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Sociology Optional : Resources, strategy etc

Thread for aspirants with sociology optional to discuss strategy, resources, answer writing and everything else

Rise from Ashes,kb1iasin8830and19 otherslike this
59.5k views

98 comments

What test series are you all planning to join? 

I had previously joined (before prelims) a reputed coaching's test series after some topper's video but hardly gained commensurate to the price paid. I could hardly contact the checker and was unable to figure out how to improve beyond a certain point. In addition, the teacher did not believe in giving model answers. 

When I called the main professor of the Institute, he told me he can do nothing as I was not in Delhi. 

So I do not want to join such a centralized opaque Institute where I cannot even figure out how to improve. 

Kindly suggest and advice


Brave,neonaren
6k views
am starting sociology as optional just before few days, how many days I required to complete the entire syllabus? and how do I make notes from which book??
4.1k views

some basic learnings from previous failures:

1) It’s very important to FINISH the syllabus. 

There are 2 parts to the syllabus. One is the CORE part - this includes THINKERS plus some HIGH VALUE topics. Most of the serious aspirants have a decent grasp on these topics. The trend is that not more than 50% of the paper is from this section. The other section has PERIPHERAL topics which appear very general. If you write a general answer here - it won’t work. Must make “Sociological” notes on these general topics.

2) Examples seem to work!

Found in multiple topper copies that they spend 30-40% of the space writing contemporary examples. For ex: If sacred-Profane is asked - you can write about Sabarimala and profanity of menstrual blood. 

3) Interlinkage between 2 papers seems to work. 

Found in multiple topper copies that when something from Paper-2 is asked, it is linked with some theory or concept in Paper-1.

4) Value of diagrams and flow charts is questionable in Sociology.

Didnt find many diagrams etc in topper copies in Sociology. Most of them wrote in standard 3-line paragraphs combined with points where necessary.

5) Dropping Names works!

For everything you say - if it’s substantiated with the name of a Sociologist or Sociological study - it seems to work. One topper copy had as many as 45 Names in Paper-2. This is a common feature of all topper copies.


6) 75% of paper is from PYQ. Practice them instead of writing random test series.

How to make sociological notes on general topics 

4.3k views
@bsushant Please go through topper strategies and decide the optimum plan for yourself . For optional, one plan might not work for everyone is what I feel 


4.6k views

some basic learnings from previous failures:

1) It’s very important to FINISH the syllabus. 

There are 2 parts to the syllabus. One is the CORE part - this includes THINKERS plus some HIGH VALUE topics. Most of the serious aspirants have a decent grasp on these topics. The trend is that not more than 50% of the paper is from this section. The other section has PERIPHERAL topics which appear very general. If you write a general answer here - it won’t work. Must make “Sociological” notes on these general topics.

2) Examples seem to work!

Found in multiple topper copies that they spend 30-40% of the space writing contemporary examples. For ex: If sacred-Profane is asked - you can write about Sabarimala and profanity of menstrual blood. 

3) Interlinkage between 2 papers seems to work. 

Found in multiple topper copies that when something from Paper-2 is asked, it is linked with some theory or concept in Paper-1.

4) Value of diagrams and flow charts is questionable in Sociology.

Didnt find many diagrams etc in topper copies in Sociology. Most of them wrote in standard 3-line paragraphs combined with points where necessary.

5) Dropping Names works!

For everything you say - if it’s substantiated with the name of a Sociologist or Sociological study - it seems to work. One topper copy had as many as 45 Names in Paper-2. This is a common feature of all topper copies.


6) 75% of paper is from PYQ. Practice them instead of writing random test series.

How to make sociological notes on general topics 

There is no simple way to do it. I usually do the following 3 things:

1) I check if any content is available for the topic in Harlambos and Giddens

2) I try to see if any of the Thinkers that we have already studied can be applied to the topic

3) I search on Internet --->I join "Sociology" as a keyword beside the topic I'm looking for -->usually some JSTOR article pops up --I try to read it and make notes.

JessicaPearson,Equalizer
6k views
I've made my 40-day and 90-day plans for Socio and for Mains. There are a bunch of good sociology topper blogs from last 2-3 years, I've spent the last 2 days going through that + past-years toppers' answer booklets. Answer-writing has been my consistent biggest issue, though it's improved over successive mains. 

Literally all the advice is out there, my own personal reality over successive failures is that I didn't implement it to the fullest extent.

Vision no longer has a socio test series, na?

I'll probably stick with ForumIAS. Vajiram's faculty are brilliant but I had bad experiences with the actual answer-writing part of their tests, even if their question papers are fantastic (so will try to get my hands on those probably). No experience with Praveen Sir's system, but my problem with these places has always been that you need to really establish a connection with the profs to stick out and get enough personalised etc feedback, and I've never been good at that. 
Augustya_Shrivastava,
5.6k views

some basic learnings from previous failures:

1) It’s very important to FINISH the syllabus. 

There are 2 parts to the syllabus. One is the CORE part - this includes THINKERS plus some HIGH VALUE topics. Most of the serious aspirants have a decent grasp on these topics. The trend is that not more than 50% of the paper is from this section. The other section has PERIPHERAL topics which appear very general. If you write a general answer here - it won’t work. Must make “Sociological” notes on these general topics.

2) Examples seem to work!

Found in multiple topper copies that they spend 30-40% of the space writing contemporary examples. For ex: If sacred-Profane is asked - you can write about Sabarimala and profanity of menstrual blood. 

3) Interlinkage between 2 papers seems to work. 

Found in multiple topper copies that when something from Paper-2 is asked, it is linked with some theory or concept in Paper-1.

4) Value of diagrams and flow charts is questionable in Sociology.

Didnt find many diagrams etc in topper copies in Sociology. Most of them wrote in standard 3-line paragraphs combined with points where necessary.

5) Dropping Names works!

For everything you say - if it’s substantiated with the name of a Sociologist or Sociological study - it seems to work. One topper copy had as many as 45 Names in Paper-2. This is a common feature of all topper copies.


6) 75% of paper is from PYQ. Practice them instead of writing random test series.

How to make sociological notes on general topics 

There is no simple way to do it. I usually do the following 3 things:

1) I check if any content is available for the topic in Harlambos and Giddens

2) I try to see if any of the Thinkers that we have already studied can be applied to the topic

3) I search on Internet --->I join "Sociology" as a keyword beside the topic I'm looking for -->usually some JSTOR article pops up --I try to read it and make notes.

Thanks

4.2k views

some basic learnings from previous failures:

1) It’s very important to FINISH the syllabus. 

There are 2 parts to the syllabus. One is the CORE part - this includes THINKERS plus some HIGH VALUE topics. Most of the serious aspirants have a decent grasp on these topics. The trend is that not more than 50% of the paper is from this section. The other section has PERIPHERAL topics which appear very general. If you write a general answer here - it won’t work. Must make “Sociological” notes on these general topics.

2) Examples seem to work!

Found in multiple topper copies that they spend 30-40% of the space writing contemporary examples. For ex: If sacred-Profane is asked - you can write about Sabarimala and profanity of menstrual blood. 

3) Interlinkage between 2 papers seems to work. 

Found in multiple topper copies that when something from Paper-2 is asked, it is linked with some theory or concept in Paper-1.

4) Value of diagrams and flow charts is questionable in Sociology.

Didnt find many diagrams etc in topper copies in Sociology. Most of them wrote in standard 3-line paragraphs combined with points where necessary.

5) Dropping Names works!

For everything you say - if it’s substantiated with the name of a Sociologist or Sociological study - it seems to work. One topper copy had as many as 45 Names in Paper-2. This is a common feature of all topper copies.


6) 75% of paper is from PYQ. Practice them instead of writing random test series.

How to make sociological notes on general topics 

There is no simple way to do it. I usually do the following 3 things:

1) I check if any content is available for the topic in Harlambos and Giddens

2) I try to see if any of the Thinkers that we have already studied can be applied to the topic

3) I search on Internet --->I join "Sociology" as a keyword beside the topic I'm looking for -->usually some JSTOR article pops up --I try to read it and make notes.

Thanks

4.2k views

Vision is actually starting a socio test series. 

4.4k views

Vision is actually starting a socio test series. 

When

4.2k views

@MaeveWiley  thanks!

Does anyone have some topic-wise compilation of past years' questions? 

3.7k views

Hi, I'm scoring around 100 (doubtful qs removed). 

Is it advisable to join Optional test series rn?

Which one would be apt for sociology? I'm very confused.

Also, I've personally referred to the videos of sleepyclasses and found them helpful. They also have their test series; If anybody here can provide reviews regarding the same it would be great.

Thanks!

3.7k views
I am vajiram student. Confused between test series of vajiram and reliableandvalid. Any review on reliableandvalid
3.6k views

I'm preparing for 2021. Will not be writing the mains because CSAT is going to kill me, Will be scoring 115+ in GSI. Will someone advise me on when I should be taking up test series of sociology. Did preparation on my own. 

Hope you are doing fine :-)

3.6k views
@aishwaryasonthalia Subscribed to their current affairs module for 6 months. Decent content. I am guessing the test series should be fine provided they give enough attention to everyone writing the test


4k views
@Reznick99 This is my first attempt as well. I did a test series right after I got done with my sociology syllabus ie notes+ 2 revision. Didn’t help me a lot because I wasn’t very thorough with PYQs. So test series is a good value addiction only when you get done with PYQs, imo


Augustya_Shrivastava,Reznick99
6.1k views
@Reznick99 This is my first attempt as well. I did a test series right after I got done with my sociology syllabus ie notes+ 2 revision. Didn’t help me a lot because I wasn’t very thorough with PYQs. So test series is a good value addiction only when you get done with PYQs, imo


Any PYQ compilation such as that of Chronicle would be enough I guess to know the demand of UPSC for self - learners. I mean test series may not be available when I'm done with my notes. So while I prepare notes for ultimate revision from several sources, I'll be attempting some PYQ's. Test Series will help me in time management of paper. My doubt is, Test series subscription even after Prelims 2021 would be fine right?

3.5k views

Plz suggest me test series for sociology 

Fee structure of forum ias

anugya7277,
5.5k views

pavitsaid

What test series are you all planning to join? 

I had previously joined (before prelims) a reputed coaching's test series after some topper's video but hardly gained commensurate to the price paid. I could hardly contact the checker and was unable to figure out how to improve beyond a certain point. In addition, the teacher did not believe in giving model answers. 

When I called the main professor of the Institute, he told me he can do nothing as I was not in Delhi. 

So I do not want to join such a centralized opaque Institute where I cannot even figure out how to improve. 

Kindly suggest and advice


i will suggest you go for better platform


3.4k views
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