It is almost time for one of my favorite December traditions: the Advent of Code. I discovered this a couple of years ago and have been looking forward to it each year.
From December 1st to 25th the prevent you with coding challenges. These challenges are language agnostic, which means you can use your preferred tools. Heck if you were a genius (which I am not) there is nothing stopping you from doing it in your head. Each day presents a two-tier challenge. Complete the first tier by solving the problem. In most cases, the problem will resolve to some type of number, which will be checked against the answer to see if you've done the problem correctly. If you solve the problem, then you will be presented with an extension. Sometimes this can be frustrating if you have to completely rewrite your first solution because they took the problem in a different direction than your code supports. Once you solve the second problem you are done for the day. Keep in mind the system tweaks the numbers for each user, so no stealing the answer from your neighbor.
The system presents as a delightfully retro website which only adds to its charm. The problems are presented at midnight eastern time, so there is a whole battle to be one of the first few done, but if you are not on the west coast or a night owl, finishing them the next day does not subtract from the fun. So I encourage every seasoned or rookie programmer to take a look at Advent of Code, you might just have a blast, improve your skills and learn something too!