Day 1 Checklist — August 1, 2026¶

This is the exact list of actions to complete on your first day. It is designed to be completed in 2–3 hours total. Do not extend it, do not add to it, do not do it “later today.” Complete it in order. When you finish, you will have zero friction between now and solving your first real problem.

Pre-Checklist: What You Need¶

A laptop with internet
A browser (Chrome or Firefox)
2–3 hours of uninterrupted time
A cup of coffee or tea. You know which.

The Checklist¶

Block 1: Accounts (30 minutes)¶

1. Create or log in to LeetCode

URL: leetcode.com
Create an account if you don’t have one. Use a username you’re comfortable with publicly.
Go to: leetcode.com/problemset → verify you can see problems. You should see Easy/Medium/Hard filters.
Note your LeetCode username: _______________

2. Create a Codeforces account

URL: codeforces.com/register
Choose a handle carefully — it is permanent and public in the CF community. Most people use a variant of their name or a pseudonym.
Verify your email immediately (check spam folder).
Go to: codeforces.com/problemset?tags=implementation&order=BY_RATING_ASC → verify you can see rated problems.
Note your CF handle: _______________

3. Create a CSES account

URL: cses.fi → Register
Simple account — just email and password.
Go to: cses.fi/problemset → verify you see the problem categories (Introductory Problems, Sorting and Searching, etc.)

4. Create an AtCoder account

URL: atcoder.jp → Sign Up
Note: AtCoder sends a verification email. May take a few minutes. If email is in Japanese, Google Translate helps.
Verify you can access: atcoder.jp/contests/abc268 (any past ABC) → you should see a problem list.

Block 2: Development Environment (45 minutes)¶

5. Install VS Code (if not installed)

URL: code.visualstudio.com
Download and install for macOS/Windows/Linux depending on your machine.
Open VS Code, verify it launches.

6. Install the C/C++ extension

In VS Code: Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on Mac) → paste: ext install ms-vscode.cpptools
Wait for installation. Reload VS Code if prompted.
Verify: Open a new file, save as test.cpp. You should see syntax highlighting.

7. Install Competitive Programming Helper (CPH)

In VS Code: Ctrl+P → paste: ext install DivyanshuAgrawal.competitive-programming-helper
After installation: View menu → look for “CPH: Judge” panel (it may appear as a sidebar icon)
Verify it’s installed: you should see a CPH icon in the VS Code activity bar (left sidebar)

8. Install Competitive Companion in your browser

Chrome: Open Chrome Web Store (chromewebstore.google.com) → search “Competitive Companion” → Install
Firefox: Open Firefox Add-ons → search “Competitive Companion” → Add to Firefox
You should see the Competitive Companion icon (blue circle with a plus) in your browser toolbar
Test it: Open codeforces.com/problemset/problem/1/A → click the Competitive Companion icon → it should trigger CPH in VS Code to receive the test cases

Block 3: Repository Setup (20 minutes)¶

9. Create your GitHub repo

URL: github.com/new
Repository name: dsa-journey (exactly this — it’s clean and searchable)
Description: “9-month DSA and competitive programming journey. Start: Aug 1, 2026.”
Visibility: Public (makes you accountable) or Private (your call)
Initialize with a README
Click “Create repository”

10. Clone the repo locally

cd ~/Desktop   # or wherever you want it
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/dsa-journey.git
cd dsa-journey

11. Create the folder structure

mkdir -p leetcode/{arrays,two_pointers,sliding_window,stacks,trees,graphs,dp}
mkdir -p cses/{sorting_searching,trees,graphs,dp}
mkdir -p codeforces/{div3,div2,educational}
mkdir -p templates
mkdir scratch

12. Create your template files

Create template.cpp in the repo root:

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

typedef long long ll;
typedef vector<int> vi;
typedef pair<int,int> pii;

#define pb push_back
#define all(x) (x).begin(), (x).end()
#define sz(x) (int)(x).size()

const int INF = 1e9;
const ll LLINF = 1e18;
const int MOD = 1e9 + 7;

void solve() {
    // your solution here
}

int main() {
    ios_base::sync_with_stdio(false);
    cin.tie(NULL);
    int t = 1;
    // cin >> t;
    while (t--) solve();
    return 0;
}

Create problem_log.md in the repo root (copy the template from 02_problem_tracking.md).

13. First commit

git add .
git commit -m "Day 1: repo setup, template files, folder structure"
git push origin main

Block 5: Community Joins (15 minutes)¶

14. Join NeetCode Discord

Go to neetcode.io → find Discord link (typically in the footer or community page)
Join the server. Introduce yourself in the #introductions channel if one exists. Brief: “ML engineer, rebuilding DSA foundations, working through NeetCode 150 over 9 months.”

15. Join r/learnprogramming

reddit.com/r/learnprogramming → click “Join”
Do not post yet. Spend 15 minutes reading recent DSA threads to calibrate community quality.

16. Follow TLE Eliminators on YouTube

Search “TLE Eliminators” on YouTube → Subscribe + Notifications
This gives you the CSES video solution resource when you reach Phase 2.

Block 6: Calendar Blocking (15 minutes)¶

17. Block your weekly study time in your calendar app

The schedule that works for a full-time job in India:

Weekdays (pick 3–4 days):
  7:00 AM – 8:30 AM   OR   8:30 PM – 10:30 PM
  (1.5–2 hours before work or after work)
  
Weekend:
  Saturday: 3–4 hours (morning session)
  Sunday: 1.5–2 hours (review + weekly audit)

Total: ~10–14 hours/week. Block these time slots as recurring events in Google Calendar / Zoho Calendar. Mark them as “Busy” so meetings don’t eat them.

What to name the calendar event: “DSA Block” — not “Study” or “Learning,” which your brain quietly deprioritizes. A specific name makes it concrete.

Block 7: First Problem (30 minutes)¶

18. Solve LeetCode Problem #1: Two Sum

URL: leetcode.com/problems/two-sum/

Why this problem specifically: Two Sum is the canonical introduction to HashMap pattern — the single most widely applicable pattern in LeetCode Medium problems. It teaches that O(n²) brute force (check every pair) has an O(n) solution when you realize “instead of searching for the complement, store what you’ve seen.” This is the first pattern inversion you’ll see dozens of times.

Instructions:

Read the problem.
Write the brute force first (O(n²), two loops). Submit it. See it pass.
Ask yourself: can I do this in one pass?
Think for 10 minutes.
Implement the HashMap solution: for each number, check if (target - num) is already in the map. If yes, return both indices. If no, add num → index to the map.
Submit. Observe the runtime improvement.

Log it in problem_log.md:

| 1 | LC-1 | Two Sum | 2026-08-01 | ✅ | Xm | HashMap O(n) lookup | |

Block 8: Final Setup Verification (5 minutes)¶

Before closing your laptop on Day 1, verify:

You can access all 4 bookmarked judges (LeetCode, CF, CSES, AtCoder) and log in
VS Code opens your template.cpp with syntax highlighting
CPH panel is visible in VS Code
Competitive Companion works on at least one judge (test on codeforces.com/problemset/problem/1/A)
Your GitHub repo is live with at least one commit
Calendar has recurring DSA blocks for the next 4 weeks
Two Sum is logged in problem_log.md

What Day 2 Looks Like¶

Tomorrow, you start Phase 0. Open Striver’s A2Z DSA sheet (takeuforward.org/data-structures/striver-a2z-dsa-course-sheet/), navigate to Step 1 (Arrays), and begin. Watch the first video, then solve the attached LeetCode problem without rewatching. Log the problem.

That’s it. That’s the whole system. You now have zero excuse for friction.

The Day 1 Compact Summary¶

Accounts created:    LeetCode  ✓  Codeforces  ✓  CSES  ✓  AtCoder  ✓
IDE setup:           VS Code + C/C++ + CPH + Competitive Companion  ✓
Repo created:        github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/dsa-journey  ✓
Bookmarks:           8 primary resources bookmarked  ✓
Communities:         NeetCode Discord + r/learnprogramming  ✓
Calendar:            10-14 hrs/week blocked  ✓
First problem:       LC-1 Two Sum solved and logged  ✓

If all boxes are checked, Day 1 is done. The 9-month clock starts now.

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