I did AoC2020 with C++ and did it in a enterprise, over-the-top, well-structured way. E.g. need to find two items whose prices sum up to 123? Implement a multidimensional knapsack just in case you need it later (spoiler: I did need it). If you take the time, and don't bother with the leaderboard, you might find AoC to be a really fun and engaging way to explore new concepts and solutions.