At present, competitive programming is gaining popularity everywhere, and it's not only limited to Computer Science students either. But between all the noise, it is hard for a beginner to navigate the way towards excelling in competitive programming, and there are several misconceptions too. One major misconception surrounding competitive programming is that it enhances one's software development skills. While it is true that competitive programming increases problem-solving skills and other skills like analytical and critical abilities and logical thinking, it has almost little to no relation with software development. On that note, competitive programming has less to do with industry and more with being prepared for the industry. Google News LinkFor all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The bottom line is that competitive programming is a specific skill set similar to many other skill sets, and it is incorrect to assume that being an expert in it would automatically result in being an expert in other unrelated fields. Another issue that arises for a beginner is what to learn and how to learn. The programmer becomes torn between mastering data structure and algorithms, and solving problems. It creates a paradoxical scenario, where a programmer might learn all the relevant data structures and algorithms but can't solve problems due to inexperience. But on the other hand, if they try to solve problems, they need the knowledge of data structures and algorithms. To solve this issue, "learn on the go" is a better approach. It is the practice of only learning something when it is needed. The programmer should try to solve problems based on the knowledge they have already gained at first, and if it isn't possible at all, then only learn new techniques. This approach, while not without its drawbacks, balances the issue of learning versus solving. Seeking help and looking at solutions is a major issue many competitive programmers have to deal with. Being an expert in competitive programming requires a lot of time and effort, and no one can learn everything all by themselves. Seeking help from other programmers, seniors, the programming community in the respective institution or online forums like Stack Overflow is very important. Stack Overflow resources are quite handy, as the forum has been running for a long time. The same goes for looking at solutions online. In the beginning, programmers have a hard time looking at solutions because of the mindset of "Why should I look for solutions? Isn't it a problem that I can solve without looking?" But this is counter-productive for several reasons. Read more Skills you need to build a successful career in tech When a programmer is stuck with a problem for a long time, not looking at the solution and keeping on trying is unnecessary and wastes time. Checking the solution and taking it as a learning experience is more fruitful because understanding others' codes is also a valuable skill, and the programmer can use the knowledge of the solutions in later problems.