Found out that most coding bootcamp grads can't solve basic recursion problems

I read a survey on Dev.to last week that said 60% of bootcamp grads struggle with writing a simple recursive function, but they aced all their portfolio projects. Does that mean we should focus more on theory over building stuff, or is recursion just not that important for real jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan_schmidt14h ago

And honestly recursion is one of those things that feels way harder than it actually is until you've done it a few times, most coding challenges you'll face on the job are way more about loops and logic. Bootcamps are all about getting you hired fast with shiny projects, so they skip the deep theory stuff that takes more time to click. The real question is whether knowing recursion helps you think differently about breaking down problems, which I think it does even if you barely use it day to day.

janahenderson14h ago

Totally agree with @logan_schmidt on how recursion teaches you to slice up big problems into smaller ones, even if you rarely type it out. It's like learning a different way to think about tasks that loops don't always cover well. Plus once it clicks, it makes those tough algorithm questions way less scary in interviews.