I Stopped Seeing DSA as Just a Placement Tool

Hi, I'm Shashank, a recent graduate from St. Martin's Engineering College, Hyderabad.

I joined TUF+ through the early bird offer while I was still in college, and it became an important part of my learning journey.

DSA Started Feeling Different

TUF+ helped me strengthen my DSA fundamentals, but the bigger change was in how I looked at DSA.

I stopped learning it just to crack interviews and started treating it as a problem solving skill. That shift helped me approach both coding problems and real development challenges with more confidence.

Daily Practice Became the Plan

My preparation was simple:

• Strengthened my basics.

• Solved problems every day.

• Made my own notes.

• Focused on understanding concepts.

• Avoided chasing shortcuts.

There was no complicated strategy, just consistent effort and patience.

DSA Became a Long Term Skill

My advice to juniors is not to treat DSA as something you learn only because placements require it.

Think of it as a lifelong skill that improves the way you think and solve problems.

• Learn → Practise → Understand → Apply

With consistent practice, problem solving gradually becomes part of the way you approach challenges.

The Opportunity Wasn't Handed to Me

My placement journey was completely self driven.

• Explored opportunities independently.

• Applied to startups on my own.

• Prepared independently for interviews.

• Cleared multiple interview rounds.

• Started as an intern and eventually transitioned to a full time role.

There was no direct involvement from my college in securing the opportunity. I found it, prepared for it, and earned it through the interview process.

The Path I Built Myself

The journey started with learning DSA in college and eventually led to something much bigger. I joined Aeza as an intern and today work there full time as a Founding Engineer.

The biggest lesson from the journey is simple: consistent learning can create opportunities, even when you have to find them yourself.