COMPETITIVE PROGRAMMING RESOURCES
Useful links, sites, and tutorials for competitive programming
USACO.ORG
Practicing the competition itself is one of the best ways to prepare for it. Simply going onto USACO's own website and trying their past problems is one of the best ways to get better. The past problems are set to analysis mode, meaning you can practice them and submit solutions just like the actual competition. They are also split by rank, allowing you to practice in your own difficulty level. Most importantly though, they come with verified solutions, allowing you to check your code or learn new strategies. USACO can be challenging, but don't give up!
USACO.GUIDE
While the USACO problems are great, if you don't know the concepts it is difficult to learn through trial and error. Some great people put together a comprehensive guide that breaks down USACO problems by topic. Furthermore, each topic is clearly explained, allowing you to master each topic before attempting the problems. If you ever feel stuck with USACO problems, try out this resource. It will definitely help in boosting your skill.
USACO FAQ
This resource is a little different than the ones we have had before. It is an article written by Darren Yao, a USACO platinum medalist. While it doesn't have any coding practice on its own, it contains many useful tips for improving in USACO. It also provides a good rundown of what the problems from each difficulty level contain. Finally, he shares many tips that he used to get to platinum, including how to learn USACO problems efficiently. This article is certainly good to check out before diving into USACO training.
