When I finally stopped “winging” my LeetCode practice and followed a repeatable weekly plan, everything clicked: fewer plateaus, faster recall, and calmer interviews.
Here’s the exact seven-day routine I now use—and how I plug LeetCopilot into each step so it feels less like grinding and more like compounding gains.
The Week at a Glance
- Day 1 (Warmup + Setup): Quick wins and skill targeting.
- Day 2–3 (Pattern Reps): Focused practice on one pattern family.
- Day 4 (Debug Lab): Deliberate debugging reps to kill silent bugs.
- Day 5 (Mock & Review): Pressure test with an interview simulation.
- Day 6 (Retention Sprint): Turn this week’s work into durable memory.
- Day 7 (Rest + Light Recall): Low-effort review so you don’t burn out.
This cadence balances new learning, repetition, and recovery—while keeping you accountable.
Day 1 — Warmup + Setup
Start with one easy problem to shake off rust. Then pick a pattern of the week (e.g., sliding window, heaps, union-find).
- In Chat Mode, ask for a strategy-only hint on the first problem to set a mental template without spoiling code.
- Skim two past solutions in your Study Mode notebook. Note what tripped you up last time.
- Set a timer inside LeetCopilot (25–30 minutes per problem) so you don’t drift.
Goal: prime your brain and choose a focus area.
Day 2–3 — Pattern Reps (Depth Over Breadth)
Solve 3–4 problems in the same pattern family. Progress from easy → medium → one stretch challenge.
- Keep Smart Context on so the copilot can watch your code and test runs; when stuck, ask for one question that would unlock the next step.
- After each solve, generate Study Mode notes. Add one sentence on why this pattern beats the alternatives.
- For the stretch problem, request edge-case generation to stress test your solution before moving on.
Goal: build pattern recognition and transfer, not just a pile of solves.
Day 4 — Debug Lab (Kill Hidden Bugs)
Pick two old solutions that felt shaky. Your job: break them.
- Run execution traces to visualize control flow (great for recursion/graphs).
- Ask the copilot to compare this attempt to my last submission—it will highlight regressions you’d otherwise miss.
- Create a small “bug zoo”: inputs that previously failed, saved directly into notes.
Goal: make debugging a skill you practice, not an afterthought.
Day 5 — Mock & Review (Pressure + Feedback)
Do a 30–45 minute Interview Mode session.
- Choose an interviewer tone (supportive vs. challenging) to vary pressure.
- Let LeetCopilot score you on clarity, efficiency, and communication. Screenshot or save the breakdown to your notes.
- After the mock, run a Smart Context audit: “What exact edge cases did I miss?” Capture those in Study Mode.
Goal: close the gap between quiet practice and performance on the clock.
Day 6 — Retention Sprint (Make It Stick)
Spend 45–60 minutes turning the week into durable memory.
- Open this week’s Study Mode pages and trigger flashcards/quizzes from them.
- Tag patterns (e.g., “two pointers”, “heap”) and mark difficulty so future reviews are targeted.
- Re-solve one medium and one hard from earlier in the week with a timer. If you need a hint, restrict to Level-A strategy only.
Goal: convert practice into recall you can use next month, not just tomorrow.
Day 7 — Rest + Light Recall
Avoid heavy lifts. Instead:
- Do a 10-minute skim of your notes.
- Ask Chat Mode for a one-paragraph weekly recap: key wins, recurring mistakes, and one pattern to prioritize next week.
- If you’re itching to code, solve a single “comfort problem” without a timer for confidence.
Goal: recover while keeping neural pathways warm.
How to Scale Up or Down
- Short on time? Do Day 1 + one Pattern Rep day + Mock + Retention (4-day mini-cycle).
- Pushing harder? Add a second mock interview and double the Debug Lab cases.
- Burned out? Swap Day 2’s hard problem for a refactor/trace session.
Why This Works with LeetCopilot
- Less friction: Smart Context means you never re-explain the problem when asking for help.
- Faster feedback: Timers, inline test batches, and edge-case generators keep you in flow.
- Better memory: Study Mode auto-notes plus quizzes turn solves into reusable assets.
- Realistic practice: Interview Mode’s adaptive prompts simulate the pressure that throws candidates off.
When you stack these, every hour compounds. You’re not just solving more problems—you’re building a system that survives interview day.
Your Next Step
Pick a pattern for the week, set your Day 1 timer, and install LeetCopilot on Chrome. By next weekend, you’ll have a repeatable loop—and a notebook full of wins you didn’t have to write by hand.
