Navigating constraints of the Nepali education system while self-studying data structures and algorithms — practical tips for fellow students.

Learning data structures and algorithms in Nepal comes with unique challenges. The +2 curriculum covers arrays, stacks, and queues superficially in C, but competitive programming and interview-level DSA are entirely self-taught.

My strategy was simple: one concept per week. Week 1 was arrays and strings. Week 2 was linked lists. Week 3 was stacks and queues. By week 8 I was solving graph problems on LeetCode.

Key resources that worked for me: - Abdul Bari's YouTube channel for conceptual clarity - GeeksforGeeks for implementation reference - LeetCode for practice (start with Easy, build confidence) - CLRS for deep theoretical understanding

The biggest hurdle wasn't the material — it was consistency. Studying 30 minutes daily beats cramming 5 hours on weekends. I used a habit tracker to maintain my streak, and it made all the difference.

For Nepali students reading this: the internet is your classroom. If your school doesn't teach graph algorithms, teach yourself. Start today. One concept at a time.