What this prompt does
This prompt builds a focused, runnable four-week DSA interview prep plan instead of generic study advice. It frames the model as a senior engineer who interviews candidates, then asks for six deliverables: a week-by-week schedule across the core patterns, 10 problems per week sized to your time, a weekly timed mock with a self-grading rubric, a reusable notes template, weekly goals plus a stretch topic, and a final-week revision checklist.
Four variables shape the plan. [target_company] calibrates difficulty and the final-week checklist. [hours_per_week] sizes the weekly problem load so the plan is realistic. [weak_area] gets front-loaded into week one, because closing your weakest pattern moves your pass rate more than another 50 mixed problems. [language] is the language the notes-template code is written in. The schedule covers arrays, hashmaps, two pointers, sliding window, binary search, trees, graphs, DP, and intervals, organized by pattern so you learn to recognize problems fast. Each week pairs ten graded problems with a timed mock and a stretch topic, so you build breadth and depth at the same time rather than drilling one without the other.
When to use it
- You have roughly four weeks before a coding loop and need structure
- You keep grinding random problems and want a pattern-organized plan instead
- You have a clear weakest area and want it front-loaded
- You want weekly timed mocks with a rubric to track progress
- You need a notes template to capture patterns and pitfalls as you go
- You're targeting a specific
[target_company]and want a tailored final-week review
Example output
You get a markdown table laying out the four weeks: each week's patterns, its 10 problems from easy to hard with the pattern each one trains, a timed mock interview with a self-grading rubric, weekly goals, and a stretch topic. Alongside it comes a reusable notes template with fields for pattern, trigger, template code in your language, and common pitfalls, plus a final-week revision checklist aimed at your target company's style.
Pro tips
- Spend week one purely on
[weak_area]; closing that gap raises your pass rate more than another 50 mixed problems - Set
[hours_per_week]honestly so the 10-problems-per-week load is sustainable rather than aspirational - Use
[language]consistently so the notes-template code becomes muscle memory under pressure - Take the weekly timed mock seriously and grade yourself against the rubric; untimed practice hides your real weak spots
- Fill the notes template as you go — recording the trigger for each pattern is what makes recognition fast in the interview
- Calibrate
[target_company]accurately so the final-week checklist matches the actual question style you'll face - Use the stretch topic each week as optional headroom, not a requirement, so a heavy week doesn't derail the core schedule
