🎯 2-Month DSA Plan for Working Professionals: FAANG Interview Preparation
Category: dsa
Difficulty: hard
Interview Importance: 🔴 Critical — A structured 8-week plan designed for full-time professionals to achieve FAANG-level Medium problem confidence with just 45-60 minutes daily commitment. This comprehensive guide is specifically designed for working professionals who: Work full-time and can dedicate 45-60 minutes on weekdays and 2-3 hours on weekends Want to target FAANG or top-tier company interviews Need a structured, proven roadmap with high pattern repetition Aim to solve ~90 curated problems in 8 weeks with spaced repetition 📋 Table of Contents Plan Overview Core Principles & Rules Week-by-Week Breakdown Daily Structure Progress Checkpoints Pattern Recognition Framework Common Interview Questions Common Pitfalls Time & Space Complexity Guide Summary 1️⃣ Plan Overview Target Goal [code example] Why This Plan Works Traditional Approach Random 500+ problems 3-4 hours daily One-time solve Scattered None Real-World Analogy: Think of this like learning a musical instrument. You don't become a pianist by playing 500 different songs once. You master 20-30 pieces through deliberate practice, repetition, and pattern recognition. Similarly, these 90 problems teach you the 8 patterns that cover 80% of interview questions. 2️⃣ Core Principles & Rules (Non-Negotiable) Rule 1: No Problem Hopping [code example] Why this matters: Struggling builds problem-solving muscles Quick solution reading creates false confidence Re-solving cements the pattern Rule 2: Document Everything (2 Things Per Problem) For every problem solved, write: Pattern + Invariant (2 lines max) [code example] Time + Space Complexity [code example] Rule 3: Spaced Repetition [code example] Why this matters: Forgetting and re-learning strengthens neural pathways Prevents "I've seen this before but can't solve it" syndrome Builds true pattern recognition 3️⃣ Week-by-Week Breakdown Week 1: Arrays + Two Pointers (Foundation) 🎯 Goal: Stop feeling "blank" when seeing array problems 📊 Problem Distribution: 12 pro...