{"slug": "my-first-step-into-leetcode-and-problem-solving-journey", "title": "My First Step into LeetCode and Problem Solving Journey", "summary": "A BSIT student passionate about software engineering and machine learning began a consistent problem-solving journey on LeetCode, starting with the 'Merge Strings Alternately' problem. The student learned to traverse two strings simultaneously, handle different lengths, and build a new string step by step, gaining confidence in data structures and algorithms.", "body_md": "As a BSIT student passionate about Software Engineering, Data Structures & Algorithms, and Machine Learning, I have recently begun a consistent problem-solving journey on LeetCode. This is my first step toward improving my coding skills and strengthening my logical thinking.\n\nOne of the first problems I worked on was “Merge Strings Alternately”. At first, it looked simple, but it helped me understand how important it is to break problems into smaller steps and think clearly about edge cases.\n\nThrough this problem, I learned how to:\n\nTraverse two strings simultaneously\n\nHandle different lengths of input\n\nBuild a new string step by step\n\nImprove my coding efficiency in Python\n\nHere is a simple approach I used:\n\nUse two pointers for both strings\n\nAlternate characters from each string\n\nAppend remaining characters when one string ends\n\nThis small problem gave me confidence that consistent practice is the key to improving in DSA.\n\nKey Takeaways\n\nStart with small problems and build consistency\n\nFocus on logic, not just syntax\n\nPractice improves speed and confidence\n\nEvery problem teaches something new\n\nThis is just the beginning of my journey. I will continue solving problems, learning new concepts, and sharing my progress here on Medium.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/my-first-step-into-leetcode-and-problem-solving-journey", "canonical_source": "https://dev.to/hassam645/my-first-step-into-leetcode-and-problem-solving-journey-4pi5", "published_at": "2026-06-17 17:56:51+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-17 18:21:50.289124+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["machine-learning", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["LeetCode"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/my-first-step-into-leetcode-and-problem-solving-journey", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/my-first-step-into-leetcode-and-problem-solving-journey.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/my-first-step-into-leetcode-and-problem-solving-journey.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/my-first-step-into-leetcode-and-problem-solving-journey.jsonld"}}