The Open Source Study Plan That Helped Someone Land a Job at Amazon
Intro
If you've ever stared at a job posting for a FAANG company and felt that familiar mix of excitement and dread, you're not alone. The interview prep journey for big tech companies can feel like climbing a mountain without a map.
One developer decided to change that. They spent months documenting every topic, resource, and practice problem they'd need to conquer—and then open sourced the whole thing. The result is Coding Interview University, a GitHub repo that's become a legendary resource for engineers preparing for technical interviews. And yes, the author ended up getting an offer from Amazon after following it.
What It Does
Coding Interview University is not a book or a course. It's a massive, curated study plan that maps out exactly what you need to learn to pass a big tech company's software engineering interview. Think of it like a syllabus for self-directed learning, but way more aggressive.
The repo covers:
- Data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables)
- Algorithms (sorting, recursion, dynamic programming, graph traversal)
- System design fundamentals
- Behavioral interview prep
- Math and logic foundations
- Practice problems from LeetCode, HackerRank, and other platforms
It's organized as a multi-month plan where each step builds on the last. You start with basics like arrays and strings, move through trees and graphs, and eventually tackle system design and mock interviews. The entire thing is built around the idea that you learn by doing, not just reading.
Why It's Cool
Here's what makes this repo special—and why it's been starred over 300,000 times:
It's brutally honest. The author doesn't sugarcoat the effort. They estimate 4-8 hours per day for 4-8 months. It's not a "crack the interview in 7 days" gimmick. It's a plan for people who are serious.
Every resource is tested. The author went through each course, video, and article themselves. If a resource is included, it's because it actually helped. No filler, no fluff.
It's community-driven now. While the original author created the plan, thousands of developers have contributed fixes, updates, and new resources. It stays current with interview trends.
It includes real interview insights. There are sections on what to expect, how to handle nerves, and tips for phone screens versus on-site interviews. It's not just academic—it's practical.
It works with any background. Whether you're a CS grad or a bootcamp grad, the plan adapts. The author himself was a self-taught developer.
How to Try It
You don't need to install anything. Just go to the repository and start reading.
- Open https://github.com/jwasham/coding-interview-university
- Read the README—it's long, but it's the actual plan
- Pick a start date and commit to the daily schedule
- Start with the "What you should know already" section and go from there
If you want a more interactive version, some folks have built study trackers and progress checklists based on the repo. But the original README is still the best place to start.
Final Thoughts
This repo isn't magic. You still have to put in the hours. But what it does is remove the uncertainty. You don't waste time wondering "Am I studying the right things?" or "Should I learn this or that?" The path is laid out. All you have to do is walk it.
The fact that the author went from studying this material to landing a job at Amazon is proof that the plan works, but the real value is how much effort was saved for everyone else. If you're planning a big tech interview in the next 6-12 months, bookmark this repo. It might just be the most useful resource you'll find.
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