The Trial of Coding Tests and a Shift to Practice

Hello, this is Haruta Watanabe.

First, I apologize for the delay in this post.

While I usually develop mobile apps and websites, I have now completed the 21st week of my studies with a view towards a career as a software engineer and data scientist. This week, I took a major turn from input-centric learning to practical output with an eye on job hunting.

Week 21 Reflection

This week, as the internship application season got underway in earnest, I actually applied to a few companies and took my first-ever coding tests.

Standing on the actual testing stage, I gained the following strong realizations (challenges):

• The gap between practice and the real thing: Unlike my usual relaxed learning environment, I acutely felt the difficulty of demonstrating 100% of my ability in a high-pressure, real-test environment.
• Strict time allocation: I faced the wall of time management: having to “come up with a solution, implement it, and complete debugging” within a limited timeframe.
• English reading comprehension: In addition to the problem statements being in English, the environment prevented copy-pasting to deter the use of translation tools. I realized that the ability to quickly read and understand technical English on my own is absolutely essential.

From these experiences, I strongly recognized the need to retrain not just my knowledge of algorithms, but my “ability to quickly and accurately output in a practical setting.”

Week 22 Goals

In week 22, I will directly utilize this week’s reflections and undertake the following:

1. Practical answer writing training
   • While continuing my algorithm studies, I will thoroughly practice in an environment closer to actual coding tests, such as doing exercises with strict time limits and reading problems in English.

Going Forward

I will continue to post a summary of my previous week’s reflection and my goals for the current week every Monday.

Thank you for your continued support.