I Thought I Had to Move Fast But I Was Wrong

Hi, I'm Viraj Nalbalwar, a final year B.Tech Computer Engineering student at COEP Technological University.

I Thought More Questions Would Make Me Better

My placement journey was built on consistency rather than speed.

The TUF+ DSA Sheet gave me the structure I needed. Instead of randomly solving problems, I followed the roadmap topic by topic and focused on understanding the intuition behind each solution.

My approach was simple:

• Follow the roadmap consistently.

• Understand the intuition behind every problem.

• Revise previously solved questions regularly.

• Focus on understanding rather than simply completing the sheet.

I Knew DSA Alone Wouldn't Be Enough

Alongside DSA, I also focused on building practical experience through:

• Projects

• Internships

• Real world development work

Problem solving practice

This combination helped me strengthen both my technical fundamentals and practical skills.

Slowly, The Results Started Coming

The consistent effort eventually helped me secure a Software Engineering Internship at Mastercard, which later converted into a Pre Placement Offer.

Looking back, I believe the combination of structured preparation and practical experience made the biggest difference.

I Slowed Down, and My Preparation Got Better

My biggest takeaway is simple:

• Don't rush to finish. Focus on understanding.

• Follow one structured roadmap.

• Understand the reasoning behind solutions.

• Revise regularly.

• Build projects alongside DSA.

• Stay consistent even when progress feels slow.

Over time, the small efforts start adding up.

The Work Behind Mastercard

• TUF+ DSA Sheet → Consistent Practice → Projects & Internships → Mastercard Internship → Pre Placement Offer

A big thank you to Striver and the entire TUF team for creating a structured platform that made my preparation much more organised and focused.