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ALGORITHMS & DATA STRUCTURES · EXAM · 1:1

Pass A&DS without fearing complexity analysis.

Four to five sessions before the exam. We practise Big-O on real tasks, work through trees, heaps and graphs, and drill the routine you use to derive any running time cleanly.

Dennis, Senior Java Engineer · Algorithms Dennis LIVE Senior Java Engineer · Algorithms responds ≤ 4 h Free first conversation →

Already decided? Straight to a session →

  • Your past paper, not a textbook
  • Pseudocode and Java
  • Cancel up to 12 h before

Live from an A&DS session

Complexity.java ⎙ shared
// What is the running time of this loop?
for (int i = 1; i < n; i = i * 2) {
  System.out.println("step");
}
// i doubles: O(log n), not O(n)
Doubling means logarithm. We derive it, we don't memorise it. — Dennis, 6 min ago
EXAM STRUCTURE · TYPICAL TASKS

Three blocks that appear in almost every A&DS exam.

The weighting varies by university, but the structure is remarkably stable: an analysis block (running time, Big-O), a data-structures block (trees, heaps, hashing) and an algorithms block (sorting, graphs). We drill each type on your past papers.

Block 1

Complexity analysis & Big-O

~30%
Weight
Duration · ~25 min Format · Determine the running time of code snippets, solve recurrences, compare growth.

The block that decides whether you pass. Analyse loops, apply the master theorem, tell O, Θ and Ω apart.

Focus
  • Big-O
  • master theorem
  • recurrences
  • best/worst case
  • amortised
Block 2

Data structures: trees, heaps, hashing

~35%
Weight
Duration · ~30 min Format · Run operations (insert, delete, rotate), check invariants, justify the cost.

Where you bank safe points once you have practised the operations. BST and AVL inserts, heapify, hashing with collisions.

Focus
  • BST
  • AVL trees
  • heaps
  • hashing
  • linked lists
  • invariants
Block 3

Algorithms: sorting & graphs

~35%
Weight
Duration · ~35 min Format · Execute procedures step by step, give BFS/DFS order, compute shortest paths.

Trace mergesort and quicksort, run Dijkstra and the graph traversals confidently. Routine, not guesswork.

Focus
  • mergesort
  • quicksort
  • BFS/DFS
  • Dijkstra
  • MST
  • backtracking
Past papers from TUM, RWTH, KIT, the University of Hamburg and many more map onto these three blocks. Send us yours and we calibrate the prep to it.
A REAL TASK

How we approach a running-time task.

No memorised formula. We derive the running time line by line, the way you have to justify it in the exam.

Task

Determine the running time of the function in terms of n in Big-O notation. Justify your answer.

Runtime.java
void f(int n) {
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    for (int j = 1; j < n; j = j * 2) {
      System.out.println(i + "," + j);
    }
  }
}
How we solve it
  1. Inner loop first

    j starts at 1 and doubles each pass until j ≥ n. That is log₂(n) steps, so O(log n).

  2. Count the outer loop

    i runs from 0 to n, that is n passes, so O(n). The loops are nested.

  3. Multiply, do not add

    Nested loops multiply their running times: O(n) · O(log n) = O(n log n). That is the answer.

YOUR PATH TO THE EXAM

A realistic 4-week plan. No miracles promised.

Start now and invest 4 to 5 sessions and your chances are good. Less time? We compress. More? We go deeper, into custom data structures or NP-completeness.

  1. S1
    Step 1
    Diagnosis and gap analysis

    You share your screen, we go through your latest exercise and exam scope. We see where you really stand, not where you think you do.

  2. S2
    Step 2
    Derive running times confidently

    We drill the analysis block: loops, recurrences, the master theorem. You derive, I probe, until the routine sticks.

  3. S3
    Step 3
    Data structures and algorithms

    Insert and delete in trees, heaps and hash tables, then execute sorting and graph procedures step by step, on your actual exam material.

  4. S4
    Step 4
    Mock exam under time pressure

    You solve your university's mock exam against the clock. We review every task: what is solid, where you get stuck and which task types are likely to come up.

Marcel Schmidtpeter, Gründer und Senior Developer, Study IT
FROM THE FOUNDER

Why Study IT exists.

I built Study IT because I have seen first-hand how computer-science teaching at university falls apart.

Our tutors are working developers, not student side-jobbers.

Marcel Schmidtpeter Gründer und Senior Developer

Reach me directly: marcel.schmidtpeter@study-it.education

YOUR TUTOR FOR ALGORITHMS & DATA STRUCTURES

Dennis derives running times instead of cramming formulas.

Senior Java Software Engineer with 11 years of industry experience. He explains Big-O, trees, heaps and graph algorithms step by step, with the routine that holds up under exam pressure.

Dennis
Online · replies quickly
Industrie­erfahrung
11 J
Java Engineer
Senior
seit 2015
FIAE
Dennis
Senior Java Software Engineer
„Programmieren versteht man, wenn man weiß, warum eine Lösung funktioniert. Mein Ziel: dass du Code nicht abschreibst, sondern selbst hinkriegst."
Background
  1. Heute Senior Java Software Engineer · Industrie
  2. 2015 bis heute Softwareentwicklung in der Industrie · 2 berufliche Stationen, 11 Jahre kumuliert
  3. 2015 bis 2018 Ausbildung Fachinformatiker Anwendungsentwicklung · Praxisbetrieb · IHK-Abschluss
  • Java
  • Spring
  • C#
  • Python
  • OOP
  • Algorithmen
  • Datenstrukturen
  • Unit Testing
AT A GLANCE
Response time
≤ 4 h
Teaches
Studierende · Azubis · Quereinsteiger
Language
Deutsch (Muttersprache)
Book Dennis, 60 €/h → See full profile → All tutors ↓
PRICING

Clear pricing. No subscription trap.

Pay per session or grab an exam package. The intro call is free: if it is not a fit, you have lost nothing.

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Single session · 60 min
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In comparison What it costs otherwise
Retake the module (1 sem.)
6 months
extends your degree by a semester
Group cram course
~€600
generic, no focus on your material
Student tutor (TA)
€20 to 30/h
if available, student level
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FAQ

Questions about A&DS exam prep.

How many sessions do I need for algorithms & data structures?
Realistically 4 to 5 sessions over 3 to 4 weeks if your programming basics are solid. With bigger gaps in complexity analysis: 6 to 8 sessions. We give you an honest estimate in the intro call.
I just don't get Big-O notation. Is it salvageable?
Yes, and you are not alone. Big-O feels abstract but it is a fixed routine: count loops, multiply nesting, handle recursion with the master theorem. We practise it on real tasks until you derive it instead of guessing.
Do you work with pseudocode or Java?
Both. Many A&DS exams use pseudocode for algorithms but test the same understanding that sits behind Java. We follow your university's script and past papers.
Do you bring your own tasks or do we use mine?
We work on your past papers and exercise sheets, because they are closest to your real exam. Where you have none, we bring suitable tasks on trees, sorting and graphs.
What does the prep cost?
€59.99 per 60-minute 1:1 session. No subscription, no minimum term. The intro call is free; that is where we agree on scope and a plan.
READY?

Let's turn your A&DS exam into a plan.

Free intro call, 30 minutes. We look at your material and tell you honestly how many sessions you need.