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CSE 2021: Plan / Strategy / Daily Routine

Hello 2021 aspirants. I thought it would be nice if we can share what we are doing and intend to do with one another here.

This could be a thread for discussing everything prep for 2021. 

No one method fits all but to see the plans and progress made by fellow aspirants might help with the finer details of preparation and also keep one on track. 

Moderator Update: This thread has crossed 1 million views and has thousands of comments slowing down the website. We are closing this and moving to the next thread

https://forumias.com/post/detail/Official-How-was-Mains-2021-Paper-Essay-and-GS-Discussion-1641542963#main_comment


jack_Sparrow,rootand121 otherslike this
1.9m views

6.6k comments

Gng to set 10 day target and will review after completion. So wont be coming in everyday

Plan till nov 15th

#world history

#optional 2 thinkers

# complete Ca & 2 tests 

Review on nov 15th

----++++----


Gaurav,Animesh_Mathsand2 otherslike this
5.1k views

nov end target

  • art and culture
  • polity
  • modern history
  • marketing management
  • organizational behaviour
  • managerial functions
Gaurav,Animesh_Mathsand3 otherslike this
5.3k views

Anyone interested in becoming my scribe for this year upsc?...

Plz Msg me in the inbox... 

4.6k views
It's a lone fight, and it's must be fought alone now. Any search of study partner, peer group, guidance programme, coaching, mentorship, etc etc is futile and most likely not going to serve the purpose- at least in my case. Clearing this exam doesn't depend on one's capacity- I was fully capable but I couldn't. Excelling here depends on whether or not one is focussed, and able to consistently devote a sufficient number of quality hours. Enough of today's lecture. :) 
iskool,OliveOiland4 otherslike this
5.2k views

Will Donate monthly completed material(mrunal P.Y.Q book,past 3 magazines in 15 days)send postal adress to premchand253@gmail

3.9k views

Yesterday was my restday. 

Today target

1) organizational behavior - optional

2) world history - 1 chapter

3) essay - topic women

4.3k views

People here with Mains 2019 experience but missed Prelims this year 

Can we have a telegram group 

With sole purpose of Little inputs, not daily discussions and other stuff

Mauraisles,
4.2k views

Gauravsaid

It's a lone fight, and it's must be fought alone now. Any search of study partner, peer group, guidance programme, coaching, mentorship, etc etc is futile and most likely not going to serve the purpose- at least in my case. Clearing this exam doesn't depend on one's capacity- I was fully capable but I couldn't. Excelling here depends on whether or not one is focussed, and able to consistently devote a sufficient number of quality hours. Enough of today's lecture. :) 

you may be right. but the so called right approch not worked this time. I am in search of what went wrong. and guess what m still searching. i know at least two ppl who ticked 100 questions are writing mains. they were not even close to my prep:-

1. one ex-manager a PSB : was busy with share market investment. hardly solved 10 mocks. was scoring 70+ in tests writing mains.


2. Another one crying whole time that i left my material in ORN cant study, this lockdown ruined my attempt. age is the issue or left attempt n all that. Can tell you that he was not read even single month CA is writing mains. 

#PM_tukka_maro yojna made their day. I was consistently getting 120+ in vajiram and forum tests and now writing this post.

Now can you tell me what to do? Chill and do whatever you can. :)

Gaurav,Animesh_Mathsand2 otherslike this
4.3k views

@iskool when I bombed 2018 attempt everyone said practice mock in exam like situation. done that. but same thing happened in 2019 and 2020 attempt. I think either I simply can't perform in exam condition or following mock scores as benchmark in process is terrible strategy.

I'm also in search for what went wrong. with some assumptions now I'm thinking on these lines. all these year 18/19/20 market said pre paper was unconventional yet people scored this simply means there's sectional strength doesn't align with ours. out of 100q some sections are yielding high but don't know which one.

iskool,
3.5k views
Truth be told, I don't know which areas I should focus on. I lost prelims 2019 and now 2020. It's so frustrating. I don't know how to start. F#ck.
Minion,iskool
3.9k views

Yuyusaid

Truth be told, I don't know which areas I should focus on. I lost prelims 2019 and now 2020. It's so frustrating. I don't know how to start. F#ck.

+1

4.1k views

iskoolsaid

Gauravsaid

It's a lone fight, and it's must be fought alone now. Any search of study partner, peer group, guidance programme, coaching, mentorship, etc etc is futile and most likely not going to serve the purpose- at least in my case. Clearing this exam doesn't depend on one's capacity- I was fully capable but I couldn't. Excelling here depends on whether or not one is focussed, and able to consistently devote a sufficient number of quality hours. Enough of today's lecture. :) 

you may be right. but the so called right approch not worked this time. I am in search of what went wrong. and guess what m still searching. i know at least two ppl who ticked 100 questions are writing mains. they were not even close to my prep:-

1. one ex-manager a PSB : was busy with share market investment. hardly solved 10 mocks. was scoring 70+ in tests writing mains.


2. Another one crying whole time that i left my material in ORN cant study, this lockdown ruined my attempt. age is the issue or left attempt n all that. Can tell you that he was not read even single month CA is writing mains. 

#PM_tukka_maro yojna made their day. I was consistently getting 120+ in vajiram and forum tests and now writing this post.

Now can you tell me what to do? Chill and do whatever you can. :)

First of all, it's really sad to know that you couldn't clear Prelims even after preparing hard. Secondly, I was about to write something above but then I pressed backspace button and avoided, and it was that certain luck is also involved which sometimes plays an imp role. Maybe your case was the one falling in it. Thirdly, you should figure out what went wrong in your case but at the same time your friends should not boast about their Prelims result, and this is because a CSE aspirant can bring no more dishonour to his Civils cycle than clearing Prelims somehow and writing Mains only to flunk in it. So, what I mean to say is that you are better off anytime. It's better to fail in Prelims itself than writing Mains without prep and failing in it. If they were really so much unprepared for Prelims going by your description, can they be expected to clear Mains? So, don't think that they have done something great by passing Prelims with the helps of all those tukkas and conjectures because eventually they are going to be out of the cycle soon. 'Writing mains' as said by you isn't a big thing, clearing Mains is. And Mains, as you yourself must be knowing, can't be prepared in 2.5 months, it's all about piecemeal approach of amassing knowledge over a period of minimum 10-12 months which can then be applied in the examination hall. So leave them, but yes it's really surprising that you couldn't clear it given you were consistently scoring 120+ in mocks and I understand how tough it will be for you to bear it. 

Animesh_Maths,nehrubose
4.2k views
I am able to study on average around 7 hours in a day. However, I see from most toppers' claims and coaching websites references that atleast 8-10 hours of daily study is required to clear this exam. What is your opinion on this? Till what extent is this true? How many hours do each of you study in a day? Please post your hours, mentioning if you are preparing full time or doing it along with a job like Vinay12. I am preparing for this exam full time.
Gaurav,Vinay12and1 otherslike this
4.2k views
I am able to study on average around 7 hours in a day. However, I see from most toppers' claims and coaching websites references that atleast 8-10 hours of daily study is required to clear this exam. What is your opinion on this? Till what extent is this true? How many hours do each of you study in a day? Please post your hours, mentioning if you are preparing full time or doing it along with a job like Vinay12. I am preparing for this exam full time.

Im not sure time about studying atleast 8-10 hrs a day. Im a full time aspirant. Ill study by fixing some goals for the day to complete rather than the constant hour to complete. My usual day slot be like

Early morning - 2 hours

After break - 1 hour

After break- 2 hours

Afternoon - 2 hours(sometimes 1 hour)

Evening - 2 hours.

Night - 1 hour revision

I prefer more suitable approach for me to best strategy ever known by toppers.


Animesh_Maths,
4.1k views
I am able to study on average around 7 hours in a day. However, I see from most toppers' claims and coaching websites references that atleast 8-10 hours of daily study is required to clear this exam. What is your opinion on this? Till what extent is this true? How many hours do each of you study in a day? Please post your hours, mentioning if you are preparing full time or doing it along with a job like Vinay12. I am preparing for this exam full time.

I feel 7 hrs is good if u r doing it consistent ly. U ll only have to put more hours from march till mains.

My work days varies where I put double the time(8+8) on my work day so tired the next day also but i get full day off on 2 days so i try to read for 6-7hrs on off days. It actually varies. somedays I sleep too much.

Usually it's Morning 4 hrs with breaks and evening 3 hrs. If I sleep in the noon, I try compensating it in the nights. How much quality study time done matters. I can do 6 hrs quality and others half quality ( mind saturates for me). Quality+ consistency is the essence. 

Animesh_Maths,
4k views

Gng to set 10 day target and will review after completion. So wont be coming in everyday

Plan till nov 15th

#world history

#optional 2 thinkers

# complete Ca & 2 tests 

Review on nov 15th

----++++----


 Nov 9th targets 

1) world history done

2) optional 

3) ca done 

4) paper + daily cadone


4k views

Gauravsaid

iskoolsaid

Gauravsaid

It's a lone fight, and it's must be fought alone now. Any search of study partner, peer group, guidance programme, coaching, mentorship, etc etc is futile and most likely not going to serve the purpose- at least in my case. Clearing this exam doesn't depend on one's capacity- I was fully capable but I couldn't. Excelling here depends on whether or not one is focussed, and able to consistently devote a sufficient number of quality hours. Enough of today's lecture. :) 

you may be right. but the so called right approch not worked this time. I am in search of what went wrong. and guess what m still searching. i know at least two ppl who ticked 100 questions are writing mains. they were not even close to my prep:-

1. one ex-manager a PSB : was busy with share market investment. hardly solved 10 mocks. was scoring 70+ in tests writing mains.


2. Another one crying whole time that i left my material in ORN cant study, this lockdown ruined my attempt. age is the issue or left attempt n all that. Can tell you that he was not read even single month CA is writing mains. 

#PM_tukka_maro yojna made their day. I was consistently getting 120+ in vajiram and forum tests and now writing this post.

Now can you tell me what to do? Chill and do whatever you can. :)

First of all, it's really sad to know that you couldn't clear Prelims even after preparing hard. Secondly, I was about to write something above but then I pressed backspace button and avoided, and it was that certain luck is also involved which sometimes plays an imp role. Maybe your case was the one falling in it. Thirdly, you should figure out what went wrong in your case but at the same time your friends should not boast about their Prelims result, and this is because a CSE aspirant can bring no more dishonour to his Civils cycle than clearing Prelims somehow and writing Mains only to flunk in it. So, what I mean to say is that you are better off anytime. It's better to fail in Prelims itself than writing Mains without prep and failing in it. If they were really so much unprepared for Prelims going by your description, can they be expected to clear Mains? So, don't think that they have done something great by passing Prelims with the helps of all those tukkas and conjectures because eventually they are going to be out of the cycle soon. 'Writing mains' as said by you isn't a big thing, clearing Mains is. And Mains, as you yourself must be knowing, can't be prepared in 2.5 months, it's all about piecemeal approach of amassing knowledge over a period of minimum 10-12 months which can then be applied in the examination hall. So leave them, but yes it's really surprising that you couldn't clear it given you were consistently scoring 120+ in mocks and I understand how tough it will be for you to bear it. 

I am a man without prejudice. Don't have even against them. No reason. 

Yes but understand. They are like good at mains. Writing good answers. They have very good chance of clearing it. 


You need to understand here that a large chunk of ppl get thrown out of this process at preliminary level itself. They are prepared for mains. 

Every failed candidate says this. May be.... I was dam prepared for this mains. Even ready with essay themes. Just 15/20 tests and I am done. But????

Bhai, mains is much easier. Some ethos and if u are prepared well, no one will stop you. Just a balance needed. Mrunal says " aapko kam kharab answer likhne hai" and "maan ki baat" nahi likhni. 

Minion,
3.9k views

iskoolsaid

Gauravsaid

iskoolsaid

Gauravsaid

It's a lone fight, and it's must be fought alone now. Any search of study partner, peer group, guidance programme, coaching, mentorship, etc etc is futile and most likely not going to serve the purpose- at least in my case. Clearing this exam doesn't depend on one's capacity- I was fully capable but I couldn't. Excelling here depends on whether or not one is focussed, and able to consistently devote a sufficient number of quality hours. Enough of today's lecture. :) 

you may be right. but the so called right approch not worked this time. I am in search of what went wrong. and guess what m still searching. i know at least two ppl who ticked 100 questions are writing mains. they were not even close to my prep:-

1. one ex-manager a PSB : was busy with share market investment. hardly solved 10 mocks. was scoring 70+ in tests writing mains.


2. Another one crying whole time that i left my material in ORN cant study, this lockdown ruined my attempt. age is the issue or left attempt n all that. Can tell you that he was not read even single month CA is writing mains. 

#PM_tukka_maro yojna made their day. I was consistently getting 120+ in vajiram and forum tests and now writing this post.

Now can you tell me what to do? Chill and do whatever you can. :)

First of all, it's really sad to know that you couldn't clear Prelims even after preparing hard. Secondly, I was about to write something above but then I pressed backspace button and avoided, and it was that certain luck is also involved which sometimes plays an imp role. Maybe your case was the one falling in it. Thirdly, you should figure out what went wrong in your case but at the same time your friends should not boast about their Prelims result, and this is because a CSE aspirant can bring no more dishonour to his Civils cycle than clearing Prelims somehow and writing Mains only to flunk in it. So, what I mean to say is that you are better off anytime. It's better to fail in Prelims itself than writing Mains without prep and failing in it. If they were really so much unprepared for Prelims going by your description, can they be expected to clear Mains? So, don't think that they have done something great by passing Prelims with the helps of all those tukkas and conjectures because eventually they are going to be out of the cycle soon. 'Writing mains' as said by you isn't a big thing, clearing Mains is. And Mains, as you yourself must be knowing, can't be prepared in 2.5 months, it's all about piecemeal approach of amassing knowledge over a period of minimum 10-12 months which can then be applied in the examination hall. So leave them, but yes it's really surprising that you couldn't clear it given you were consistently scoring 120+ in mocks and I understand how tough it will be for you to bear it. 

I am a man without prejudice. Don't have even against them. No reason. 

Yes but understand. They are like good at mains. Writing good answers. They have very good chance of clearing it. 


You need to understand here that a large chunk of ppl get thrown out of this process at preliminary level itself. They are prepared for mains. 

Every failed candidate says this. May be.... I was dam prepared for this mains. Even ready with essay themes. Just 15/20 tests and I am done. But????

Bhai, mains is much easier. Some ethos and if u are prepared well, no one will stop you. Just a balance needed. Mrunal says " aapko kam kharab answer likhne hai" and "maan ki baat" nahi likhni. 

Ok

4k views
I am able to study on average around 7 hours in a day. However, I see from most toppers' claims and coaching websites references that atleast 8-10 hours of daily study is required to clear this exam. What is your opinion on this? Till what extent is this true? How many hours do each of you study in a day? Please post your hours, mentioning if you are preparing full time or doing it along with a job like Vinay12. I am preparing for this exam full time.

I think a minimum of 10 quality hours is needed. Although I am not able to devote even half of it but this is what I feel is required. Some even say they studied for 12 or 14 hours but studying that much daily is damn difficult. Even devoting 10 hours requires great discipline on one's part. Many students use to study for 7-8 hours ordinarily and extend it to 10-12 when exam approaches. 

Animesh_Maths,
4k views

Today target

1) managerial functions

2) modern history 

3) art and culture

4k views
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