What is the optimal amount of time to stay on a problem in order to improve your skills?

Revision en1, by dunpeal, 2018-07-24 17:51:40

Typically upon reading a problem, I either see the solution immediately, or get stuck with no idea how to proceed. Getting stuck usually mean spending hours just thinking about it slowly, getting distracted, and failing to make any progress.

What is the optimal amount of time to remain stuck on the problem before reading the editorial solution?

For example, if I spend 5-6 hours in "stuck" mode, not working on anything else, and often still failing to solve the problem — it seems like an inefficient waste of valuable practice time.

Of course, just giving up and solving easy problems doesn't improve my skills either. I already know how to solve these easier problems.

Tags practice, best practices, improvement

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  Rev. Lang. By When Δ Comment
en3 English dunpeal 2018-07-24 18:00:31 4 Tiny change: 'e problem at the end &' -> 'e problem in the end &'
en2 English dunpeal 2018-07-24 17:52:58 91
en1 English dunpeal 2018-07-24 17:51:40 776 Initial revision (published)