Red Isn't Impossible

Red Isn't Impossible

By Bakry, 13 hours ago,

I waited for more than a year to write this blog.

I started CP in July 2017, I always dreamed about reaching red, and it finally happened. I didn't become red like talented contestants in 1-2 years, but it took me more than that.

The start of my CP journey was average (you can see my graph); It took me more than six months to reach pupil, then another six months to get specialist, and it took me more time to achieve higher ranks. I didn't have any mentor or coach. So, I asked many stupid questions, which you can find if you read my old blogs. One of these questions is, "What's the importance of Dynamic Programming?" (I drafted this blog xD), But of course, I don't motivate people to ask these types of questions as they usually can be answered by just searching.

I failed many times during my journey in CP, especially in important competitions (IOI21 and IOI22). I stopped CP many times because I was frustrated and believed I could never improve. For example, I stopped when I was a pupil because I was frustrated that I would never be a stable specialist, but then I returned to CP and decided to try again.

I want people who are stuck in the newbie or higher ranges for much time to know that if you are stuck for a long time in your rating range, it doesn't mean you can't reach higher ranks. It's normal to be stuck for some time in your rating range. What's wrong is comparing yourself with your peers, as everyone starts with a different problem-solving background.

I wrote this blog to show people that no matter how many times you fail or how much time you're stuck in your rating range, there's a light at the end of the tunnel if you keep practising. It's okay to fail many times and to have time before improvement. Don't get frustrated because of some bad contest results. Instead, Analyze what's wrong in your training and fix it. Lastly, I want to show that red isn't impossible and anyone can reach red with enough practice.