From MERN Dev to DSA Pro: A No-Nonsense 30-Day Roadmap to Mastering Algorithms & Problem-Solving

Since you're already strong in the MERN stack but weak in DSA, you need a targeted approach to mastering it without getting overwhelmed. Here’s how to fix this in 30 days while keeping your full-stack skills sharp.

Step 1: Build a DSA Habit (First 7 Days)

Goal: Get comfortable with problem-solving and core concepts.

Day 1-2: Learn about time complexity (Big-O) and focus on arrays, hashmaps, and strings.
Day 3-4: Cover recursion & backtracking (learn why recursion is powerful).
Day 5-6: Understand stacks & queues – implement them from scratch.
Day 7: Solve 10 easy LeetCode problems (focus on brute-force vs optimal solutions).

Tip: Use platforms like NeetCode, LeetCode, or CodeStudio and filter problems by topic.

Step 2: Dive into Patterns (Weeks 2-3)

Goal: Recognize problem patterns instead of memorizing solutions.

Essential DSA Patterns & Must-Solve Problems

Sliding Window (for subarrays, longest/shortest substrings)
Two Pointers (sorted arrays, linked lists)
Fast & Slow Pointers (detect cycles, palindrome check)
Binary Search (find min/max, search in rotated arrays)
Recursion & Backtracking (N-Queens, Subset Sum)
Dynamic Programming (DP) (Fibonacci, Knapsack, Longest Common Subsequence)
Graph Traversal (BFS/DFS) (shortest path, connected components)

Action Plan: Solve 3-5 problems per day for each pattern. Start from Easy → Medium → Hard.

Step 3: Apply DSA to Real-World Projects (Week 4)

Goal: Integrate DSA into MERN stack projects for better understanding.

Example 1: Use trie data structure for an autocomplete search bar in a React app.
Example 2: Implement Graph BFS/DFS to find the shortest path in a Google Maps clone.
Example 3: Optimize database queries using binary search (pagination, search filtering).

Tip: Build one project using a key DSA concept (e.g., AI-powered search, data analytics dashboard).

Step 4: Mock Interviews & Final Revision (Last 5 Days)

Solve at least 3 medium/hard problems daily.
Mock interviews on Pramp or Interviewing.io.
Review top 50 DSA questions asked in real-world interviews.
Refactor past solutions to improve efficiency.

Final Advice

Don’t give up in the first 10 days – the hardest part is getting comfortable.
Think in terms of patterns, not individual problems.
Write and explain your solutions aloud – this will boost interview readiness.
Keep coding MERN projects alongside DSA to stay motivated.

If you stick to this, your DSA skills will go from 0 to at least solid intermediate in 30 days. Keep pushing!