Thread to Clarify Doubts, Seek Guidance from 2021 Batch Civil Servants
Hi, everyone! Starting this thread, so we can all seek specific guidance from, clarify our doubts from friends who successfully cleared CSE 2021. Please feel free to ask any and all questions, however trivial, so we can collectively benefit.
It's opportune time for this, as with Pre 2022 ending in a few hours, friends giving Pre this year can also benefit from their Post-Pre Preparation Experience.
Tagging
@sjerngal @Pam123 @AzadHindFauz @TheFinalStand @CSLWARRIOR @Arsene @Bubba_gump @Apollo11 @impatientoptimist @whatif1997, and requesting them to enlighten us plebs on tricks & trickeries of preparation.
Edit: Adding@Newton981 (AIR 107)
I have a question: pessimistic or realistic, depending on how you view it:
Should we work on a backup or go all in with the preparation? I know this is different for different people, but I still want to gauge what most aspirants seem to think of this. It's a tough choice because any time commitment to any other opportunity effectively seeps away from the prep itself, and yet the opportunity costs seem to loom bigger the deeper you go into the prep.
Back-up plan must be taken after 3-4 attempts, before that i don't think so, it is necessary.
There is a very good article written by neyawn sir. Read it, for clarity.
Could you please share the link@DM ? I cannot find it.
@Rick_C137 You said it yourself, it will vary from person to person. But, in general, the usual discourse among people is to have backup plans.I however do not agree to this mentality for the simple reason that to succeed here in UPSC, I need to go beyond my limits to unimaginable extent. Personally for me, backup plan makes me lazy, uncommitted to my original plan. Some people work better with even 4-4 backup plans.So, listen to your inner voice and judge your outside actions. If a backup plan reduces stress, go for it. If it makes you lazy towards UPSC even 1%, then drop it. It is a very very tough thing to do, but only you know the answer to it. You will find examples from both sides, but you will slightly tilt in one way or other. That's your intuition telling you something you don't yet know, so I would suggest you follow it. Good luck!!Here something for you- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/i-never-had-plan-b/article3384969.ece
This was very helpful and makes sense, thanks a lot
DM,
QUERY:
1. Value of the vote of Member of Parliament (MP) islikely to go down to700 from 708in presidential polls due tothe absence of a legislative assembly in Jammuand Kashmir.
J&K is not participating this time? Had it participated even though AS A UT, the VoV would have remained the same, right? because VOV_MP= sum(VOV of MLA) / (no of MPs)
Wanted to ask about Ethics, specifically the long ARC chapters...
What is your review of ARC2 for Ethics?
If it is recommended -
1. Any suggestions to read it more selectively and efficiently? Like what subtopics to definitely read, what can be skipped etc., if you've gone through it?
2. Any summary versions you found good?
JohnButlerTrain,
How to efficiently revise big topics like world history given that its weightage is less and time between prelims and mains is less ?
And how to divide time between prelims and mains across different papers to optimize the preparation.
Struggling to manage time for revision, writing my 1st mains.
@sjerngal @Pam123 @AzadHindFauz @TheFinalStand @CSLWARRIOR @Arsene @Bubba_gump @Apollo11 @impatientoptimist @whatif1997
How to efficiently revise big topics like world history given that its weightage is less and time between prelims and mains is less ?
And how to divide time between prelims and mains across different papers to optimize the preparation.
Struggling to manage time for revision, writing my 1st mains.
@sjerngal @Pam123 @AzadHindFauz @TheFinalStand @CSLWARRIOR @Arsene @Bubba_gump @Apollo11 @impatientoptimist @whatif1997
Make it a point to give any such topic , only that much respect and time as it deserves.
World history is vast, but at the max, only 2 questions will be asked, so you need to deliberately stop yourself for going too much in the details.
In order to optimize preparation, go through PYQs and analyse that how many questions are being asked from which topics and then prepare accordingly.
For example Disaster Management should not be given more than 2 days (in my opinion), however, Modern history might require you to devote 3-4 days.
Make PYQs your friend.
Regarding revision, don't focus too much on revision at this moment. Focus on completing the syllabus.. The entire month of august, should anyway be used for revision only.. So dont stress yourself a lot if you are unable to recall things at the moment. No one really remembers everything , yet with time a major chunk of the syllabus gets internalised.
Keep revisiting whatever you study at regular intervals.
Wanted to ask about Ethics, specifically the long ARC chapters...
What is your review of ARC2 for Ethics?
If it is recommended -
1. Any suggestions to read it more selectively and efficiently? Like what subtopics to definitely read, what can be skipped etc., if you've gone through it?
2. Any summary versions you found good?
GS SCORE has good summaries of 2nd ARC. You may refer to it.
However, if you are writing mains this year, focus more on practicing. Ethics is more about writing skills, rather than feeding your FOMO and reading more and more.
In fact all the standard books or coaching materials like Forum Red book, already cover important topics from the ARC
Wanted to ask about Ethics, specifically the long ARC chapters...
What is your review of ARC2 for Ethics?
If it is recommended -
1. Any suggestions to read it more selectively and efficiently? Like what subtopics to definitely read, what can be skipped etc., if you've gone through it?
2. Any summary versions you found good?
GS SCORE has good summaries of 2nd ARC. You may refer to it.
However, if you are writing mains this year, focus more on practicing. Ethics is more about writing skills, rather than feeding your FOMO and reading more and more.
In fact all the standard books or coaching materials like Forum Red book, already cover important topics from the ARC
More practice it is then. Thank you :)
sjerngal,
Wanted to ask about Ethics, specifically the long ARC chapters...
What is your review of ARC2 for Ethics?
If it is recommended -
1. Any suggestions to read it more selectively and efficiently? Like what subtopics to definitely read, what can be skipped etc., if you've gone through it?
2. Any summary versions you found good?
GS SCORE has good summaries of 2nd ARC. You may refer to it.
However, if you are writing mains this year, focus more on practicing. Ethics is more about writing skills, rather than feeding your FOMO and reading more and more.
In fact all the standard books or coaching materials like Forum Red book, already cover important topics from the ARC
Hi.
I'm not sure if this has been covered already but I was wondering if you (or other people who've been through the process) could speak about how do we self evaluate or improve our writing skills? I do get them evaluated but I think external evaluation can only help so much.
Wanted to ask about Ethics, specifically the long ARC chapters...
What is your review of ARC2 for Ethics?
If it is recommended -
1. Any suggestions to read it more selectively and efficiently? Like what subtopics to definitely read, what can be skipped etc., if you've gone through it?
2. Any summary versions you found good?
GS SCORE has good summaries of 2nd ARC. You may refer to it.
However, if you are writing mains this year, focus more on practicing. Ethics is more about writing skills, rather than feeding your FOMO and reading more and more.
In fact all the standard books or coaching materials like Forum Red book, already cover important topics from the ARCHi.
I'm not sure if this has been covered already but I was wondering if you (or other people who've been through the process) could speak about how do we self evaluate or improve our writing skills? I do get them evaluated but I think external evaluation can only help so much.
For self evaluation, I used to make a checklist of things that I wanted to incorporate in my answers, for example- write in points, use subheadings etc.
After giving a test or practicing writing an answer, I used to see whether I have used them in my answers or not.
Also, comparing your answer with model answer and what the toppers have written is also a good step, to see where you stand.
Wanted to ask about Ethics, specifically the long ARC chapters...
What is your review of ARC2 for Ethics?
If it is recommended -
1. Any suggestions to read it more selectively and efficiently? Like what subtopics to definitely read, what can be skipped etc., if you've gone through it?
2. Any summary versions you found good?
GS SCORE has good summaries of 2nd ARC. You may refer to it.
However, if you are writing mains this year, focus more on practicing. Ethics is more about writing skills, rather than feeding your FOMO and reading more and more.
In fact all the standard books or coaching materials like Forum Red book, already cover important topics from the ARCHi.
I'm not sure if this has been covered already but I was wondering if you (or other people who've been through the process) could speak about how do we self evaluate or improve our writing skills? I do get them evaluated but I think external evaluation can only help so much.
For self evaluation, I used to make a checklist of things that I wanted to incorporate in my answers, for example- write in points, use subheadings etc.
After giving a test or practicing writing an answer, I used to see whether I have used them in my answers or not.
Also, comparing your answer with model answer and what the toppers have written is also a good step, to see where you stand.
Thank you. Will work on the checklist.
Friends, I want to have a dedicated plan for 2023 UPSC, as it will be my final attempt, have given mains before but couldn't qualify for prelims this time.
I don't want to make a plan for myself because I always end up not completing my targets & modifying my plans almost every day.
So, for full-year should I take iasbaba ilp/tlp plus, or insights core batch, or forum's mgp along with any year long prelims test series & later sfg?
I want an integrated preparation this time for both prelims & mains.
Can anyone help me here?
Hi toppers!@Newton981 @sjerngal @Pam123
can you please elaborate on your sources and strategy for preparing economics and geography for mains! It’ll be really helpful 😅
Morticia,
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The acceptance rates at Cornell University have decreased over the previous eight years and will probably going to keep down in the future (following the patterns at all elite universities)
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