Hi everyone,

I’ve been practicing competitive programming for a while, but sometimes I still feel lost when approaching new problems in contests.

I’d like to hear from more experienced participants: - How do you usually start solving a problem after reading the statement? - Do you first try to find patterns with examples, or directly think about algorithms/data structures? - How do you decide when to give up on one problem and switch to another during a contest? - Do you have a personal “checklist” or strategy that helps you avoid getting stuck?

I think hearing about different approaches and habits would help not only me, but also many others who are learning.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!