UPSC CSE 2025 Related Discussion
As I couldn't find a group for everyday target tracking for cse'25 aspirants, here is one I created.
Hi, I'm new here. I took prelims twice in '23 (with no prep, to understand the pattern) and in '24 (serious, but haphazard with poor revision; ended up attempting only 55 qns >scored 66 ish; cleared CSAT comfortably). I spent all of 2023 disproportionately focusing on CA from different sources and ignored the static content. And I've paid the price for it
Since July, I've worked on my optional (law) and ethics. I'm 90% done with both. I now want to get back to the static GS books and work through them properly.
I find SFG very promising. I desperately need the rigour and consistency it'll bring to my schedule. But I'm confused b/w the forum prelims test series and SFG. Should I enrol in the upcoming PTS October batch? Can I enrol in both? I'm honestly itching for some order in my prelims prep.
@Neyawn I know quality matters than the no of hrs, but having a tangible target feels better. So, after the unnecessary context. I wanna ask that when you say a student study for say 8 hrs or whatever, do you count the time we spend in note making too? cause I don't consider those hrs as study hrs.
Having said that, note making consume lot of hrs of mine. I scroll through multiple sources. So, basically going through few sources, making notes do take a lot of my time but somehow I don't feel that I have studied anything, only a very small part of my day is spent in learning (read ratta) which is the only thing that makes me feel-yes I did something.
Can we call note making studying?
How to reduce time in making notes? If I try and write it off quickly, just writing basic points and whatever generally available, I feel that it'll cost me in mains when I'll be trying to make notes instead of writing answers or will be writing average answers (and won't be able to improve much cause will not be able to sit and go through few sources to enrich my notes - cause lack of time) And if I put in few more efforts now then it takes a lot of my time? What's the madhyam marga? And may be I am going completely wrong, if so, plz tell that too.
Any suggested time prd for ratta and note making for the day?
P.S. - I am taking foundation at forum, so busy till 1'o clock with classes
DM,Siebzehn
@Neyawn I know quality matters than the no of hrs, but having a tangible target feels better. So, after the unnecessary context. I wanna ask that when you say a student study for say 8 hrs or whatever, do you count the time we spend in note making too? cause I don't consider those hrs as study hrs.
Having said that, note making consume lot of hrs of mine. I scroll through multiple sources. So, basically going through few sources, making notes do take a lot of my time but somehow I don't feel that I have studied anything, only a very small part of my day is spent in learning (read ratta) which is the only thing that makes me feel-yes I did something.
Can we call note making studying?
How to reduce time in making notes? If I try and write it off quickly, just writing basic points and whatever generally available, I feel that it'll cost me in mains when I'll be trying to make notes instead of writing answers or will be writing average answers (and won't be able to improve much cause will not be able to sit and go through few sources to enrich my notes - cause lack of time) And if I put in few more efforts now then it takes a lot of my time? What's the madhyam marga? And may be I am going completely wrong, if so, plz tell that too.
Any suggested time prd for ratta and note making for the day?
P.S. - I am taking foundation at forum, so busy till 1'o clock with classes
Note making is like sharpening the axe. It takes time, but it saves you in the end. If you are ding foundation, take class notes. Leave 1/3rd margin in the pages and summarise or add points in that 1/3rd margin.
Notemaking counts as studying, by all means - what else would you do.
Also there are some people who love making notes. I meet folks who have made such pretty notes I wanna buy it from them. But too pretty notes is usually a sign of person having a thing for making notes but not using them - like revision and re-revision.
On the other hand there are folks, who dont make notes and like reading from the book. They think making notes in own handwriting is a waste of time.
Success often lies in the sweet spot between the two.
And three golden rules of note making
1. they should be rough and not pretty. Only you should make 100% sense of it
2. they should be brief and synoptic, not huge spread over pages. In short they should be a summary which you can consume just before exam.
3. Do not be afraid of re- summarising and quickly making fresh notes for the purpose of exam.
I had my classmate for TISS join Forum Foundation. She cleared it in the first attempt. It gives a huge kick when people who have studied with you in the same class join your academy and then successfully clear the exam in one go. And the best compliments come from them. ( You see your friends and family and relatives will only come to you when they have heard from OTHER people you are good. No matter how much you tell them in the beginning, they won't come to you. )
She was the rebel kind in college too and at the academy. But one thing I observed in her CSE attempt was she was fully conformist to what was told. As in she implemented what was told very religiously.
And she made like really good rough notes. quick revision things.
In fact ForumIAS may not have gotten the best testimonial from her, but I personally got the best pat on the back from her ( a validation from friends and family helps. everyone.)