@Dijkstrahaa.. Actually , looking back , I loved the way UPSC ask d few questions this year. Though I'm not satisfied with my performance , these papers are of good standard.
Infact attempting test series papers are like playing on Indian pitches where as upsc papers are like facing anderson in swinging conditions of Edgbaston on first day first session.
@BGPi think tana Bhagat movement can be quoted as an example for it
I'm appearing for forestry mains this year. Need to prepare two new optionals (forestry and geology). Do or die situation actually. Gave third civils mains and it ended as freaking disaster. So hoping to give it seriously.
I'm looking for someone, to prepare together with. Anyone with similar optional, and interested, pls let me know.
@Anthromani had to leave that question just because i dont know human example of transient polymorphism.
any ideas about how to deal with race question
@Anthromani wrote 2,6 and 7 -- P1
2,3 and 6 -- P2
@sat_009yea , presentation holds key to this question. Was under time crunch, so shifted to indegenous tribes & globalisation ques. But ,on hindsight, this question can be much scoring (2 phy anthro questions) , compared to what i attempted. Poor call.
Starting on a cynical note..
One need not be too concerned about line by line accuracy in upsc mains.
It's good to have perspective on what we wrote and what could be done better.. but losing minds over such finer details is not worth it.
There are instances in past in my group where people who wrote biodiversity act and Sendai /hyogo (p3 last year , I guess) very accurately ended up getting 80s in that paper . At the same time..people who wrote pretty generic even by standards of GS got good marks.
I'm not encouraging complacency here. A couple of weeks back people started losing their minds after seeing couple of well written answers and things went beserk. All I'm saying is.. it's okay to discuss stuff..but lets not lose faith in what we have written. Let's be optimistic . I guess it's the only way we can be at peace till results.
#unsolicited_gyan
Seeing about move on to next tasks at hand...
i personally feel, this is the only time we have to connect to our social life. While we keep running like a horse with blinders round the year focussing on pre, mains etc, life isn't that way for our non-upsc mates. Knowingly or unknowingly we distance ourselves from people , and many times we fail to realize it.
This is the best time to mend our personal relationships, fill those voids.
Funny thing is three of my friends got dumped by their girl friends , at this point last year. Though they suffered hell initially , on hind sight , they felt grateful for their exes, who did it at a right time, so that they got the time to heal and didnt terribly screw their further attempts
May be this is the best time to evaluate our non-upsc life all together
#unsolicited_gyan
@Yug_ i agree with you on this. There are times we expect too much from ourselves and end up self bashing. Or think too high of what we wrote.
There are instances in my previous attempts, where papers which i felt i nailed (right after the exam) ended up being disasters and vice-versa.
Gut feeling post exam, however honest it may be, cant be an ideal indicator.
There was someone commenting earlier about leaving 120 odd marks in anthro in 2017 , and yet scoring 250 odd.
I want to pitch in my little experience on that.
2017 is an anomaly for anthro..kind of like jackpot. It's my first attempt and I completely screwed up p1 of anthro that year. (Left around 30 marks, wrote 1 page answers for another 30 .. And garbage like neanderthals are in Mesolithic culture). I scored in 150s that year. Next attempt p1 was bit tricky..but I was well prepared.. Wrote really well quality wise , completed the paper except one 10 marker. And result..I got less than 2017.(in 140s)
Am I preaching that we shouldn't study..hell no.
In 2018, many of friends who scored exceptionally well in 2017, dropped to 115-120 range in p1. May be the effort I made helped me to retain that score(in 140s).
My point is making pattern changes every year. It's not fair to judge our efforts just because we scored well one year. There might be luck factor also involved.
@utkarsh_mishraYes..once last year. cleared mains marginally. Wouldn't be in list even if i had scored 200 in interview
This attempt was more or less like last attempt only. Could have done much better . Not so satisfied.But , lets hope for the best
@zombielandi never said anthro was ill treated in 2018. i only said 2017 was a very liberal year. Rest ,i totally agree with you. i faced same issue this time, couldnt cram well, didnt write anthro upto the mark
Last thing i want to do is mis-guide people. Hence clarifying
@zombielandha bro.. we all are on same boat
@sat_009average. Got brain fade in paper 1and couldn't do that well. p2 was decent.
@sat_009Even i faced same issue with those questions. i am bit weak in p2 (110 and 130 in both attempts).. so cant confidently say.
@sat_009genuinely wishing you good result after reading your answers.
i mean, good content being rewarded will increase overall trust on this process
Helps to tweak prep accordingly .
Having spent long time in this process.. these days I'm praying God only one thing..
If I clear mains..be it with good margin.
Or else ..just stop me at this point.. I'll grieve for sometime. Then I'll make peace with myself that this is not my cup of tea and move on with my life.
Last year I cleared mains with so thin a margin that even if had got a 200 in interview I wouldn't be in the list. My entire efforts for interview is sheer waste of time and energy. Post result I didnt get time to make any significant tweaks in my prep. And result was similar performance in mains as last year. It's so frustrating.
@hirockyrocks7101ya..GS1 was screwed like everyone...I got 10-15 less across all papers.
@Jharsugudayes..but new techniques require practice and time , since we are hardwired to certain writing style.
After my previous mains..I chilled out for 2 months..and after mains result it's all interview. After final result I'm left with 2 months gap...so prepared only pre..and post pre..since there is a big 8 month gap ..I became gazini and forgot everything including optional.
So between pre and mains..I could only revise and practice some answer writing. But there isn't much I could improve over my earlier attempts. I have to see how it turns out this time. I still remember telling my parents post exam that everything went like last mains only ...I don't know what I did in last one year.
Anyways I personally feel... Getting interview call can be a huge confidence booster initially.. But if it's with very slight margin..(like less than 5 marks ).. then things get tricky in Long run
@ManchesterUnitedassuming that the back story for encounter is fake.. it would have been much better if government had established a fast track court mechanism and ensured that death sentence was implemented through that way in fastest possible time.
By resorting to encounter , government has missed an opportunity to establish a system that can deliver justice at faster pace.
While one cannot encounter every rapist.. the above mentioned mechanism can ensure severe punishment to most of them.
PS: the above mentioned view is purely systemic. Frankly speaking, they don't deserve to live.
@vvvikas0078212I am referring to a new mechanism similar to fast track courts that can be formulated by government.
The government should have realized the gravity of situation, existing loop holes.
The intent shown by government in ensuring justice through encounter can be shown in developing a speedy mechanism.
We have seen in past as well..when intent is there , laws get passed, constitutions can get amended at a fast pace. Eg: EWS bill. I wish the similar kind of intent shown in crimes related to rapes
@HermioneGrangersame experience.. he will offer water in interview.. he will make you all comfy but will rigorously test you. But I really enjoyed his panel as they asked sensible questions I wish that I clear and get his board again
@ManchesterUnitedthis is my third attempt and third mains.
Missed mains cutoff by a good 60 marks in first attempt (2017)
Cleared mains with less than 5 marks last time.
Problem is I was never good at anything..(my first attempt I sucked equally in all papers ..20-25 short in each paper)
second attempt..I worked on all papers equally and reduced that margin to 10-15 marks.
This time there is shortage of time... And papers are tricky ..so don't know how it went and what to expect. Gut feeling (right after exam ) is bit gloomy. My second attempt is my best and most prepared attempt. But couldn't convert it into marks.
I personally feel one should be exceptional in atleast 2-3 papers..to be in top ranks. Like people should score 140s in essay or 120 odd in ethics or 310 in optional. I need to still crack that magic formula.
@PiyadassiI do. My number is not there. My roommate brought it to me for first time. His number is there. Wasted entire night deciphering it.
There are some sure shot people i knew who made it in the list. And some people , who wrote really well and didn't. But that happens with final (actual) list too. But worst thing is not even one candidate who told he screwed his mains ( among my circle) is in the list, which is scary.( If anyone have example of this case.. Then surity of its fakeness rises. )
I don't know if it's fake or leaked real draft. But whoever did it, succeded in screwing my peace. I hope the result Come faster
@kochikaameFor me its just some useful distraction. Due to this unending wait..confusion is creeping in. Plus most of my friends who gave mains are preparing for their state PSC's and i'm wasting time. DAF mein tho traveling ek hobby likha..par bot din hua travel karke. Moreover dont wish to spend end of the decade in ORN. Want to start the year somewhere more positive.
@ManchesterUnitedi used to think on same lines. But what i feel is most of our exposure is limited to medical and engineering colleges, where majority of the students are more inclined towards shaping individual careers. Students are less politically motivated and there is general aversion towards politics. To be honest, i got to know about these ideologies and ideological differences during UPSC. There is a rat race in normal colleges , where individual worth is identified by his pay package , admission into elite university for masters, CAT, GATE, NEET , a start up or UPSC.
Institutions like JNU are hot beds of ideological warfare, political activity, student politics etc. People here use campuses as launch pad for their future political careers. Oftentimes, i feel the foot soldiers i.e students behind the famous "student leaders" end up no where with no life and career.
To be frank, I am bit confused whether students should pursue political activites or focus on individual careers.
But one thing i feel is change do come from universities. Best example from my own region is , intense political activity of students of Osmania University of hyderabad result in fulfillment of dream of seperate Telangana state , where as less politicized universites like Andhra University in Andhra Pradesh failed to put up an appreciable resistance to an unscientific and haphazard partition, the results which the state is going to experience for long time to come.
Essay will play it's part though in screwing or elevating ones chances. Like there can be easily 20-30 marks variation , which is hard to bring in all GS papers combined.
I got around 115 in 2017 where 140 is pretty common that year. I felt I wrote well and could never understand where things went wrong till date. My game got over with that paper itself in that attempt. Even this time, im shit scared of my essay paper, especially after people are saying it's easy this time.
@Dreadfulheard similar things for IFS. I'm from small town and so far there is only one IPS officer from our entire area that too back in 1997. During daf filling earlier, I asked him comparison between Ips and ifs. He told me very firmly that it's not an advisable choice especially if you are first generation IFS officer because you will be at a disadvantage with respect to postings. After that, I didn't enquire too much..but looks like it's true.
Whether it's bhogi in southern part of this country or lohri in Delhi..the bonfire..the festive cheers..just spread so much happiness. While a part of me is cursing for my fate of staying far from home during our biggest festival in anticipation of this God forsaken results. It did give me a beautiful opportunity to enjoy the lohri bonfires with peppy Punjabi DJ.
Wish you all happy festival time guys. Hope these times bring new happiness to all.
