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CSE 2022: Plan/ Strategy/ Daily Routine

This is an everything thread for all stuff 2022. You can post your daily goals, end-of-the-day updates, weekly targets or any weird thing you use to measure your progress. You can put into words & post the soul-sucking sadness that is threatening to devour you & your productivity. You can write what made your day & let others experience the happiness too, at least vicariously. This is a thread to pick each other up. This is a thread to keep each other accountable. This is a no-judgement zone.

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“This is one more piece of advice I have for you: don't get impatient. Even if things are so tangled up you can't do anything, don't get desperate or blow a fuse and start yanking on one particular thread before it's ready to come undone. You have to realize it's going to be a long process and that you'll work on things slowly, one at a time.”

— Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood


jack_Sparrow,Fireheartand160 otherslike this
1.5m views

4.2k comments

Late start but here we go. Targets for the day:

1. News

2. Pre material revision (1 booklet)

3. Laxmikanth (1 hour)

4. Bare acts: 1,2,3

5. Optional short notes (45 mins)

6. Wind up by 11 no matter what

Not done

Not done

Not done

Done 

Done

Done

Targets for 2410:

1. Bare acts for the day: 1, 2

2. News (for the day + 1 backlog)

3. Pre revision (1 booklet)

4. Laxmi (30 minutes)

Ash5Man,whatonlyand1 otherslike this
5.3k views

24/10/2021

  1. Optional answers done ✅ 
  2. Newspaper ✅ 
  3. Some weekly CA topics ✅ 
  4. Governance notes ✅ 
  5. Economy ✅ 

Then Cricket match.

whatonly,THE_MECHANICand1 otherslike this
5.4k views

I’ll also start from tomorrow maybe. I’ve been away from forum to detox myself from virtual world. Failure at prelims level was also a setback for me, needed time to recover fully. I had almost left this preparation cycle. But some success results of my friends and classmates motivated me.

For next 7-8 months, only prelims specific and optional (as I changed it this time) preparation. This time, I don’t want any excuse from myself. 

Here’s how it’ll go:

 Morning- Optional (3-4) answers daily + Ember & Ember (or other optional book)

Afternoon- not expecting too much (as I feel sleepy, and other commitments). But I’ll try to read CA and Newspaper.

Evening- Revision of the previous day tasks.

Night- GS part for Prelims. Expecting to cover all subjects before SFG starts.


 I am very poor at consistency. Hope that doesn’t happen this time.

Just follow one rule. Give prelims dedicated five months and you will clear it. There are people I meet in fifteen attempt and first mains. Usually the first four years they give 

Attempt 1 - just like that to get the feel

2 - 2 months of prep

3 - 3 months of prep

4- 4 months of prep

5 - 5 months of prep - only prelims . Writing first Mains. It’s wiser to do the reverse.

Deepak802,MikeWozniakand12 otherslike this
6.4k views
@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


5.2k views
@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


Can you jot down the first principles about the prelims? Things that you to be 100% true about the prelims. Work on them. No blame game. Just premises which you know are 100% true about prelims.

Saint_1,TsarBombaand4 otherslike this
6k views

chalo match k baad ab padha jaaye seriously. 



It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward !

Neyawn,whatonlyand1 otherslike this
4.8k views

@Neyawn please upload the video of answer writing sesion which you took a few days back for MGP 2021. I saw it for few minutes when you were showing the toppers copy and found it really useful. I was unable to attend it and thought it will be uploaded later on youtube. 

THE_MECHANIC,
4.7k views

Targets for 25.10.2021:

 Finish up yesterday’s work. 

SergioRamos,Rashmirathiand2 otherslike this
5.4k views

Neyawnsaid

@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


Can you jot down the first principles about the prelims? Things that you to be 100% true about the prelims. Work on them. No blame game. Just premises which you know are 100% true about prelims.

What does this mean? Can you please elaborate. What premises? Which principles?

4.4k views
@Neyawn Can you please elaborate on what to do in those 5 months?



4.5k views

Sheepsaid

Neyawnsaid

@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


Can you jot down the first principles about the prelims? Things that you to be 100% true about the prelims. Work on them. No blame game. Just premises which you know are 100% true about prelims.

What does this mean? Can you please elaborate. What premises? Which principles?

So you will be cluttered with too many inputs. Somebody will say do this. Somebody will say do that. When you are surrounded by noise and lose direction, identify what are the “things that haven’t changed” or “things that you know to be definitely true about this exam” . 

List down those things. Things that you will hear every topper say, or if you follow someone , if your mentor, what is the thing that he always says. Those become the first principles or the basics. You begin with them.


For example, you can be assured that 


1) Exam demands revision . How many times? Refer to Apala M”s interview. She didn’t make it through prelims twice before she cleared it.

2) Exam requires solving PYQs. That is something that a topper in 2004 was also saying. How many years can we/ should we go ?

And so on..

Mettle,Rashmirathiand2 otherslike this
5.6k views
@Neyawn Can you please elaborate on what to do in those 5 months?



Study only for Prelims. No seduction of optional. Widen reading base apart from basics to develop conceptual clarity.

or GS Mains. Bit of GS can be done, but no optional. It will do wonders for you.

Deepak802,Saint_1and4 otherslike this
5.6k views

Neyawnsaid

@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


Can you jot down the first principles about the prelims? Things that you to be 100% true about the prelims. Work on them. No blame game. Just premises which you know are 100% true about prelims.

Sir, I’ll need some time to think over it.

Rashmirathi,
4.7k views

Neyawnsaid

Sheepsaid

Neyawnsaid

@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


Can you jot down the first principles about the prelims? Things that you to be 100% true about the prelims. Work on them. No blame game. Just premises which you know are 100% true about prelims.

What does this mean? Can you please elaborate. What premises? Which principles?

So you will be cluttered with too many inputs. Somebody will say do this. Somebody will say do that. When you are surrounded by noise and lose direction, identify what are the “things that haven’t changed” or “things that you know to be definitely true about this exam” . 

List down those things. Things that you will hear every topper say, or if you follow someone , if your mentor, what is the thing that he always says. Those become the first principles or the basics. You begin with them.


For example, you can be assured that 


1) Exam demands revision . How many times? Refer to Apala M”s interview. She didn’t make it through prelims twice before she cleared it.

2) Exam requires solving PYQs. That is something that a topper in 2004 was also saying. How many years can we/ should we go ?

And so on..

What if feels like having huge gap in preparation even after few attempts. Basic things like rivers still haven't heard of, Getting Modern History wrong etc. Till when this trial and error method should go on. Failing and then exploring one more area to fill in. What should be advisable for such students who ain't able to sum up things by self study. Feels like test series and SFGs are even not able to suffice to this gap. Maybe due to lack of due diligence or discipline. But how come it will arrive if it hasn't in these three years. What should such people do? Should they go for classes? Or leave upsc? 🥺

Rashmirathi,THE_MECHANICand1 otherslike this
4.3k views
 I categorise the preparation in following parts:
  1. Content building: First to cover some basic books, which everyone is referring. There should be multiple revisions before exam. Since the syllabus is huge, we need to specify the boundaries. The boundary will decide core, over which the peripheral concepts can be built. 4 sources to gain knowledge: teachers, self study, friends and time.
  2. Preparation for the exam: Multiple revisions of books and simulating exam like conditions through test series. Though test series will be very different from the actual exam, but attempting them is important, to fill the knowledge gaps and to prepare ourselves for the D-Day. Analysing PYQs to identify pattern is the most important thing. CSAT is important too. 
  3. Actual exam: Gauging the toughness level of the paper to attempt optimum number of questions, Presence of mind, minimising wrong attempts. (Sabse pehle hame ghabrana nahi hai). 
Neyawn,Joeyisthebestand7 otherslike this
4.6k views

Sheepsaid

Neyawnsaid

Sheepsaid

Neyawnsaid

@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


Can you jot down the first principles about the prelims? Things that you to be 100% true about the prelims. Work on them. No blame game. Just premises which you know are 100% true about prelims.

What does this mean? Can you please elaborate. What premises? Which principles?

So you will be cluttered with too many inputs. Somebody will say do this. Somebody will say do that. When you are surrounded by noise and lose direction, identify what are the “things that haven’t changed” or “things that you know to be definitely true about this exam” . 

List down those things. Things that you will hear every topper say, or if you follow someone , if your mentor, what is the thing that he always says. Those become the first principles or the basics. You begin with them.


For example, you can be assured that 


1) Exam demands revision . How many times? Refer to Apala M”s interview. She didn’t make it through prelims twice before she cleared it.

2) Exam requires solving PYQs. That is something that a topper in 2004 was also saying. How many years can we/ should we go ?

And so on..

What if feels like having huge gap in preparation even after few attempts. Basic things like rivers still haven't heard of, Getting Modern History wrong etc. Till when this trial and error method should go on. Failing and then exploring one more area to fill in. What should be advisable for such students who ain't able to sum up things by self study. Feels like test series and SFGs are even not able to suffice to this gap. Maybe due to lack of due diligence or discipline. But how come it will arrive if it hasn't in these three years. What should such people do? Should they go for classes? Or leave upsc? 🥺

Look, writing SFGs is not enough. You have to be at the top of your game. If you are competing in CS, you have to be at the top of your game. Getting a top score in SFG consistently is a big insurance against failure in Prelims IMO. That’s because something like SFG requires a commitment that is not easy to have. That itself sorts you out.

Second, people know how to conquer new territory. In fact when an army marches conquering new territory, it’s not a real win if they do not secure the area behind them. What if the enemy has withdrawn and will regroup on the area behind you ? Soon the army will be surrounded from all sides, because it did not secure area conquered by it.


Many people will do an SFG / do a part of syllabus, but will be seduced by something new , instead of going and revisiting the same old things.

You don’t crack the exam because questions in Mains are repeated from the test, but because you know how to solve the test, you have developed the mental acuity and the ability to bear a certain mental stress.

You could possibly clear the exam if you could get the low hanging questions wrong instead of focusing on / banking on the  ambiguous questions . How do you guarantee that basics are not wrong because of confusion ?

if you are scoring 80+ by any key, you are close and “in” the competition. If you are between 60-80, you have not done basics well- you get easy questions wrong. If you are below 50, you have not been paying attention to the exam. Maybe the optional, maybe gs, maybe essay, but not prelims .

In that case you were not in the game even if the paper was easy as the cut off would adjust to make way for it.


Saint_1,TsarBombaand7 otherslike this
5.4k views
 I categorise the preparation in following parts:
  1. Content building: First to cover some basic books, which everyone is referring. There should be multiple revisions before exam. Since the syllabus is huge, we need to specify the boundaries. The boundary will decide core, over which the peripheral concepts can be built. 4 sources to gain knowledge: teachers, self study, friends and time.
  2. Preparation for the exam: Multiple revisions of books and simulating exam like conditions through test series. Though test series will be very different from the actual exam, but attempting them is important, to fill the knowledge gaps and to prepare ourselves for the D-Day. Analysing PYQs to identify pattern is the most important thing. CSAT is important too. 
  3. Actual exam: Gauging the toughness level of the paper to attempt optimum number of questions, Presence of mind, minimising wrong attempts. (Sabse pehle hame ghabrana nahi hai). 

Good, now I’m point 1, can you read an additional book that helps in Mains as well as helps you solve the newer more conceptual questions ?

Rashmirathi,THE_MECHANIC
5.4k views
@Neyawn Okay sir, I’ll figure it out.


THE_MECHANIC,
4.4k views

Neyawnsaid

Sheepsaid

Neyawnsaid

Sheepsaid

Neyawnsaid

@Neyawn Okay. Thank you sir. 5 months then; January onwards.
I’ll focus on mains topics for now.


Can you jot down the first principles about the prelims? Things that you to be 100% true about the prelims. Work on them. No blame game. Just premises which you know are 100% true about prelims.

What does this mean? Can you please elaborate. What premises? Which principles?

So you will be cluttered with too many inputs. Somebody will say do this. Somebody will say do that. When you are surrounded by noise and lose direction, identify what are the “things that haven’t changed” or “things that you know to be definitely true about this exam” . 

List down those things. Things that you will hear every topper say, or if you follow someone , if your mentor, what is the thing that he always says. Those become the first principles or the basics. You begin with them.


For example, you can be assured that 


1) Exam demands revision . How many times? Refer to Apala M”s interview. She didn’t make it through prelims twice before she cleared it.

2) Exam requires solving PYQs. That is something that a topper in 2004 was also saying. How many years can we/ should we go ?

And so on..

What if feels like having huge gap in preparation even after few attempts. Basic things like rivers still haven't heard of, Getting Modern History wrong etc. Till when this trial and error method should go on. Failing and then exploring one more area to fill in. What should be advisable for such students who ain't able to sum up things by self study. Feels like test series and SFGs are even not able to suffice to this gap. Maybe due to lack of due diligence or discipline. But how come it will arrive if it hasn't in these three years. What should such people do? Should they go for classes? Or leave upsc? 🥺

Look, writing SFGs is not enough. You have to be at the top of your game. If you are competing in CS, you have to be at the top of your game. Getting a top score in SFG consistently is a big insurance against failure in Prelims IMO. That’s because something like SFG requires a commitment that is not easy to have. That itself sorts you out.

Second, people know how to conquer new territory. In fact when an army marches conquering new territory, it’s not a real win if they do not secure the area behind them. What if the enemy has withdrawn and will regroup on the area behind you ? Soon the army will be surrounded from all sides, because it did not secure area conquered by it.


Many people will do an SFG / do a part of syllabus, but will be seduced by something new , instead of going and revisiting the same old things.

You don’t crack the exam because questions in Mains are repeated from the test, but because you know how to solve the test, you have developed the mental acuity and the ability to bear a certain mental stress.

You could possibly clear the exam if you could get the low hanging questions wrong instead of focusing on / banking on the  ambiguous questions . How do you guarantee that basics are not wrong because of confusion ?

if you are scoring 80+ by any key, you are close and “in” the competition. If you are between 60-80, you have not done basics well- you get easy questions wrong. If you are below 50, you have not been paying attention to the exam. Maybe the optional, maybe gs, maybe essay, but not prelims .

In that case you were not in the game even if the paper was easy as the cut off would adjust to make way for it.


Where to score 80+? Are you talking about this year pre? 

THE_MECHANIC,
3.9k views
Deleted

5 days left for this month and my target is 

1. Nadeem Hasnain 2 books - 4 days

2. Vision Sep21 monthly - 1 day

3. Daily newspaper by default

Rashmirathi,Ash5Manand1 otherslike this
3.7k views
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