Advent of Code Puzzles
This year was my first time participating in Advent of Code, and I found the style of the problems completely new. As the days went by, I gradually improved by getting a better sense of the puzzle designer's thinking (if that's even possible!). I chose to implement my solutions in APL, a language I'm currently learning, and it was a pleasure to tackle most challenges that way.
That said, there were plenty of language techniques I wasn't familiar with, and under time pressure, I sometimes resorted to poor alternative solutions, which I kept for reference. Reading other peoples solutions, especially those by Pitr, was extremely helpful after getting the stars, since I picked up many techniques that I began applying in subsequent days. I had a great time and I feel there's still much to learn! Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend AoC to everyone.