An Open Letter(s) to those who flunk(ed) Prelims

Neyawnsaid

Uyguygyguigiugsaid

@Neyawn 

I just wanted an honest guidance. I wrote my last comment about prelims 2021 ... getting 84-88 in Gs and being terrible at Csat. My problem is I'm not prepared with my optional Sociology had taken classes for it in 2020 so I know generally about it but since then been too engrossed in finishing off the syllabus and Prelims that couldn't give a proper reading of the standard sources etc in it. 2 attempts are over for me and I'm keeping other exams as backup so I'm actively preparing for other exams and giving them like this month have 2 other exams to give so CSE preparation is not going full fledged as I should have. My query is if you say 5 months is required to clear prelims and I'm not fully prepared with my optional. What should I do then , should I try to get finish my optional somehow my January or should I not give the next attempt. Sincerely I request you to share some of your much required insights

Look, this exam requires a certain time to prepare. Give it that time. If you have not cleared prelims there are two ways to proceed 

(a) focus on prelims, give it 5 months and accept the fact that you may have suboptimal mains preparation and you may need another attempt ( which means studying afresh for mains after the mains - which I have seen that only people who have elder siblings or parents in Civil Services or some very good guidance do ; the rest waste the post mains time ) . Accept that fact and stay away from people ( and coachings including forum )  who tell you what will you do "even if you clear prelims, you wont crack Mains." 

OR 

(b) Take a planned drop ( rather than flunking the exam and taking an unplanned drop with a weakened psyche ) and give 5-6 months to GS Mains ( GS and essay ) and 5 months to prelims.

My point is that when we write an exam - "not clearing it should not be foregone conclusion" - that is you know beforehand itself that you wont clear it because you could not prepare because of time / calendar contraints ) . Your preparation should be such that you have a fighting chance?

schrute_farmssaid

Thank you so much for this. 2021 was my first attempt and I fall in the first category with 86-88. One mistake I made was to not be regular with SFG tests. 15 days in and I was already done with what seemed like a dreadful exercise, waking up that early in the morning to give mocks. But once I dropped it, it totally ruined my productivity. I realized that those 15 days were my peak productivity days.

I was hospitalized with fever 1 month before prelims and there went 2 crucial weeks down the drain. 

I have decided to complete my optional prep by 15 Dec, and leave Mains GS for after Pre. Hoping to stay healthy and be regular with the SFG tests this time and not be discouraged by the low scores!

DMsaid

@Uyguygyguigiug perhaps mid-march