TOC Is Complete, But Four Topics Need Another Look

Today, I finally completed the lecture coverage for Theory of Computation (TOC).

That was the main target, and I managed to finish it within the deadline I had set for Friday.

But before celebrating too much, there's something I need to admit: I haven't understood every topic in TOC equally well. Four topics still need serious attention, and I don't want to pretend otherwise just because I have finished the lectures.

TOC Is Finally Complete!

I had been pushing myself to complete TOC by Friday, no matter what. The previous day was particularly exhausting, with seven hours of lectures alongside an office schedule, and I had postponed one three-hour lecture because of eye strain and sleepiness.

Friday was the deadline to finish the remaining work.

And I completed the subject's lecture coverage.

Honestly, I would have been much happier if I had understood every topic thoroughly on the first attempt. But that wasn't realistic, especially because some of these concepts were completely new to me.

I also had to keep moving because my overall syllabus-completion deadline is 30 October. I cannot spend unlimited time on one subject while other subjects are still waiting.

Four TOC Topics That Need More Attention

There are four areas I have specifically marked for revision:

• Context-Free Grammars (CFG)
• Pushdown Automata (PDA)
• Turing Machines
• Decidability and Undecidability

I have some understanding of these topics. I know what CFG and PDA are and have an initial idea of what Turing Machines do. But I am not yet comfortable with them in the way I am with regular languages, regular grammars, DFA, and NFA.

Those topics feel much more familiar to me now. The remaining four still need another round of learning and practice.

Why I Skipped the Decidability Lecture

I also have a small confession.

I skipped the dedicated one-hour lecture on Decidability and Undecidability because the material felt a little out of my comfort zone.

I had already been moving quickly through the syllabus, and I didn't feel I could give that lecture the attention it needed at the time.

Similarly, I studied Turing Machines through the app, but I didn't go very deep into the concepts.

I'm not particularly proud of leaving these gaps, but I would rather document them honestly than make this preparation diary look perfect.

The important thing is that I know what needs to be revisited.

First Exposure Is Not Mastery

One thing I have realised during this TOC sprint is that watching a lecture and truly understanding a topic are two different things.

Some topics make sense almost immediately. Others require time, examples, problem-solving, and repeated revision.

CFG and PDA are still relatively unfamiliar to me. Turing Machines and Decidability also need more attention.

I skipped TOC during my graduation, so I am encountering much of this material for the first time now.

Studying everything at 1.5x to 2x speed while trying to meet a strict deadline doesn't always leave enough room to absorb every detail.

For now, I am treating these lectures as my first exposure. During the revision phase, I want to revisit the four weaker areas more carefully and strengthen my understanding.

I may also revisit them during October itself if I find some available time.

Completing TOC is a milestone, but it is not the same as being completely prepared for every TOC question that GATE might throw at me.

The October Deadline Is Still on Track

My overall target remains unchanged: finish the syllabus by 30 October.

I have three buffer days towards the end of the month, which should provide some flexibility if certain topics take longer than expected.

I don't want to use those days as an excuse to delay work unnecessarily. At the same time, having a buffer is useful because not every topic will cooperate with the timetable.

For now, TOC is off the immediate syllabus-completion list, although those four topics remain on my revision list.

The next priority is DBMS.

Weekend Mode: More Time for My Own Goals

Saturday is an office holiday, and honestly, this is one of the things I love about weekends as a corporate employee.

During the weekdays, I have to fit GATE preparation around a full office schedule. On weekends, I get more time to contribute towards my own dream and goals.

That feeling matters to me.

My plan for Saturday is to wake up, do some stretching, freshen up, take a bath, and then start the first lecture of DBMS Chapter 2: Transaction and Concurrency Control.

There are six lectures in this chapter, with each lecture lasting approximately two to two and a half hours.

I want to make as much progress as possible on Saturday and aim to finish Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, ER Model, across the weekend.

It's an ambitious target, and I know the lectures themselves will take considerable time. I'll have to manage the weekend carefully.

But having two days without office gives me a much better opportunity to focus.

Closing Day 26

Today's biggest achievement is simple: TOC lecture coverage is complete.

The subject isn't equally strong in every area yet, and I have four topics to revisit. I am okay with acknowledging that because I now know where I need to focus.

The next challenge is DBMS, starting with Transaction and Concurrency Control.

The October deadline is approaching, and there is still plenty to do. But for tonight, I can at least close the TOC chapter of this part of my preparation.

Happy weekend to me. More time for the dream I'm working towards.