**1. Rating Isn’t Everything**↵
↵
Many beginners (including me) are obsessed over rating, but the real goal should be skill improvement. A higher rating is just a side effect of getting better at problem-solving.↵
↵
**2. The Real Game Starts After the Contest**↵
↵
Most learning happens after a contest, not during it. Upsolving is where you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.↵
↵
**3. Debugging is a Skill**↵
↵
Competitive programming isn't just about solving problems—it’s about solving them correctly. Learning to debug fast (without relying too much on IDEs) is an underrated skill.↵
↵
**4. Problem Tags Can Trick You**↵
↵
Relying too much on problem tags can slow down your growth. If you always filter problems by tags, you might miss out on developing raw problem-solving skills.↵
↵
**5. Never Trust Sample Cases Blindly**↵
↵
Many problems have weak sample cases that don’t expose hidden edge cases. If your solution passes the samples but fails on submission, try these:↵
↵
Test with all zeros, all ones, or sorted arrays↵
Try minimum and maximum constraints↵
↵
**Conclusion**↵
↵
There’s a lot more to Codeforces than just solving problems. These small realizations have helped me a lot, and I hope they help you too. What are some unwritten rules you’ve learned? Let me know in the comments!↵
↵
↵
Many beginners (including me) are obsessed over rating, but the real goal should be skill improvement. A higher rating is just a side effect of getting better at problem-solving.↵
↵
**2. The Real Game Starts After the Contest**↵
↵
Most learning happens after a contest, not during it. Upsolving is where you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.↵
↵
**3. Debugging is a Skill**↵
↵
Competitive programming isn't just about solving problems—it’s about solving them correctly. Learning to debug fast (without relying too much on IDEs) is an underrated skill.↵
↵
**4. Problem Tags Can Trick You**↵
↵
Relying too much on problem tags can slow down your growth. If you always filter problems by tags, you might miss out on developing raw problem-solving skills.↵
↵
**5. Never Trust Sample Cases Blindly**↵
↵
Many problems have weak sample cases that don’t expose hidden edge cases. If your solution passes the samples but fails on submission, try these:↵
↵
Test with all zeros, all ones, or sorted arrays↵
Try minimum and maximum constraints↵
↵
**Conclusion**↵
↵
There’s a lot more to Codeforces than just solving problems. These small realizations have helped me a lot, and I hope they help you too. What are some unwritten rules you’ve learned? Let me know in the comments!↵
↵
