Advent of code-2024. Aaqib Ali

My Advent of Code 2024 Journey

This year, I completed Advent of Code 2024, an incredible experience introduced to me by icodeguru. Before this, I wasn’t familiar with such coding challenges, but once I started, I stuck to a routine. Every day, I woke up early, got ready quickly, had breakfast, and sat down at my computer by 9:30 AM. I waited eagerly for the new problem to release at 10:00 AM, ready to dive in.

Some problems were solved in 30 minutes, while others took over 2 hours. I didn’t do it alone — I had help from ChatGPT, the amazing Reddit community, and daily discussions in solution threads. Even with help, I learned a lot:

• I improved my understanding of algorithms and functions.
• I built strong problem-solving skills by tackling challenges step-by-step.
• I improved my ability to read and modify code written by others to suit my specific inputs. I gained experience managing version control and worked with libraries, frameworks, and visualizations to enhance my problem-solving skills. I focused on understanding problems through statements, analyzing time complexity and memory usage, and optimizing programs to handle large input data efficiently in daily puzzles.

Sharing my journey daily on LinkedIn helped me stay motivated and share knowledge with others. Writing about the problems and solutions also improved my ability to explain technical concepts.

Next year, I plan to approach Advent of Code differently. I want to solve every problem on my own, without relying on external help, to grow further as a programmer and gain more confidence in tackling real-world problems. Competing with programmers worldwide is a big goal, but I’m excited to keep improving and learning.

Personal timings.

I want to thank all my mentors, peers, and especially the icodeguru community for guiding and supporting me throughout this journey. Special thanks to everyone on Reddit who shared their solutions and insights.

Here’s the full list of my 25 days of LinkedIn posts. Feel free to check them out:

1. Day 1: Historian Hysteria
2. Day 2: Red-Nosed Reports
3. Day 3: Mull It Over
4. Day 4: Ceres Search
5. Day 5: Print Queue
6. Day 6: Guard Gallivant
7. Day 7: Bridge Repair
8. Day 8: Resonant Collinearity
9. Day 9: Disk Fragmenter
10. Day 10: Hoof It
11. Day 11: Plutonian Pebbles
12. Day 12: Garden Groups
13. Day 13: Claw Contraption
14. Day 14: Restroom Redoubt
15. Day 15: Warehouse Woes
16. Day 16: Reindeer Maze
17. Day 17: Chronospatial Computer
18. Day 18: RAM Run
19. Day 19: Linen Layout
20. Day 20: Race Condition
21. Day 21: Keypad Conundrum
22. Day 22: Monkey Market
23. Day 23: LAN Party
24. Day 24: Crossed Wires
25. Day 25: Code Chronicle

Thanks for reading, and wishing you all the best for Advent of Code 2025. See you next year, happy coding!

I secured 17th position out of 200 students from all over Pakistan in the IcodeGuru Community Coders.