Programmer of the Month for December: Yash Kumar

Its Christmas time! As we move into the last month of 2010 we have someone very special. Yes we are talking about Yash Kumar. He has been on CodeChef since its inception in 2009 and has been very consistent at his performances. At the age of 19, he has achieved many milestones and has been ranked number 4 on CodeChef. Lets see what this young boy has to tell us about himself.

Name: Yash Kumar
Age: 19
Institute: International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad
Userid: naughty
Twitter: yash298

How/When did you start programming?
I started programming about 3 years back, during a compulsory course in my freshman year at university. It gradually changed from compulsion to interest and passion. Later I came to know about various online judges, SPOJ, UVA etc. through some seniors. And it continued on from there.

What do you do when you’re not programming?
Anyhow, I am mostly sitting on my PC. Movies, Music, Sitcoms, reading random things on web, typeracing etc.

What do you like most about CodeChef?
Almost Everything :D. Problems, Prizes, Organization etc. And more importantly, Codechef’s initiative to improve programming culture amongst Indian students.

How many hours a day do you program?
It Depends. Can go from nothing to 10-11 hours a day. It is generally higher when preparing for ICPC or some other competitions.

If you could eat dinner with any famous person (past or present), who would it be and what dish would you have?
No Particular person comes to my mind.

What is the secret to being a good programmer?
Interest, Passion and Practice.

What are your plans for the future?
Presently, I am looking forward to work as a software developer for some time after completing my undergraduate education this year. After that, I am not sure. May be I’ll go for higher studies, or may be something else.

Cheers!
Team CodeChef