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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.

DM,Ayushi7and29 otherslike this
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182 comments

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Finished #1, and 50% of #2. Targets for today -
1. Finish remaining optional portion
2. Start optional topic 2
3. Ethics case studies


Done with all targets. Targets for today -
1. Ethics handouts
2. Optional topic 2 (contd.)


Finished both targets. Targets for today -
1. Optional topic 2 (contd.)
2. August current affairs


Finished both targets. Targets for today -
1. Optional topic 2 (contd.)
2. August CA note-making


Finished #2, partially finished #1. Targets for today -
1. Finish yesterday's optional portion
2. Optional part B topic 1
3. Essay practice


Finished #1, didn't do #2 and #3. Targets for today -
1. Finish optional topic 2
2. Start part B topic 1
3. Essay


Finished #1 and #2, #3 left. Targets for today -
1. Do optional part B topic 1
2. Revise topic 2

Will brainstorm essay and ethics PYQs tomorrow onwards.

Finished both. Targets for today -
1. Finish optional part B topic 1
2. Collect essay anecdotes, see topper copies
3. Ethics PYQs


Finished all. Targets for today -
1. Optional part B topic 2
2. Essay brainstorming
3. Ethics PYQs


TheNishkaamAspirant,
2k views

1. env - till present

2. complete opt no


nerdslayer,TheNishkaamAspirantand1 otherslike this
1.9k views

Done with the mid-terms. 

Today, will spend the day covering my optional backlog– prepare notes for Tom Jones and write answers. Additionally, need to start work on my MA dissertation from today. 

Will resume GS targets from tomorrow. 

Very bad day. Could only partially do the notes. 

1. Finish yesterday's targets

2. Phy geo lectures 15,16/38

Bad days make me not want to post. Anyways, the update is I am done with notes and answers of Tom Jones, and partially notes of Hard Times. This is a hectic month at the university– back to back seminars + dissertation work. 

GS has been on nearly a total break. 

For today, 

1. Phy Geo lectures 15,16/38

2. Hard Times answer writing

Bad days are the days one must show up


I am no knight. Do not call me Sir|Philosophy behind ForumIAS

nerdslayer,tedmosbyand7 otherslike this
2k views

mangosaid

mangosaid

mangosaid

mangosaid

mangosaid

mangosaid

mangosaid

mangosaid

mangosaid

» show previous quotes

Finished #1, and 50% of #2. Targets for today -
1. Finish remaining optional portion
2. Start optional topic 2
3. Ethics case studies


Done with all targets. Targets for today -
1. Ethics handouts
2. Optional topic 2 (contd.)


Finished both targets. Targets for today -
1. Optional topic 2 (contd.)
2. August current affairs


Finished both targets. Targets for today -
1. Optional topic 2 (contd.)
2. August CA note-making


Finished #2, partially finished #1. Targets for today -
1. Finish yesterday's optional portion
2. Optional part B topic 1
3. Essay practice


Finished #1, didn't do #2 and #3. Targets for today -
1. Finish optional topic 2
2. Start part B topic 1
3. Essay


Finished #1 and #2, #3 left. Targets for today -
1. Do optional part B topic 1
2. Revise topic 2

Will brainstorm essay and ethics PYQs tomorrow onwards.

Finished both. Targets for today -
1. Finish optional part B topic 1
2. Collect essay anecdotes, see topper copies
3. Ethics PYQs


Finished all. Targets for today -
1. Optional part B topic 2
2. Essay brainstorming
3. Ethics PYQs


Finished all targets. Targets for today -
1. Optional mini test
2. Essay practice test


nerdslayer,TheNishkaamAspirantand2 otherslike this
1.9k views

AdiTeasaid

1. env - till present

2. complete opt no


finished 1, some part of 2

for today

1. BD conservation complete

2. RR, Revs, counter rev, bismarck

nerdslayer,Siebzehnand2 otherslike this
1.7k views

Done with the mid-terms. 

Today, will spend the day covering my optional backlog– prepare notes for Tom Jones and write answers. Additionally, need to start work on my MA dissertation from today. 

Will resume GS targets from tomorrow. 

Very bad day. Could only partially do the notes. 

1. Finish yesterday's targets

2. Phy geo lectures 15,16/38

Bad days make me not want to post. Anyways, the update is I am done with notes and answers of Tom Jones, and partially notes of Hard Times. This is a hectic month at the university– back to back seminars + dissertation work. 

GS has been on nearly a total break. 

For today, 

1. Phy Geo lectures 15,16/38

2. Hard Times answer writing

Both done.

Need to finalise the framework of my dissertation and write its preliminary portions today. The deadline is tomorrow. 

If I find time, will further do Hard Times answers. 

Siebzehn,
1.6k views

Neyawnsaid

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Few inputs from my end.

1. Whatever you are doing, do it well. Developing poor study ethics / habits in foundational year is what gets most people stuck in exam loop, or exhaust attempts. In short, try to excel academically. You need not be topping, but be robust with what you are doing. This is not going to be easy.

2. Focus on finishing your MGP tests. About 30% questions in the commission may have questions on which you may not be aware of all dimensions or even the major dimensions. Hitting them now, and geting demotivated is not going to help. Answer the PYQs which you can answer and note down the ones you cannnot, if at all.

3. Do not do any Mains prep in Feb, if you have not cleared Prelims before. Give prelims 5 months time. You will have people saying, I gave 5 months and cleared prelims, but my mains was not prepared, and its my 3rd attempt. What lesson you pick up from this line is important. The person is finding mains tough not because he gave 5 months to prelims, but because he didn't give mains the time it needed in the 3 years. This was easy to understand in the hindsight but sometimes difficult to fathome when seen from the windscreen.

  

Thankyou for the response, consider this as an accountability/seeking reform measure (post 12 days of progress)
Background - Final year student at IIT Delhi (B.Tech in Biotechnology), 8 months into the prep done with : -

Polity, Economy, Geography (World Map, Indian, Physical, Human), (Morden, World, PI) History.

Optional - Philosophy (about 60% done), test series starts from 13th Oct.

Enviorment 33% done - mostly pre centric mapping (national parks TR,BR etc.) (10/30)

Mains centric topics - governance (3/12), DM(3/7), Society and SJ (2/19), IR (2/21)

Topics Remaining

A&C, Ancient and Medivieal Hist, IS, and Ethics.

Done includes watching lecturesmaking notes for revision (and pre centric mapping in geo), weekly pre tests and daily Prelims - PYQs/Practise MCQs, and a few answers written (each)
- Using MGP as Revision and for reading the books (more on that in the problems section)


1) Goals and Tracking -

I try for 

Bi weekly tests - on for Prelims (usually weds evening) and one for mains (sunday) 
Prelims mock - only to identify the weak areas and write it on the notebook cover for better revision later. 

about 2 lectures daily - one optional (philosophy) and one GS (about 5hrs a day - mostly watch the lectures in 2x/1.5x, but making notes, and sometimes thinking within the lectures consumes about the same time as of the duration)

Newspaper - a signature for consistency - have been following daily since June (after 4 months into the prep) and started with forum CA quiz recently (2-3 weeks) 


Answer writing - did a DAW program with Sunya for GS2 in July, and started with MGP in August. 

reading before sleep is for self - helps me sleep better. Spill over of targets is allowed (other than read before sleep)

i) a good/decent week - 


 ii) below average week due to college work (733/732 are course codes)


2) Ended up analysing the questions because came across some very oddly specific questions - (Cite four examples of NGOs, Briefly discuss any three such technologies, etc.) To better accommodate value addition from news papers such as : -