Delve into the world of CodeDrills AlgoQueen 2023 with an exclusive team interview. Get ready to be inspired by the champions of coding excellence.
Team/Participant Name: Nintsi/Nino Chkhaidze
ICPC AlgoQueen 2023 Rank: Global 1st Rank – School Level
Q) Could you share your Coding Journey? When did you first start, and how did you develop your skills?
I started taking programming classes at a Computer School, “Mziuri”, in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 5th grade. First, I learned how to code in Pascal, and then I was moved to a different class to learn C++. I was encouraged to participate in competitive programming olympiads at this computer school. Ever since, I’ve been actively taking part in different competitive programming contests and olympiads.
Q) Tell us about your most memorable programming contest experience, whether from AlgoQueen or any other competition. What made it special, and how did it contribute to your growth as a competitive programmer?
In October 2022, I participated in the European Girls’ Informatics Olympiad EGOI2022 in Turkey, and this was my first onsite olympiad. It was so special for me to see so many intelligent girls get together from different countries all over the world compete together, which motivated me to do more and improve my skills in competitive programming.
Q) How did you prepare specifically for the AlgoQueen competition? Did you follow specific strategies or focus on particular algorithms or problem-solving techniques?
When I have an essential contest coming up, I usually prepare the same way. I make a list of problems from some competitive programming platforms like Codeforces, and I try to solve as many problems from the list as possible. And I also review the cp algorithms I’ve learned, which may be helpful during the contest.
Q) What are your favourite hobbies or activities in your free time besides coding? How do you balance your coding passion and these other interests?
Besides coding, I love to play tennis in my leisure time. Even though I spend most of my time coding, I need to engage in activities that help me regain energy. Since I enjoy tennis, I’ve never had much difficulty balancing the two.
Q) As one of the top participants in the AlgoQueen competition, what factors do you believe contributed to your success? How did your team work together to tackle the challenging problems?
When I learned about the AlgoQueen competition, I needed more time to look for teammates, so I decided to participate alone. What contributed to my preparation for the contest is that I solved the problems from the AlgoQueen contest of the previous years.
Q) Reflecting on your journey through the AlgoQueen competition, what are your most significant achievements or breakthrough moments? How did it impact your confidence and approach to future coding challenges?
After the closing ceremony of the AlgoQueen Competition, I received congratulatory messages from other participants. Young girls new to competitive programming asked me how to improve their skills. This made me more self-confident, and I was happy to give them suggestions on how/what to practice for cp.
Q) What do you appreciate the most about CodeDrills and the AlgoQueen competition? Is any aspect of the platform or competition format that sets it apart? Additionally, if there’s anything you’d like to see improved or added, what would it be?
Even though there are a lot of competitive programming contests, only a few focus on popularising the field among girls; what I appreciate most about the AlgoQueen competition is its goal to encourage more girls to participate in similar opportunities. More contests on the CodeDrills platform would be beneficial for the participants.
Thanks to Nintsi for sharing their remarkable journey in the CodeDrills AlgoQueen 2023 competition. Get inspired and stay tuned for more incredible stories.
Meanwhile, you can connect to like-minded coders at the CodeDrills discuss forum.
To read more about CodeDrills AlgoQueen 2023, check out our other blog here.
