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PSIR - Strategy, resources & discussion

Ek kaam karo, sab PSIR hi optional le lo. :((((
14.8k views

Hello junta, is your thread too crowded? Is your optional getting too "Political"?

WORRY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come join us at History Optional thread and begin your fun life!

There you will have ample space( no crowding)

Personal attention to each comment will be provided.

We value each member as a family.

Come, join the true camaraderie and feel the bliss.

Come, join History. :)

11k views
Today I have failed, but I will be lurking around, waiting for an opportunity, and when you are vulnerable and unguarded, I will recruit you! :D
2.4k views

Anduinsaid

I'm UPSC 2021 aspirant and I thought of preparing optional by self study and thought if I feel need coaching I would take it after mains 2021 for 2022, if I couldn't crack without coaching. Mains 2021 was scheduled in September, so I thought I would join oct batch.


But now mains would be in January mid, means if I go without coaching for UPSC 2021, I won't be able to go for coaching as batch after mains will start in Feb 2022 ending in July 2022.

So I'm really confused. I'm thinking to join batch starting from July 2021 ending in Jan 2022.

I know it's late, but this seems the best choice as of now.

Am I thinking on right lines?




If you join regular coaching right now for a 2021 attempt you’ll find it very difficult to manage whether you join in July or later. The speed at her regular classes is very different compared to the speed required to finish the syllabus while writing mains. You will need at least 3 revisions with notes made to get a decent grip of PSIR for writing mains. Whereas with the coaching classes you will not even be able to cover the entire syllabus once. Besides, you will also need to write tests given that this is your first attempt. The general gap between each test for most TS is 2 weeks. Which means in 2 weeks you will be expected to complete one section of one paper at least. The classroom course (bear in mind I did it in 2017) took 2 and a half months to cover just Plato alone, which is merely a subtopic of one section of one paper. Look at the cost benefit ratio and it’s not enough time to do the coaching. Your safest bet would be to purchase her notes ASAP and go through them by yourself. I’ve heard there are TG lectures of SR which you can listen to while reading the notes (I think someone on this thread itself suggested it) and work in this time to create a deep conceptual understanding with your own value addition. The rest is your call entirely.

@Hercules_15   I think if you can read and understand PSIR 1-A by yourself, you should not join any coaching. I was part of her course this year, and after PSIR 1-A, she just gave us printed notes and read through them most of the times. Even PSIR 1-A is just 80% dictation. And she'll spend way too much time on  1-A and you'll start praying to god that this thing gets over. It doesn't leave much time to do other things as you do classes and revise stuff. Also this is your first attempt, so may not be too sure about GS too. Notes are 95% of the value that SR adds. Try to get the latest notes. Do them well. If you don't understand anything, there is yt channel which has uploaded her audio lectures, listen to them. But only selectively.

And you don't know if the course gets finished on time. I joined in June and the course was supposed to end in December and it ended in April. We complained that PSIR isn't the only thing we have to do & she replied, "Jinhe prelims nikalna hota hai woh nikaal lete hai." Everyone in my batch is so angry with her. 

@DeekshitaP Lecture 28 & Plato wasn't done.


I can see that you are a gamer!

A, D are intact. Occasional gamer.

What if he is like one of the weirdos like me who swap them for arrow buttons???

3.4k views

@whatonly @Villanelle @SergioRamos @AzadHindFauj and all PSIR optionals

Is there any micro topic listing or index or Syllabus decoded of PSIR... feels will be handy to revise.

If anyone has prepared please share. Thank you in advance

PSIR optional! XD

So now you guys are on a recruiting drive too? :P

11.3k views
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