Can You Use Python for LeetCode?

When I first started applying for internships in North America as an international student, I realized pretty quickly that LeetCode was going to become part of my daily life. It felt like everyone around me was doing it. Naturally, I began to wonder: is Python really a good language for solving these problems?

One night after getting frustrated with a problem involving hash maps, I decided to try Python instead. And I haven’t looked back since.

Python just made things smoother. I didn’t have to stress over variable declarations or worry about semicolons. List and dictionary operations? A breeze. I still remember solving the Two Sum problem with Python in just a few lines, while in C++ I had to write double the code just to handle edge cases.

What I liked the most was how Python lets me focus on solving the problem, not fighting the syntax. Built-in modules like collections, heapq, and itertools saved me tons of time. I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel every time.

Of course, it's not without drawbacks. For example, some problems involving a large amount of data operations may time out when written in Python because its own running speed is a little slower than that of Java and C++. At this point, it all depends on your ability to write algorithms to reduce the time complexity. Python can pass as well. Moreover, what the interviewer cares about is not what language you use, but how you think about the problem and how you express your train of thought.

Over time, Python became my go-to for LeetCode and technical interviews. I used it for a few company assessments too, and things went well. Just be sure to check the platform you're using—some default to Java or C++, and switching languages at the last minute can be tricky if you’re not familiar with their setup.

So, if you’re an international student like me, trying to manage time and keep your sanity while prepping for interviews, Python is definitely worth considering. It helped me get through hundreds of problems more efficiently, and made the whole process a little less painful.