Eight TOC Lectures, 20 Questions, and Gandhi Jayanti Reflections

The second day of October turned out to be pretty solid.

I had expected to accomplish a little more than I actually did, but looking back, I am satisfied with the progress.

After completing nine TOC revision lectures on the first day of October, today's target was to complete another eight lectures and maintain my question-practice routine.

And unlike yesterday, I had one significant advantage.

It was Gandhi Jayanti, which meant no office!

That extra time made quite a difference.

Eight Lectures and a New Chapter

My primary target for the day was Theory of Computation revision.

I completed the remaining lectures of the Regular Expressions chapter and started Finite Automata.

By the end of the day, I had completed all eight planned lectures.

Combining yesterday's nine lectures with today's eight, I have now completed 17 TOC revision lectures in two days.

The revision phase is progressing as planned, and I am gradually moving towards completing the chapters that I had previously studied.

Finite Automata is still in progress, with approximately five lectures remaining according to my current estimate.

My immediate objective is to finish the chapter tomorrow.

Twenty Questions, Eighteen Correct

Apart from lectures, I also managed to complete my question-practice target.

I solved 20 questions from TOC, approximately 10 of which were GATE PYQs.

My performance was:

• Total questions: 20
• Correct: 18
• Incorrect: 2
• Accuracy: 90%

An accuracy of 90% feels satisfying, but the two incorrect answers deserve attention.

They were not simply random mistakes. Some exposed gaps in my conceptual understanding, while others involved mistakes that I could have avoided by paying closer attention.

This is precisely why I want to maintain question practice alongside revision.

Watching lectures can make a topic feel familiar, but solving questions reveals whether I can actually apply what I have studied.

I will need to revisit those two questions rather than simply celebrate the score and move on.

Gandhi Jayanti Made a Difference

One thing I particularly noticed today was how much easier it was to manage both lectures and questions without office responsibilities.

Yesterday, despite completing nine lectures, I could not confirm any additional mixed-question practice.

Today, with the entire day available at home, I managed to complete eight lectures and solve 20 questions.

So, yes, a little credit goes to the holiday.

And perhaps a little credit goes to Gandhi Ji as well. 😄

It was a reminder that my daily productivity is influenced not only by discipline but also by the time and circumstances available to me.

However, I cannot expect every day to offer the same convenience.

October's Schedule Is Already Fixed

My original target was to complete the syllabus by the end of August.

That deadline has already passed, and I have now moved the target to 31 October.

I don't want to push it any further.

The remaining October schedule has already been planned, including the subjects, chapters, and number of lectures assigned to each day.

Tomorrow is particularly demanding.

My target is to complete:

• 6 lectures of Finite Automata from TOC.
• 5 lectures of DBMS.

That makes 11 lectures in total.

There is also a possibility that my girlfriend might visit my home to casually meet my parents. It could affect my routine, but I have already decided that I will work around the situation and complete the scheduled targets.

I know this sounds demanding, but I have already accounted for the remaining days in my preparation calendar.

I don't want to keep postponing the syllabus completion deadline.

A Thought From Gandhi Ji to End the Day

Since today was Gandhi Jayanti, I wanted to end the day with a thought that has stayed with me while growing up.

A quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi says:

"A person's thoughts are everything. What they think, they become."

The idea is simple, but its meaning goes much deeper.

If I continuously think about becoming a better person, developing a strong personality, and building a meaningful life, those thoughts should eventually reflect in my actions.

And if my actions consistently move in that direction, I gradually become the person I want to be.

For me, this connects with my GATE preparation as well.

I am not just visualising a single-digit rank in GATE CSE 2027. I am also visualising myself working as a Scientist B at the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

But merely thinking about those outcomes isn't enough.

The daily lectures, PYQs, revision, mistakes, and effort are the actions that need to support that vision.

In simpler words:

Think good. Do good. Become good.

It might sound like a simple philosophy, but I find its meaning particularly relevant to the person I am trying to become.

Tomorrow: Eleven Lectures

Day 19 ended with eight completed TOC lectures, 20 questions solved, and a clear target for the next day.

October is still young, but the workload is already increasing.

I know the more demanding days are yet to come, especially as I move deeper into the remaining syllabus.

For now, I am sticking to the plan.

One day at a time, one target at a time.

Happy Gandhi Jayanti!

And bring on Day 20.