✅ Structure of the Daily To-Do Plan¶
📅 Monthly Focus (Phases)¶
Each month aligns with a sub-phase of the 3 big ones:
- Month 1–2 (Phase 1): Foundations
- Month 3–4 (Phase 2): Intermediate & Applied Knowledge
- Month 5–6 (Phase 3): Mastery, Polishing & Mock Interviews
📆 Weekly Goals¶
Each week will include:
- ✅ Weekly DSA topics with number of problems
- ✅ Java learning modules (topics + mini-projects)
- ✅ Core CS reading/lab assignments
- ✅ Weekly check-in and review (Sundays)
📋 Daily To-Do List¶
Every day will be broken into:
- ⏱ 2 hrs DSA
- ⏱ 1.5 hrs Java
- ⏱ 1 hr Core CS
- 🧠 15–30 min review or flashcards
📅 Month 1: Building the Foundations¶
🎯 Focus¶
- DSA: Arrays, Strings, Linked Lists
- Java Core: Syntax, OOP, Collections, I/O
- Core CS: Intro to OS + Computer Architecture + SQL
✅ Week 1 Plan (Day 1–7)¶
🧠 DSA: Arrays (basics, rotations, prefix sum)
🧠 Java: Syntax, basic OOP, control structures
🧠 Core CS: Intro to OS + CPU architecture
🛠️ Mini-project: Build your own ArrayList in Java
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 problems on array traversal + prefix sum | • Write "Hello Java", test input/output, loops | • Read 10 pages of "CSAPP" – digital logic | • Flashcards: Java & CS terms |
| Tue | • 2 problems (max subarray, rotate array) | • Learn methods, classes, and basic OOP | • Read 5 pages of OS (process vs program) | • Feynman: explain OOP basics |
| Wed | • 2 problems (array rearrangement) | • Write your own class with multiple methods | • Watch 1 video on CPU pipeline basics | • Note: array operations |
| Thu | • 2 problems (searching, sorting in arrays) | • Learn arrays, write utility to reverse array | • Read about OS architecture layers | • 100-word summary: OS layers |
| Fri | • 1 timed contest problem (45 mins) | • Build CLI app: mini calculator using classes | • Try a quiz (CPU + OS intro concepts) | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 harder problems (binary search based) – Review missed problems |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Start custom ArrayList implementation |
Afternoon cont'd: – Read on instruction cycles and registers |
Evening (2 hrs): – Flashcards & journaling |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 Java + 2 DSA questions | • Finalize and test ArrayList implementation | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 2 | • Plan next week's tasks |
✅ Week 2 (Strings, Collections, SQL)¶
Week 2 Focus
- DSA: Strings & 2D-arrays
- Java: List, Set, Map interfaces
- Core CS: OS scheduling algorithms; Memory hierarchy; SQL SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” string problems (reverse, palindrome) | • Explore List (ArrayList/LinkedList) |
• Read OS scheduling (FCFS, SJF) | • Flashcards: String APIs |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” string problems (substring search) | • Explore Set (HashSet/TreeSet) |
• Study memory hierarchy levels | • Feynman: explain caching |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” 2D-array problems (matrix sum) | • Explore Map (HashMap/TreeMap) |
• SQL SELECT queries basics | • Note: List vs. Map use |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” 2D-array problems (spiral order) | • Mini-app: use List/Set/Map in a contacts manager | • SQL INSERT/UPDATE statements | • Write 100-word summary |
| Fri | • 1 timed “contest-style” string + 1 array problem | • File I/O: read/write CSV of contacts | • Watch video: CPU cache behavior | • Anki (10 cards) |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): • 3 “Medium” DSA (mix) |
Afternoon (2 hrs): • Build small contact app: |
Afternoon cont’d: • Lab: create SQL tables |
Evening (2 hrs): • Flashcards & journaling |
| • Review mistakes | store in CSV, manipulate via Collections | |||
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 SQL | • Polish & test contact app | • Weekly retrospective & Week 3 plan | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 3 (Linked Lists, Generics, Joins)¶
Week 3 Focus
- DSA: Linked Lists, basic node ops
- Java: Generics, Exception handling
- Core CS: SQL JOINs; OS memory management (paging/segmentation)
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” singly-linked list ops (insert/delete) | • Intro to Generics ( |
• Practice SQL INNER/LEFT/RIGHT JOIN | • Flashcards: List |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” list reversal & cycle detection | • Write generic Pair |
• Read on paging vs. segmentation | • Feynman: explain JOINs |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” doubly-linked list traversal | • Exception basics: try/catch/finally | • Lab: simulate paging in pseudo-code | • Note: exception hierarchy |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” merge two sorted lists | • Throwing & custom exceptions | • Quiz: memory allocation strategies | • 100-word summary |
| Fri | • 1 timed linked-list contest + 1 stack problem | • Update contact app: add LinkedList-backed ops | • Watch video: TLB & page tables | • Anki (10 cards) |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): • 3 DSA (mixed hard) |
Afternoon (2 hrs): • Bulk-load data using generics |
Afternoon cont’d: • SQL JOIN performance |
Evening (2 hrs): • Flashcards & journaling |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS | • Refactor app with exception handling | • Weekly retrospective & Week 4 plan | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 4 (Stacks/Queues, I/O & Errors, Virtual Memory)¶
Week 4 Focus
- DSA: Stacks & Queues
- Java: I/O streams + Exception deep dive
- Core CS: Virtual memory; Intro to Security (hashing, auth)
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • Implement stack via array & via linked list | • Deep dive: InputStream/OutputStream | • Read on virtual memory concepts | • Flashcards: streams |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” queue problems (circular buffer) | • File I/O: copy & transform large files | • Study page replacement (LRU, FIFO) | • Feynman: explain VM |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” balanced parentheses & next greater elem | • Handle I/O exceptions; resource closing (try-with) | • Intro to hashing & checksums | • Note: exception types |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” stack-based eval (RPN calculator) | • Build CLI log parser using streams & errors | • Lab: simple hash table in pseudo-code | • 100-word summary |
| Fri | • 1 timed stack/queue contest + DP primer problem | • Refactor contact app: log I/O & exception logging | • Watch security “auth” overview | • Anki (10 cards) |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): • 3 DSA (mix stacks+queues) |
Afternoon (2 hrs): • Extend app with file logs |
Afternoon cont’d: • Virtual memory simulator |
Evening (2 hrs): • Flashcards & journaling |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS | • Finalize log-parser module | • Weekly retrospective & Month 1 review | • Plan Month 2 (Weeks 5–8) |
📅 Month 2 (Weeks 5–8): Completing Foundations¶
Month 2 Focus:
- DSA: Recursion & Backtracking → Hashing
- Java Core: Serialization, NIO, JDBC & basic ORM
- Core CS: OS Processes/Threads, Memory Mgmt, DBMS Intro & Transactions, Security Intro
✅ Week 5 (Recursion & Serialization)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” recursion: factorial, Fibonacci | • Read Java Serialization API; mark a class Serializable |
• Read OS: processes vs threads (Silberschatz Ch 3) | • Flashcards: recursion & Serializable |
| Tue | • 2 recursion “Medium”: recursive string reverse, digit sum | • Practice serialize/deserialize object to file | • Study context switching & simple scheduler | • Feynman: explain process vs thread |
| Wed | • 2 tree-recursion skeletons (pre/post-order stubs) | • Explore java.nio.file.Path & Files; write file walker |
• Thread lifecycle & states | • Note: NIO vs classic IO |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” w/ memoization: climb-stairs, grid paths | • ByteBuffer & Channels: copy large file via NIO | • Sync primitives: locks & semaphores | • 100-word summary: sync |
| Fri | • 1 timed recursion “Medium” + 1 DP-primer problem | • Integrate serialization into contact app (save/load) | • Encryption basics: symmetric vs asymmetric | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning: 3 hard recursion+memo problems | Afternoon: finalize serialization module in app | Afternoon: lab: simulate context switch pseudocode | Evening: journaling + flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz: 1 recursion, 1 serialization, 1 OS, 1 security | • Polish & test serialization in project | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 6 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 6 (Backtracking & JDBC)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” backtracking: subsets | • Install MySQL/PostgreSQL & JDBC driver | • Read OS memory mgmt: paging vs segmentation | • Flashcards: JDBC & paging |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” backtracking: permutations | • JDBC: simple SELECT & INSERT |
• Study fragmentation: internal vs external | • Feynman: explain fragmentation |
| Wed | • 2 “Medium” combination-sum problems | • JDBC: PreparedStatement & parameterization |
• Intro to DB transactions | • Note: prep-stmt vs stmt |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” subset-sum w/ pruning | • JDBC: commit & rollback; demo transaction mgmt |
• DB normalization: 1NF, 2NF, 3NF | • 100-word summary: normalization |
| Fri | • 1 timed backtracking + 1 “Easy” hashing | • Add JDBC CRUD ops to contact app | • Lab: design ER model for contact app | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning: 3 mixed backtracking problems | Afternoon: refine DB integration & exception handling | Afternoon: write SQL DDL/DML for ER model | Evening: journaling + flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz: 1 backtracking, 1 JDBC, 1 OS, 1 DBMS | • Polish JDBC module & add unit tests | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 7 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 7 (Hashing & Transactions)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” hashing: Two-Sum, Anagram-Grouping | • JDBC batch operations | • DB indexing fundamentals (B-trees vs hash index) | • Flashcards: hashing & indexing |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” hashing: Subarray-sum, Word-pattern | • Set up simple connection pool (e.g., HikariCP) | • ACID properties & transaction states | • Feynman: explain ACID |
| Wed | • 2 “Medium” LRU-Cache implementation | • Demo transaction isolation levels | • Lab: index-selection for sample queries | • Note: isolation levels |
| Thu | • 2 contest-style hashing + collision problem | • Intro to JPA/Hibernate: map one entity | • Security: Auth vs Authorization (JWT basics) | • 100-word summary: JWT flow |
| Fri | • 1 timed hashing contest + 1 DP-primer problem | • Integrate pool & transactions in contact app | • Lab: simulate auth flow pseudocode | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning: 3 hard hashing/LRU problems | Afternoon: build basic JPA entity for contacts | Afternoon: practice index tuning on sample data | Evening: journaling + flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz: 1 hashing, 1 JDBC/JPA, 1 DBMS, 1 security | • Polish ORM module & tests | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 8 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 8 (Integration & Advanced CS Fundamentals)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 mixed review: array+string combination problems | • Review & doc: Generics, Exceptions, I/O, Serialization, JDBC | • Read OS: virtual memory deep dive (TLB, swapping) | • Flashcards: VM & JDBC |
| Tue | • 2 mixed: linked-list + array problems | • Refactor contact app codebase (cleanup & comments) | • Compare OS scheduling algorithms | • Feynman: explain OS schedulers |
| Wed | • 2 mixed: recursion + backtracking review | • Add JUnit tests for all modules | • Intro to OWASP Top 10 | • Note: key OWASP categories |
| Thu | • 2 timed mixed contest problems | • Input validation & error-handling in app | • Lab: simulate virtual memory page replacement | • 100-word summary: VM |
| Fri | • 2 challenge problems (medium/hard mix) | • Document project README & usage | • Security: implement simple checksum in code | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning: 4 mixed-review DSA problems | Afternoon: finalize & package contact app (jar) | Afternoon: lab: mock VM & scheduling exercises | Evening: journaling + flashcards |
| Sun | • Full mock test (2 hrs): 4 DSA + 2 Java + 2 CS | • Push project to GitHub & tag v1.0 | • Monthly retrospective & Phase 1 review | • Plan Month 3 (Phase 2) |
📅 Month 3 (Weeks 9–12): Phase 2 – Trees, Graphs, Java Concurrency & Advanced CS¶
Phase 2 Recap (Weeks 9–16):
- DSA: Trees → Graphs → Heaps & Advanced Tree/Graph
- Java Advanced: Multithreading & Concurrency, Streams & Parallelism
- Core CS: OS deadlocks, file systems & virtualization; DBMS indexing & transactions; NoSQL & security
✅ Week 9 (Trees & Thread Basics)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” tree traversals (pre-order, in-order) | • Intro to Thread & Runnable |
• Read on deadlocks & circular wait | • Flashcards: traversal ops |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” implement recursive in-order & post-order | • Thread lifecycle & states | • Study deadlock detection & Banker's algorithm | • Feynman: explain deadlock |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” BST search & insert | • synchronized methods & blocks |
• Lab: simulate deadlock in Java pseudocode | • Note: sync vs concurrent |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” validate BST & build BST from sorted arr | • wait() & notify() mechanics |
• Read file-system architecture basics | • 100-word summary: file-systems |
| Fri | • 1 timed tree + 1 queue problem | • Build producer-consumer (wait/notify) | • Intro to virtualization & hypervisors | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard tree problems + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Start multi-threaded job queue app |
Afternoon cont’d: – Lab: simple FS simulator |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS | • Polish & test job queue app | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 10 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 10 (Graph Traversal & Concurrency Utilities)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” graph BFS/DFS on adjacency list | • Introduction to Lock & Condition |
• Deep dive: file-system journaling | • Flashcards: BFS vs DFS |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” shortest-path BFS distance | • ReentrantLock usage & fairness |
• Lab: simulate FS journaling pseudocode | • Feynman: explain journaling |
| Wed | • 2 “Medium” detect cycle in directed graph | • ReadWriteLock & StampedLock concepts |
• Read on virtualization modes (Type 1 vs Type 2) | • Note: lock types |
| Thu | • 2 contest-style graph + hashing mix | • Intro to ThreadPoolExecutor |
• Watch video: hypervisor internals | • 100-word summary: pools |
| Fri | • 1 timed graph contest + 1 heap problem | • Build basic thread pool in job queue app | • Security: basic threat models | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard graph problems + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Integrate pool into app |
Afternoon cont’d: – Lab: FS journaling enhancements |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS | • Polish thread-pool integration | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 11 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 11 (Advanced Graphs & DBMS Indexes / Transactions)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” Dijkstra & min-heap setup | • Streams API intro (filter/map/reduce) | • Read DBMS indexing fundamentals (B-trees vs hash) | • Flashcards: priority queue ops |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” implement Dijkstra on weighted graph | • Stream pipelines & collectors | • Lab: build B-tree index pseudocode | • Feynman: explain B-tree index |
| Wed | • 2 “Medium” topological sort (Kahn’s algorithm) | • Parallel streams basics | • Read ACID & transaction states | • Note: stream vs parallel |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” implement topological sort | • CompletableFuture introduction |
• Study isolation levels; simulate dirty read in lab | • 100-word summary: ACID |
| Fri | • 1 timed Dijkstra + 1 DP-tree problem | • Integrate streams into job app for result aggregation | • Lab: simple transaction manager pseudocode | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard graph/heap problems + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Add indexing & transactions to app |
Afternoon cont’d: – Lab: transaction rollback/demo |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS | • Polish DB modules & unit tests | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 12 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 12 (Integration, NoSQL & Security)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 mixed hard tree/graph review problems | • Read secure-coding best practices (OWASP) | • TLS/SSL fundamentals & handshake overview | • Flashcards: secure coding |
| Tue | • 2 mixed medium contest problems | • Implement TLS in job app (SSLSocket) | • NoSQL intro & CAP theorem | • Feynman: explain CAP theorem |
| Wed | • 2 DP on trees (tree-DP skeleton) | • Integrate SSL + parallel streams in app | • Lab: mock NoSQL data model (Mongo-style) | • Note: DP on trees |
| Thu | • 2 timed mixed contest problems | • Concurrency pitfalls & best practices | • Security lab: JWT auth flow pseudocode | • 100-word summary: JWT flow |
| Fri | • 2 challenge problems (medium/hard mix) | • Finalize multithreaded, TLS-enabled app | • Lab: CAP theorem demo pseudocode | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 4 mixed DSA review problems |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Package & deploy app (jar/Docker) |
Afternoon cont’d: – Complete CS labs & security tests |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Full mock test (2 hrs): 4 DSA + 2 Java + 2 CS | • Push final code to GitHub & tag v2.0 | • Monthly retrospective & Phase 2 review | • Plan Month 4 (Weeks 13–16) |
📅 Month 4 (Weeks 13–16): Phase 2 Completion¶
Focus Areas:
- DSA: Heaps → Tries → Segment Trees/BIT → MST & DSU
- Java Advanced: Concurrency internals (Atomics, AQS, Fork/Join), JVM internals (GC, JMM)
- Core CS: OS I/O & interrupts, File‐system deep dive, Query optimization & indexing, Distributed DBs & replication
✅ Week 13 (Heaps & OS I/O Systems)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” heap ops (build heap, peek/max-heap) | • Read java.util.concurrent.atomic (AtomicInteger, etc.) |
• Read OS I/O: interrupts vs polling | • Flashcards: atomic classes |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” sliding-window median & k-th largest | • Explore LockSupport.park()/unpark() |
• Lab: simulate interrupt handling | • Feynman: explain interrupts |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” merge k sorted lists (PQ) | • Write code using AtomicReference |
• Read on device-driver basics | • Note: atomics vs locks |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” connect-ropes & stream median | • Dive into AbstractQueuedSynchronizer (AQS) | • Lab: I/O scheduling pseudocode | • 100-word summary: AQS |
| Fri | • 1 timed heap contest + 1 DP-primer problem | • Integrate atomics & locks into your job-queue app | • Watch video: OS I/O internals | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard heap problems + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Refactor app for low-level locking |
Afternoon cont’d: – FS simulator lab |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS) | • Polish & test concurrency internals in app | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 14 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 14 (Tries & Fork/Join)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” trie insert & search | • Intro to ForkJoinPool & RecursiveTask |
• Read FS journaling (ext4/NTFS) | • Flashcards: trie structure |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” autocomplete (prefix-search) | • Write simple Fork/Join task | • Lab: journaling pseudocode | • Feynman: explain journaling |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” Word Search II (trie + backtracking) | • Compare RecursiveTask vs RecursiveAction |
• Read file block allocation strategies | • Note: ForkJoin vs thread pool |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” multi-pattern search with trie | • Integrate Fork/Join into job-queue app | • Lab: simulate fragmentation/defrag | • 100-word summary: ForkJoin |
| Fri | • 1 timed trie contest + 1 graph-mix problem | • Benchmark Fork/Join vs ThreadPool | • Watch video: FS performance tuning | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard trie problems + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Parallelize app workloads |
Afternoon cont’d: – FS defrag lab |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS) | • Polish & test parallel tasks | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 15 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 15 (Segment Trees & JVM/GC)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” build segment tree & range sum query | • Read JVM heap structure & GC basics | • Read DB query execution plan fundamentals | • Flashcards: segment tree ops |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” update & query in segment tree | • Explore GC algorithms (Serial, Parallel, CMS) | • Lab: analyze sample EXPLAIN plan | • Feynman: explain GC phases |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” Fenwick-tree (BIT) update/sum | • Trigger minor GC & inspect logs (jstat, jmap) |
• Read advanced indexing (covering, composite) | • Note: EXPLAIN output fields |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” RMQ & BIT-range updates | • Integrate GC flags into app & measure performance | • Lab: rewrite query for better index use | • 100-word summary: query tuning |
| Fri | • 1 timed segment-tree contest + 1 DP problem | • Profile app with GC logs & identify memory hotspots | • Watch video: query optimization techniques | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard segment/BIT problems |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Add GC tuning & monitoring to app |
Afternoon cont’d: – Index-simulation lab |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (2 DSA + 1 Java + 1 CS) | • Polish performance monitoring setup | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 16 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 16 (MST & JMM / Distributed DBs)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr Core CS | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” Prim’s MST skeleton | • Read Java Memory Model, volatile, happens-before |
• Read DB replication types (master-slave, leaderless) | • Flashcards: JMM concepts |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” Prim’s & DSU (union-find) | • Demo volatile ordering issues in code |
• Lab: simulate replication pseudocode | • Feynman: explain replication |
| Wed | • 2 “Easy” union-find (path compression & union by rank) | • Profile with Java Flight Recorder (JFR) | • Read basic distributed DB consistency models | • Note: Profiling metrics |
| Thu | • 2 “Medium” Kruskal’s MST | • Integrate JFR into app; capture hotspot analysis | • Lab: shard/replicate data pseudocode | • 100-word summary: JFR learnings |
| Fri | • 1 timed MST contest + 1 advanced DP | • Tune app based on profiler insights | • Watch video: distributed database architectures | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard MST/DSU problems |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Apply JFR-based optimizations |
Afternoon cont’d: – Lab: simulate sharding |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Full mock test (2 hrs): 4 DSA + 2 Java + 2 CS | • Tag & release project v3.0 with performance improvements | • Monthly retrospective & Phase 2 completion review | • Plan Month 5 (Phase 3) |
📅 Month 5 (Weeks 17–20): Phase 3 – Mastery & System Design Prep¶
Phase 3 Overview:
- DSA Mastery: Hard Dynamic Programming & Advanced Graph problems
- Java Expert: Design Patterns → Spring/Spring Boot → Microservices
- System Design & CS Review: High-level architectures, CAP theorem, caching, load balancing, quick refresh of key CS fundamentals
- Mock Interviews: Timed coding & design sessions every week
✅ Week 17 (DP Fundamentals & Design Patterns I)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr System Design & CS Review | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Easy” DP problems: Fibonacci (memo vs tabulation) | • Learn Singleton & Factory patterns (theory) | • Read CAP theorem & trade-offs | • Flashcards: DP terms |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” DP: climbing stairs, house robber | • Implement Singleton & Factory in mini-app | • Study component diagram for simple cache layer | • Feynman: explain CAP |
| Wed | • 2 “Medium” DP: coin change, rod cutting | • Learn Observer & Strategy patterns | • Quick refresh: CPU caching & memory hierarchy | • Note: pattern intents |
| Thu | • 2 “Hard” DP: unbounded knapsack (tabulation) | • Code Observer & Strategy in mini-app | • Read on load balancer types (round-robin, least-conn) | • 100-word summary: patterns |
| Fri | • 1 timed DP contest (90 min) + 1 “Medium” graph DP problem | • Refactor mini-app to use all four patterns | • Watch video: high-level load balancer design | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard DP problems (matrix chain, etc.) |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Polish pattern mini-app |
Afternoon cont’d (1 hr): – Lab: simulate LRU cache |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DP + 1 Java patterns + 1 design question | • Document patterns with UML & examples | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 18 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 18 (Advanced DP & Spring Boot Basics)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr System Design & CS Review | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Medium” DP: 0/1 Knapsack, matrix chain multiplication | • Intro to Spring Boot: core concepts & setup | • Read service-oriented architecture fundamentals | • Flashcards: Spring Boot |
| Tue | • 2 “Medium” DP: subset sum w/ constraints | • Create “Hello Spring Boot” REST endpoint | • Study API gateway & routing patterns | • Feynman: explain SOA |
| Wed | • 2 “Hard” DP: longest common subsequence | • Build CRUD REST service (Controller, Service, Repo) | • Quick refresh: OS process vs thread in microservices | • Note: REST layers |
| Thu | • 2 “Hard” DP: edit distance | • Integrate Spring Data JPA & H2 in service | • Read on circuit breaker pattern (Hystrix) | • 100-word summary: microservices |
| Fri | • 1 timed DP contest + 1 graph-DP problem | • Add validation & exception handling to REST service | • Watch video: API gateway vs service mesh | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 mixed hard DP problems + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Unit-test Spring endpoints |
Afternoon cont’d (1 hr): – Lab: simulate circuit breaker |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DP + 1 Spring + 1 CS question | • Polish REST service & Dockerize it | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 19 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 19 (Graph DP & Microservices)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr System Design & CS Review | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Medium” graph DP: shortest path with negative weights (Bellman-Ford) | • Learn Spring Boot Microservices basics | • Read on service discovery (Eureka/Consul) | • Flashcards: microservices |
| Tue | • 2 “Hard” graph DP: max path in DAG | • Break monolith into two services (user & order) | • Study data consistency in microservices (Sagas) | • Feynman: explain Sagas |
| Wed | • 2 “Hard” DP on graphs: tree-DP (diameter) | • Implement inter-service REST calls (Feign client) | • Quick refresh: DB replication modes | • Note: Feign vs RestTemplate |
| Thu | • 2 contest-style graph + DP mix | • Add config server & centralized config (Spring Cloud) | • Read on distributed tracing (Zipkin) | • 100-word summary: Sagas |
| Fri | • 1 timed graph DP contest + 1 challenge DP problem | • Secure microservices with OAuth2/JWT | • Watch video: distributed tracing fundamentals | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 hard graph DP problems + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Deploy microservices to Docker Compose |
Afternoon cont’d (1 hr): – Lab: trace a request across services |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Mock quiz (1 hr): 2 DSA + 1 Java micro + 1 design question | • Polish microservice deployment & tests | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 20 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 20 (Challenge DSA & System-Design Capstone)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java | 1 hr System Design & CS Review | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 “Hard” DSA: bitmask DP (subset DP) & tree-DP review | • Learn basic Spring Cloud Gateway & Service Mesh | • Read on caching strategies (Redis, Memcached) | • Flashcards: caching |
| Tue | • 2 “Hard” DSA: advanced graph (Max Flow – Edmonds-Karp) | • Build API Gateway in Spring Cloud | • Study sharding & partitioning patterns | • Feynman: explain sharding |
| Wed | • 2 “Hard” DSA: complex DP mix (DP+graph hybrid) | • Implement distributed cache in microservices | • Lab: design chat service architecture (whiteboard) | • Note: gateway vs mesh |
| Thu | • 2 timed challenge problems (mixed hard) | • Add circuit breakers and retry policies | • Read on eventual consistency & CAP revisit | • 100-word summary: cap revisited |
| Fri | • 1 full mock coding interview (90 min) | • Finalize system-design capstone docs (diagram + API) | • Watch video: high-level system design case studies | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 4 mixed hard DSA review problems |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Capstone: build & test chat microservices |
Afternoon cont’d (1 hr): – Deploy to local k8s/minikube |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
| Sun | • Full mock session (2 hrs): 4 DSA + 2 Java + 2 design interviews | • Push capstone to GitHub & write README | • Monthly retrospective & Phase 3 kickoff | • Plan Month 6 (Interviews & Final Polishing) |
📅 Month 6 (Weeks 21–24): Final Polishing & Interview Marathon¶
Phase 3 Recap (Weeks 17–24):
You’ve tackled the hardest DSA problems, mastered design patterns, built/deployed microservices, and completed a system-design capstone. Now, it’s time for intensive mock interviews, deep-dive system design, and final review of core CS—so you walk into interviews confident and well-rounded.
✅ Week 21 (Hard DSA & System Design Deep Dive)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA | 1.5 hrs Java / System Design | 1 hr CS Review / Mock Interview Prep | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 Hard DP: bitmask subsets & matrix chain | • Study Service Mesh (Istio basics) | • Deep dive: caching strategies (Redis vs. Memcached) | • Flashcards: DP terms |
| Tue | • 2 Hard Graph: Edmonds–Karp max flow & min-cut | • Integrate Kafka event streaming in microservices | • Lab: CQRS & event sourcing pseudocode | • Feynman: explain CQRS |
| Wed | • 2 Hard DS: dynamic Segment Tree updates | • Build gRPC-based microservice client/server | • Compare RPC vs. REST pros/cons | • Note: gRPC vs REST |
| Thu | • 90-min timed coding mock (2 problems) | • Secure with Spring Security OAuth2 & JWT | • Design exercise: Uber-like ride-hailing service | • 100-word summary: Uber SD |
| Fri | • 1 Hard + 1 Medium (graph DP mix) | • Implement circuit breaker & retry logic | • Lab: rate-limiting design pseudocode | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 mixed hard DSA problems+review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – 1:1 coding mock (60 min) + debrief |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
|
| Sun | • Full mock session (2 hrs coding + 1 hr system design) | • Deploy capstone services with resilience patterns | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 22 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 22 (Mock Interview Marathon & Core CS Blitz)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA (Mixed Hard & Medium) | 1.5 hrs Java / Patterns & Spring Cloud | 1 hr CS Review / Mock Prep | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 Hard problems (tree-DP & graph-DP) | • Review all GoF design patterns; implement Strategy quickly | • Quick quiz: OS scheduling & memory management | • Flashcards: patterns |
| Tue | • 2 Medium (sliding-window + two-pointers) | • Spring Cloud: API Gateway & Config Server | • Lab: DB sharding & partitioning pseudocode | • Feynman: explain sharding |
| Wed | • 2 Hard (advanced graph + DP hybrid) | • Add distributed tracing (Zipkin) to microservices | • Quick quiz: SQL query tuning & indexing | • Note: EXPLAIN output |
| Thu | • 90-min timed coding mock | • Review concurrency pitfalls; write mini “gotchas” repo | • Quick quiz: networking fundamentals | • 100-word summary: TCP vs UDP |
| Fri | • 2 Hard (heap-graph mix) | • Benchmark & optimize GC settings via JFR | • Lab: simulate virtual memory page replacement | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – 3 random Hard DSA + review |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – System-design mock (60 min) |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
|
| Sun | • Full mock (2hrs coding + 1hr design + 30 min behavior) | • Peer code review session | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 23 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 23 (Final Technical Polish & Behavioral Prep)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA (Quick Mix) | 1.5 hrs Java / Code-Reading & Behavioral | 1 hr CS Cheat-Sheets & Case Studies | 15 min Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 1 Hard + 1 Medium (dynamic programming review) | • Walk through legacy Java codebase; document findings | • Create OS & DBMS one-page cheat-sheets | • Flashcards: CS concepts |
| Tue | • 2 Hard (graph traversal + DP pattern) | • Write behavioral stories (STAR format) | • Create Security & Networking cheat-sheets | • Feynman: explain STAR |
| Wed | • 2 Medium (timed contest problems) | • Peer code-review of mini-repo | • Case study: design YouTube-like service (outline) | • Note: code smells |
| Thu | • 90-min timed coding mock | • Finalize personal “cheat-sheet” repo with examples | • Case study: high-level design of chat app | • 100-word summary: chat SD |
| Fri | • 1 Hard + 1 Medium (heap + tree mix) | • Mock behavioral interview (record & self-review) | • Quick quiz: CAP vs consistency models | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – Pair interview: coding (60 min) |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Whiteboard design session |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & flashcards |
|
| Sun | • Full mock (2 hrs coding + 1 hr design + 30 min behavior) | • Update resume/LinkedIn with project highlights | • Weekly retrospective & plan Week 24 | • Plan next week’s tasks |
✅ Week 24 (Transition & Lifelong Learning Setup)¶
| Day | 2 hrs DSA / Review | 1.5 hrs Future Planning & Portfolio | 1 hr Learning Framework Setup | 15 min Reflection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | • 2 Hard problems (choose your weakest) | • Finalize GitHub portfolio & code samples | • Build personal Kanban for ongoing learning | • Flashcards: self-review |
| Tue | • 2 Medium problems (mixed topics) | • Prepare “Tech Blog” outline for knowledge sharing | • Set up Anki decks for long-term CS & Java facts | • Feynman: learning process |
| Wed | • 90-min timed mixed mock | • Draft 3-month post-interview learning roadmap | • Create Zettelkasten notes structure in Obsidian | • Note: backlog items |
| Thu | • Timed coding quiz (4 problems in 90 min) | • Plan 1st “brown-bag” talk or blog post schedule | • Define PDCA cycle rituals (weekly/monthly) | • 100-word summary: PDCA |
| Fri | • 1 Hard + 1 Medium (your selection) | • Reflect & write “lessons learned” document | • Setup dashboard to track metrics (Anki,leetc.) | • Anki: 10 cards |
| Sat | Morning (3 hrs): – Light DSA (review flashcards) |
Afternoon (2 hrs): – Finalize blog talk materials |
Evening (2 hrs): – Journaling & celebration |
|
| Sun | • Celebrate achievements & rest | • Share milestones with your network | • Plan next quarter’s learning cycle | • Reflect on 6-month journey |