Some words after reaching GM

I finally reached Grandmaster. And now I am to share some of my experience.

This blog is following NemanjaSo2005's blog.

Some tips related to Competitive Programming

Firstly, I will note that just because some practice method worked for me, it doesn't mean it will work for you, or in general. I will try to give some points that are either important or not that well discussed.

Competitive Programming is fun! Enjoy the problems themselves and don't always focus on ratings. CP is a matter of capability, not of reputation.

Do the proper problems. Neither too hard nor too simple. You can learn new ideas or tricks from these problem, and btw enjoy the beauty of problem solving.

Join an academic community. Ask the problems you don't understand or help others. Excellent people help each other to improve while the bad ones prevent each other from improving. Please choose to be the former.

Be focused when solving problems. You may be wrong , but it's ok to fix the wrong ideas or bugs. That's useful for improving.

Codeforces is excellent. There are many interesting problems and contests of great quality. You can use it for your training.

Conclusion

Reach GM doesn't require much talent. Instead, it requires the enthusiasm and persistent practice.

There is still a long way for me to go. And I'm not satisfied with myself, like Faust.

$$$ \\ \text{Thou shalt not rest or be content, no matter what thy accomplishments.} \\ \text{Thou must strive all the days of thy life.} \\ \text{Thou must discover all things, know all things, master all things.} $$$

That's the word I send you. Thank you for reading! I hope you found my article interesting and maybe even useful. If you have any questions, thoughts, or experiences to share—or even just want to congratulate me—please feel free to drop a comment.