I Focused on the Thinking, the Solutions Followed

I Focused on the Thinking, the Solutions Followed

Hi, I’m Dhrumil Sheth, a final year B.Tech Computer Science and Engineering student at Nirma University. I’ve always been interested in problem solving, DSA, and software development. During my preparation, I focused on strengthening my fundamentals, solving a wide variety of problems, and becoming comfortable with technical interviews.

I also had the opportunity to intern at Mastercard as a Software Engineering Intern, where I worked on backend development using Java and Spring Boot. Recently, I was placed at Infosys as a Specialist Programmer L2.

Making Sense of DSA

takeUforward played an important role in strengthening my DSA and problem solving fundamentals.

The A2Z DSA Sheet gave me a structured way to cover topics instead of randomly solving problems. More importantly, it helped me understand:

• How to approach unfamiliar problems

• How to identify common problem solving patterns

• How to think about different approaches before jumping to a solution

• How to build confidence through regular practice

Over time, this changed the way I looked at DSA. I became more focused on understanding the approach rather than simply remembering the final solution.

Strengthening the Other Pieces

My preparation revolved around three things: strong fundamentals, consistent problem solving, and regular revision.

I worked through DSA topic by topic and made sure my concepts were clear before moving ahead. Alongside DSA, I prepared the subjects that commonly came up during technical interviews:

• OOP

• DBMS

• Operating Systems

• Computer Networks

• SQL

• Core programming concepts

I also spent time solving problems under time constraints, which helped me become faster and more comfortable when facing pressure during coding rounds.

Before interviews, I focused on revising important concepts and practising how I would explain my solutions rather than just solving them silently.

What Didn’t Work, Taught Me

The placement journey wasn’t just about preparing and waiting for an offer. I went through different opportunities and interviews, and each experience showed me something I could improve.

Some rounds exposed gaps in my preparation, while others helped me understand what I was already doing well. I used each experience as feedback and kept working on the areas where I felt I was falling short.

That process gradually made me more comfortable with both coding rounds and technical discussions.

Learn the Why Behind the How

My biggest advice is to start early and stay consistent. You don’t need to solve hundreds of problems every day.

• Focus on a few quality problems and understand them properly.

• Learn why a solution works instead of memorising it.

• Build strong DSA and CS fundamentals.

• Work on a few meaningful projects and understand them deeply.

• Practise explaining your solutions and projects clearly.

• Don’t compare your progress with someone else’s.

Everyone has a different pace. What matters is being able to keep moving forward for a long enough period.

When Consistency Came Together

My placement journey was a combination of DSA practice, academics, projects, technical preparation, and learning from every interview experience.

takeUforward’s resources gave me a strong foundation for coding rounds and technical interviews, while the rest of the preparation helped me become more well rounded.

After months of preparation, setbacks, and learning, securing the Specialist Programmer L2 role at Infosys felt like a meaningful milestone.

Looking back, the biggest lesson I’ve taken from the journey is simple: stay consistent, learn from every setback, and keep improving even when the results take time.