Introduction
As I enter the final semester of my B.Tech in CSE, it’s strange to think about how every decision, big or small, has brought me to where I started. It’s January 2026, and along the way, I’ve achieved some amazing milestones in Open Source and Research. However, there is one chapter I left unfinished: Competitive Programming.
The Beginning: Eager but Unfocused
Like many CS undergrads, I tried DSA and CP during my first year. I was eager, but I wasn’t consistent. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly good at it either. My approach to learning wasn’t great—I relied too much on AI for answers, which didn’t help develop my problem-solving skills. Over time, I lost interest in CP because I felt like I wasn’t actually learning anything.
Finding My Path: The Open Source Journey
While CP didn’t click for me, I turned to Open Source and quickly found my niche. I didn’t fully understand it at first, but I was enjoying the process. It took me months just to set up the development environment for a basic project, Documenter.jl. Still, I kept going and started contributing to the project within the Julia Language ecosystem, hoping to be selected for Google Summer of Code (GSoC).
It wasn’t a smooth journey. I applied for GSoC in my second year (2023) and was rejected. But I didn’t let that stop me. I kept contributing, learning, and engaging with the community.
Career Highlights: Open Source, Cambridge, and NTRO
My persistence in Open Source eventually paid off in ways I hadn’t imagined:
- Research Assistant at Machine Learning Group, University of Cambridge: In May 2024, I received an offer to contribute to the Turing.jl ecosystem, a role I’m still continuing in 2026.
- GSoC 2025: After the initial rejection, I finally made it! I was selected for GSoC 2025 with the Julia Language.
- Smart India Hackathon & NTRO: I reached the finals of the Smart India Hackathon, which led to a Cyber Security Intern role at the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).
In the midst of all these achievements, I left competitive programming almost entirely. I still participated occasionally and even reached Pupil (1247 max rating) on Codeforces, but it was never my primary focus.
Here are my current Codeforces stats:
2026: Back to the Arena
Now, in 2026, I’ve decided it’s time to open that chapter again.
Why now? Maybe it’s the desire to improve my problem-solving skills before graduation, or perhaps it’s simply the thrill of conquering something that once felt out of reach. With the discipline I’ve gained through research and open-source development, I feel ready to approach algorithms with a fresh perspective.
This blog will serve as a log of my renewed journey into Competitive Programming. From Open Source to Algorithms, the circle is now complete.
See you on the leaderboard!