Addressing

Yes, every company asks Leetcode questions. No, writing algorithms is not your everyday job. Why do they do it? It's an intelligence/communication test. They want to see how well you articulate technical concepts and think critically. They're optimizing to prevent false positives. And believe it or not, people can pass Leetcode style interviews without grinding Leetcode for months. Yes, there are people smarter than you, welcome to the real world. Yes, rent is very expensive. Yes, California has a state income tax. No, $180k in CA is not the same as $60k in the midwest. Especially when you have no dependents. Yes, you might live with roommates to save (even more) money. But you don't have to. Turns out humans are social animals that value friendship. No, the Bay Area is not as chill as Socal. Yes, you have to write code at your job that is paying you a lot of money. The vast majority of software engineers here are working 40 hrs/week or less. Yeah, you might be at work until 7, but you just hit the free gym, took a shower, ate free dinner, and are about to take a free shuttle back home. If your company doesn't offer those things, you probably left long before that. In addition to a ton of perks, many workplaces are flexible, and allow partial WFH 1-2 days/week. Instead of whining and criticizing others on the internet, many posters here would do better to make an honest assessment of their own weaknesses, put their heads down, and get to work improving themselves. And I'm not saying your goal should be "$xxx TC, Google Mountain View" or some vain, Blind-esque bullshit like that. I don't care where you want to live or who you want to work for. If you're unhappy, then harness that negative energy and look inwards, because you are the one that has the most control over your own situation. Yes, there's enough randomness in life that you can't guarantee any one success. But give yourself goals. Challenge yourself. You'll fail, and that's ok.