A curriculum built around dependencies

This is a suggested order, not a proven one. Move on when you can explain and code the core ideas, and keep revisiting earlier topics in mixed practice. A hard problem is a later checkpoint, not something you must solve before reading on.

Stage	Learn and practice	You're ready when you can
A	Cost, arrays, hash maps, sorting; LC 1, 242, 49, 121	Write a brute force and remove a repeated lookup or scan.
B	Prefix sums, two pointers, sliding window; LC 303, 560, 167, 209, 3	Explain why moving each pointer is safe, and when it isn't.
C	Binary search, stacks, heaps; LC 35, 875, 20, 739, 215	State exactly what the search or the stack keeps true.
D	Linked lists, trees, backtracking; LC 206, 104, 98, 78, 46	Say what one recursive call does, and undo choices between branches.
E	Graphs, BFS, DFS, topological sort; LC 200, 994, 207	Define the full state and explain the visiting order.
F	DP and greedy proofs; LC 198, 322, 416, 1143, 435	Write a recurrence, or show a greedy swap never hurts.
G	Combinations and changed assumptions; LC 239, 862, 743, 787	Explain why a simpler familiar technique isn't enough.
H	Optional extras: tries, range queries, bitmasks, advanced strings	Point to the operation or limit that needs the extra machinery.

For each topic, pick one clear starter problem, one variation, and one problem tried without its topic label. The starter teaches the idea. The variation changes a condition. The unlabeled one tests whether you can pick the idea yourself.

A first pass: LC 1, 242, 49, 121, 303, 560, 167, 209, 3, 35, 875, 20, 739, 215, 206, 104, 78, 200, 198, and 435. That's a starting point, not a quota. If you're missing a prerequisite, study it directly. If a problem feels routine, move on to a variation.

Once you know several topics, mix them. Keep some test problems unseen: don't read their solutions in advance. Familiar problems measure what you remember; unfamiliar ones show whether you can apply it. Track how much of a hint you needed, whether you could explain why it works, whether your code worked, and whether your approach survives a changed assumption.

Other study plans are useful lists. NeetCode groups problems by topic and builds in review S1. Grind 75 explains how it picks and mixes problems S2. Sean Prashad's list gives tips for choosing an approach S3. Follow one main plan and borrow problems from others to fill specific gaps.