December-January-February: The transition period of Mains to Prelims preparation.
This period of December-January-February seems most difficult for thousands of sincere aspirants as they are confused whether to focus on prelims or mains preparation. If both need to be done simultaneously then students face lack of clarity about how to create balance between the two. In this blogpost, we try to observe some points to bring focus and clarity in the preparation in these crucial moths.
It’s the end of the year, yet another year. For some, it brought happiness and for some it brought struggles. Both categories of people should be happy. For first category of people, their years of efforts were rewarded. For the second category of people, you have become stronger because of your struggles (remember the cocoon-butterfly story).
The new year is going to be about hope. It’s about gaining more strength to face the struggles. It’s about learning strategy and tactics to counter the new challenges effectively. So, in this blogpost, some specific suggestions have been given for this period.
Students should ponder over following suggestions.
1.Avoid peer pressure: Everybody is in different stage of preparation. Some may have or going to appear in interview or mains, some are going to give their first prelims and some have failed in prelims earlier. So, time allotted for prelims and mains can vary among students. Students should avoid peer pressure in this respect.
2.Something is better than nothing: More than thinking about prelims or mains, students should do something. In a content-centric exam, you never know which knowledge or perspective is going to be handy in the exam hall. Questions from Post-independence and world history are also coming in the Prelims. Similarly, Bose-Eistein condensate or McBride Commission
questions which can be covered most probably from prelims perspective have been asked in Mains.
3.One hour trick for optional: As far as optional is concerned, if someone has made some short notes, especially for topics like fossils and genetics in Anthropology, thinkers, public policy, personnel and financial administration in Public Administration or Contract, Tort and IPC in Law, diagrams in the optional or have isolated things in some chapters, they can devote 1 hour in the morning, specifically for cramming purpose at least till January.
4.Strengthen your strength: For GS, again revision of notes or model answers of good and static questions can be done for 1 hour in the morning at least till January. If someone is writing test series or attending any classes, he/she can customize and prioritize.
5.Prioritize-Optimize-Maximize: Lastly, if someone is unable to focus on anything i.e., puzzled whether to study for prelims or mains, just understand one simple thing. A person can attempt mains only after clearing prelims.
Students who are puzzled would be able to devote 50% of their focus on prelims and rest on mains besides taking undue stress. Just after prelims, especially in the evening of 28th May, if you are scoring good marks in prelims and fully sure of clearing prelims, you would be able to devote 100% of your energy on the mains afterwards besides the extra advantage of having momentum and motivation. The conclusion is,with good temperament, you can cover mains topics in 10 days after prelims equivalent to what you are going to cover now in next 30 days with a puzzled mindset.
So, these are just broad ideas for current conundrum of prelims vs mains debate in this transition period. Rest, everyone is the master of one’s own destiny. Micro-goals and baby steps, these two things are going to be the key. Remember the quote,‘life is hard by yard and cinch by inch’.
