Hello Everyone. My name is Manav Jain. I belong to a small city named Guna in Madhya Pradesh. I have secured AIR 634 in UPSC CSE 2023 in my secondattempt. I have done my Bachelor of Arts from University of Delhi. My optional is Sociology. Through this blog I am going to share some pointers and a bit about my journey which I feel would be helpful for aspiring civil servants.
Journey
To any aspiring civil servant reading this, I would like to say that be sure that you want to enter this field. That you want to do this with your own will, because clearing this paper will require some sacrifices and you will require a driving force. I know it seems idealistic when I say that I wanted to become a civil servant to serve the society. It was in my childhood and I didn’t even know what an IAS was, but it was what my now late grandfather dreamt for me, and what stuck with me as I grew up. And even though I took PCM in 11th, to go for JEE, by the end of 11th I was clear that I wanted something more with life. So in 2017 after 12th, I went to Delhi University for my graduation. And though my preparation did not start till 2021, I was clear about what I wanted to do in my life. So the most important thing for me in this journey was a concrete vision of what I wanted for myself.
Guidance – A big challenge in preparation is lack of guidance. Before I started preparation properly in 2021, I only had a vague idea about what the paper was. I knew about some basic books, but I wasn’t aware about the importance of other subjects like Environment, or Science & Tech, of giving tests or PYQ practice, about mains specific subjects and optional. So as I was preparing by myself, taking help of experienced aspirants, my peers, topper talks etc was very important.
Resources – Another big issue today is the presence of multitudes of resources in the market today. What is important is deciding the resources once and sticking to them whether they are your class notes or something else. If you find some new good source, try to make it as value addition in your primary source.
Optional – During my first attempt, one of my mistakes was not being as prepared for the optional as I should have been, with scoring lower than expected in optional, missing the interview by 1 mark. So be prepared with multiple revisions and concise notes for final revisions with relevant thinkers, or examples etc (especially in optionals like sociology), and do answer writing.
Mental and Physical health – During preparation you might have to taketimeoff if your health isn’t good. Apart from physical, mental health is very important too. Tbh, I was in bad mental state in this attempt due to many things going on in my life. And it can happen with anyone in their life. There are gonna be ups and downs in your life. Try sharing problems you face with your family, friends and loved ones. It helped me a lot. Practice some hobby that can help you relax. And don’t ignore the importance of stress relief. Being in a good state of mind is very important in all stages of the exam.
When to Start Preparation?
I feel one should start preparation when they find the will and driving force to jump into it. I feel one can start preparation in college if they want, though they shouldn’t miss the chance for growth of personality that college life offers. I went in without a backup but it is the choice of aspirants what way they choose.
Timetable
I believe there should be flexibility in timetable. You should make goals that you want to achieve and work to achieve them. But monotony can be avoided by shuffling your timetable according to circumstances.
Strategy
Prelims GS – Multiple revisions of all subjects is a must. Giving tests regularly and analyzing them to understand your strengths, weaknesses and areas to work. And even if you score low in some tests, not getting demotivated with tests but using them as a learning lesson. Regularity in current affairs and their revisions is as important. Try to remain calm and try to attempt 90(+-5 ) which starts with mock tests.
CSAT – If you are not as confident in math and reasoning, then constantpractice is the only way. No need to attempt all questions as it is just a qualifying paper. Only attempt those questions which you are sure about. Attempting 50 – 55 questions is good in my opinion rather than taking unnecessary risks. And don’t take it lightly. And learn to avoid questions which are bound to waste time.
Mains GS- Most important thing is answerwritingpractice. Read topper’s answers to understand the basic structure and demand of questions. Make concise notes regarding data points, committee recommendations, examples etc for enrichment of your answers. Reading newspapers regularly is a must for mains during those three months. And try to understand the demand of questions which require practice. Practice ethics and essay as they have emerged as game changers in making or breaking your chances in list and your rank. And avoid mixing your optional with GS.
Optional – I have already briefly discussed optional. Apart from that you can refer to topper’s copies to practice answer writing, value addition. Also extensively use google, AI etc for value addition in optional.
Resources
Current Affairs ( Newspaper + Vision 365 for both prelims and mains)
Vajiram Class notes ( which I attended) as value addition
Newspaper for current examples
Tests
Prelims – Vision IAS + Forum IAS sectional and Multiple full length
Mains – Forum and Vision IAS for GS and Vision IAS for sociology
Give mocks and PYQs both. Try to do PYQs in start to understand pattern of UPSC, and at last to break the pattern of coaching mock tests
Some people do like to prepare alone and that’s okay. But I feel having good friends as your peers is very important. And even though I can not name them all, I am lucky to have them on my corner. Having group discussions, studying together, giving their notes and making notes especially for me when I couldn’t during mains, checking my answers, helping me maintain my sanity and so on. Similarly having support of my family was my good luck. Even when others doubted me, my parents had my back. So I am grateful for them which I feel is absolutely necessary.
At last I will just say that this preparation or any other exam for that matter feels like climbing Mt Everest. At first look it looks almost impossible because it is. This year the success rate was about 0.078%. But even when climbing Everest there are various camps that you have to reach before reaching the summit. And same is true for this exam. Divide your targets into smaller achievable goals. Don’t fear the failure but try to learn from them. Move forward with determination. And you may fail even after trying, but you will not certainly succeed if you don’t try. Thanks and all the best to everyone!!
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