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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

Completed yesterday's targets 

Targets for today

1.newspaper

2.anthropology 2.3

3.current affairs of geography consolidate one place

4.ethics practice answers 

Average day dint do optional only 

Other targets completed 

Would like to call it a day 

A fresh day tomorrow

Pam123,IwWand5 otherslike this
5.6k views
Does anyone have shubhra ranjan's current affairs program? 
Just need to have a look at handouts or the topics. Willing to share some cost if handouts are available. 
THE_MECHANIC,Jammu
5.1k views

AJ_said

@sator My advice regarding newspaper: Skip the backlog. Use a coaching compilation to get up-to date with major events. And henceforth, read newspaper regularly.


@sstarrr 

Q1: Everyone has a different strategy. And you can see this in my and Arrokoth's Case. He decided to go for very little tests and more of base material. I went for "TESTS, TESTS and MORE TESTS" type approach :D

At the end of the day, it all comes down to "reading more content, more number of times". And whether you do it by reading new material or solving more tests is entirely your choice.


Q2: I'll avoid answering this, as my answer would be biased.


Q3: I joined SFG multiple times. In short, extremely helpful. It's however to SUPPLEMENT other test series and NOT SUBSTITUTE because of the basic nature of questions asked.


Q4: Maybe try practicing more philosophical themes. Practice a broad structure, instead of writing the full essay. And do this for multiple Essay Topics. Try reading some Topper Copies too. Maybe that will help.


@Indian_Human If time is less, "delegate" the responsibility of PROBLEM SELECTION to coachings. If you still feel underconfident in a topic, then you can go for basic books. But within these 3 months, it can be avoided. As it becomes difficult to identify the stopping point in a book.


@sjerngal I mean the LEARNING PORTION and BROAD TOPICS must have been covered. That is to say, one should not be joining a course or, say start a new book on World History after 10th November. Also everyone has their own strategy, and if you feel reading a new book is crucial (even in December), please go for it. 


Thank you ๐Ÿ˜Š

Jammu,
5.2k views

Hello fellow breads! Iโ€™ve realised that the major problem with me not being able to complete things is my lack of consolidation as far as notes as concerned. Aaj mar jayenge but polity khatam karenge. Targets for 3.11.21:

Copy writing

Editorial- IE+ Hindu

Backlog 

Daily C/A

Polity- (4/4)

AWP

Fingers crossed folks!

Didnโ€™t do AWP or backlogs. Managed to complete most of polity, have few alad falad topics left. On the bright side, managed to complete governance basic note making. Hopefully they should be ok. Signing off for the day folks. Breadโ€™s a little tough but itโ€™s still not too bad

Dhanananda,Celebornand5 otherslike this
5.5k views

Nearly completed targets yesterday. (some portion of polity not done)

Today's targets:

1) Fluids (try to finish) 

2) Polity (try to finish) 

3) AWFG 

4) Governance class 

5) Newspaper 

1) will take more time. Have set aside two more days for this

2) Not done fully. Will do pending portion later 

3) done 

4) done 

5) done

Dhanananda,Rashmirathiand4 otherslike this
5.1k views

Targets for tomorrow:

1) Governance (1/3)

2) PDE (1/2)

3) CA class 

4) Newspaper 

Happy Diwali peeps! Have a wonderful day tomorrow :) 

Dhanananda,Rashmirathiand5 otherslike this
5.1k views

PSIR Targets done

Society Targets half done 

Stupid Headache reduced the efficiency today! :disappointed:

Need to go warp speed to complete the syllabus.


Targets for 3/11/2021 

1. Finish Society

2. PSIR 1A - Hobbes/Mill/Locke/Arendt PYQs practice

3. PSIR 2A - Politics of Representation and Participation

4. Newspaper

1. Done

2. Arendt left

3. Done

4. Done

Targets for 4/11/2021 

1. Society - PYQs/Test Series Qs practice

2. PSIR 1A - Arendt/Marx/Gramsci PYQs practice

3. PSIR 2A - Approaches to study of IR

4. Newspaper

Happy Diwali everyone

Celeborn,Rashmirathiand3 otherslike this
5.4k views

1st Mains this time.

Tomorrow's Targets:

1.Newspaper

2.Settlement geography(Paper 1&paper 2)

*Settlement geo completed(p1+p2) except Town planning,Slums part.

*Newspaper not done in the pursuit of finishing Optional targets.

*In addition done a case studies class.Though missed CA class.


Targets for 2/10/21 will be:-

*Regional geography(p1+p2)[target=2 to 2.5 days]

*Newspaper if possible

*2 subtopics of regional planning in P1 remaining.        The fact is The pace of my completion of topics is hindered by lack of consolidated content.

*Newspaper_done.

*In addition done 1 case studies class.

Targets for 03/11/21 will be:-

*Regional geography(p1+p2)

*Ethics case studies class

*CA class

*Newspaper(if possible)

Not a decent day

*Regional geography of p1 completed

*Ethics case studies done.


Targets for 4/11/21 will be

*Models and theories leftover topics.

*perspectives Re-revision

*Newspaper

Dhanananda,Celebornand4 otherslike this
5.4k views

Targets for 3/11/21

  • Finish economic geography
  • SolveALL PYQSrelated to economic geography
  • Ethics topic 7 probity in governance... Half.. Along with pyqs

Note to self: IF YOU CAN'T DO EVEN THIS... YOU DON'T DESERVE TO CLEAR THIS EXAM

  • 10% left
  • Didn't do, instead went through mocks
  • Done, but without pyqs
  • Wrote awfg

Pretty decent day.. Proud of myself... Could hv studied an hour more, but I wasted 2 hour in the evening, had gone to a shop n ordered chilli chicken for take away... This took insanely long .. 

Lesson learnt: Use swiggy/zomato...no need to be ur own delivery agent... 

Goodnight friendss


SA,IwWand7 otherslike this
4.9k views

@Master so, getting a 360 would require you having done your CA well, having atleast some notes ready for major portions of GS papers (not issues wise, but sub-topic wise) and a grip on GS 4.

This maybe done through doing only your CA source well and treating that as value addition, and being able to write okay-ish answers fast enough. So, practice for speed and frameworks I'd say. 

@Serendipity QEP notes are good value add, but the teaching by the person leaves much uncovered - atleast this is what I've heard of the program. Have never used any of it. Same is with Insights' program, never heard of it. I think Dipin Sir's classes are usually considered good enough to cover topics. Again, have only heard this, never attended it. 

The main point of having mains notes is to be able to use/replicate them in exam. So, whichever method (relying on external note/making own) is more aligned with this - you can do. Since time is less, I'd say go with the second approach. Maybe@AJ_ can put in another perspective.

@leftfaithinmyself with a 68 you may require help in both approach, framing, and answering tactics in Ethics. If you have time, I'd say get some external help in form of crash course + test series. Atleast will put you on a baseline vis-a-vis GS 4.


heisenberg_,Masterand3 otherslike this
5.2k views
@leftfaithinmyself  you can read pyq solutions by orient ias (atul garg Sir), lukman, topper copies. 
Revise bacic notes - take up a topper copy - try to answer the question - see what topper has written  - analyse and bridge the gap. 
Crash course will help only if you do not understand the concepts and lack notes. 
In ethics one's own understanding, topic brainstorming is highly rewarding. 
If you have got time - collect mock solutions of 2 years of 2-3 institutions and try to mentally solve them - read solutions to gain extra points. 


EiChan,Xeraand3 otherslike this
5.2k views
@DrishtiPoint thank you so much for ypur detailed answer. I may contact you in near future if i have a doubt. Best of luck!!


THE_MECHANIC,
4.3k views
All your insights are very valuable. 
And the hard work put in by you is inspiring. 
Thank you so much! 


DM,Celebornand4 otherslike this
5.1k views
Hi friends happy Diwali! No targets today, just trying to squeeze in study time in the middle of festive fun wherever possible. Have fun you guys, if possible (for those who live in ORN) Agarwal se mithai kha lena :) this bread will feast on ladoo as well ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿฅณ
DM,Dhananandaand9 otherslike this
4.6k views

Good Morning guys... Woke up late than usual.. It is getting colder here in Jammu and takes a lot of strength to wake up early.. 

Anyway.. Targets for 4/11/21

  • Anthro-finish archeology first iteration
  • Finish topic 7 Ethics. 
  • Revise whatever I studied yesterday.. 

Meanwhile happy diwali guys.. I completely forgot about it.. Hum aspirants ke liye toh kya diwali... Apni diwali to tabhi hogi jb holy pdf mei naam aaega...  :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

DM,Dhananandaand9 otherslike this
4.5k views
Good morning dostoen ! 
Happy Deepawali to one and all โœจ

Targets for Nov 4, 2021
  1. Meditation - 2x
  2. Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy + PYQ + 5 AWP
  3. Art and Culture + PYQ + 1 hour AWP
  4. Revise Western Thinkers and Political Ideologies
  5. Donโ€™t create backlog

Looking forward to thoughtful thursday โœŒ๏ธ


Dhanananda,Celebornand5 otherslike this
4k views

Happy diwali everyone!

Targets for today

1.newspaper

2.answer writing ethics pyqs

3.anthropology 2,7,8 paper 1

4.ethics notes revision

Dhanananda,Celebornand3 otherslike this
4.2k views
Deleted
@LetsGetThisBread Bekar hota agarwal ka kafi jyada mitha rakhta hai .:D


3.7k views

Hey guys. Happy Diwali to everyone!! Hope your faces are smiling and diyas are shining ๐ŸŒŸ

Sorry for being absent when questions were being answered by@Arrokoth and@AJ_ .I have tried to write down everything related to mains, along with test copies. I think I am more coherent that way. 

https://threewhiteboards.wordpress.com/2021/11/02/mains-gs/

Please let me know if there's anything else I can add :)

DM,Dhananandaand19 otherslike this
4k views

Hey guys. Happy Diwali to everyone!! Hope your faces are smiling and diyas are shining ๐ŸŒŸ

Sorry for being absent when questions were being answered by@Arrokoth and@AJ_ .I have tried to write down everything related to mains, along with test copies. I think I am more coherent that way. 

https://threewhiteboards.wordpress.com/2021/11/02/mains-gs/

Please let me know if there's anything else I can add :)

Thank u so much for writing this.. I feel like I am in same shoes as urs with regard to syllabus covered and test series attempted earlier... 

This gives me a lot of confidence now... If you could do this, I can, toooo.. !! 

DM,EiChanand9 otherslike this
4k views
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