024 our best year yet!

The upcoming IOI is not just an opportunity to compete but also a chance to connect with like-minded individuals, learn about different cultures, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

I think it'd be great if we could gather and exchange souvenirs. This could be something as simple as a keychain or a postcard from your home country. It's a great way to meet new people and make connections that could last long after the contest is over.

If you're interested in exchanging souvenirs, leave a comment on what you can bring and see if someone is interested in trading with you.

See you in Hungary!!

Since our TST is near (25 / 4), I was thinking about a way to stress test my code on windows without having to write a messy code or a 100 lines script, is this possible in some way ?

Hello. Today was Info1Cup 2023 It is an OI-Style contest with 3 problems and 4 hours(exceptionally 5 today because the server was down). You can find more information on the official site info1cup. Let's discuss problems/cutoffs/results here in the comments after the contest (and the mirror) ends.

You can find out about day one results here: standings

Upd: Final standings are here

Upd2: Results are out!!