What are the three advices you would give to a newcomer who is planning to write the Civils exam?

1. do not be overconfident: it is tougher than you think (your past credentials/successes will have no bearing here)

2. do not be underconfident: it is easier than you fear

3. own the failures.

1 . Do not get intimidated by looking at the syllabus 

2. Have patience it's a long journey .

3 . Always remember why you started.  

Words of wisdom-

1.It’s a process -requires perseverance, spirit, discipline

2.listen to your body - take care of your body both physically and mentally i.e don’t be too harsh with yourself ,set achievable targets , take planned rest ,do some things you like or develop some good habits w

3.Don’t underestimate the power of defeat - own the failure analyse your mistakes ,make a strategy how to correct them and move on ( as said most painful defeats pave the way for greatest victories)

4. Stay humble - don’t make this exam a life and death case ,enjoy the journey as it teaches a lot as it brings a paradigm shift in one’s outlook,behaviour ,give time to your loved ones don’t ruin friendships, relationships with parents 

At last -“Even if you're the best in the world, you're not God. The applause will eventually stop. If you have nothing inside you but your ego, that moment could hurt a lot.

“Your soul needs more than a exam to be fulfilled.”

( I have just rephrased the Idea of BLANKA VLASIC in context of UPSC) 

1) Always be the first one to stand for yourself. You will need this when you need motivation ..when u feel alone

2) Be clear with what you want. Dont compromise with those values . This will make you feel proud on yourself in present as well as in future.

3) be focused and dedicated but do find time for

 your parents always. 

Mental healthis the most important part of this journey.. 

Never ignore it... I firmly believe that mental health should be the top priority for any person at any point in time and preparing for upsc specifically calls for this... 

1. Incremental development has massive potential. Keep growing and keep moving forward.

2. Choose the optional wisely i.e. recent trends in scores, availability of material, interest and ease of studying (subjective).

3. Practice, Practice, Practice and revise, revise, revise

4. Somedays will be as gloomy as  grey skies with a green top at Trent Bridge(Cricket reference:P)  but you gotta hang in there all day like Rahul Dravid once did in his legendary knock.

5. Having some form of economic security with a part time job or any other gig is not a bad idea (given that it doesn’t eat too much of your time). 

6. If you’re going to invest your years of youth and sacrifice a lot of comforts that you might have enjoyed, MAKE IT COUNT. 

“Through hardships, to the stars” 

You had decided to come into this game.. now only saviour of yours is you yourself. 

It's the acceptance which will lead you to glory. Own your deeds be brutally honest with yourself. 

Failure is the biggest lesson but at times you need bit of success (motivation for small period) to go forward. You really nee

1. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

2. Don’t focus on the hours, focus on the output.

3. There is a *right way* to do things. But getting there takes time, and it’s okay. The process of learning and unlearning goes together.

1. Know thyself.
2. Know your why.
3. Know the exam.

1. Its a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be patient and keep taking small steps towards the goal every day. Good things will eventually come in one way or another.

2. Syllabus and PYQs are your best friends. Let them be your guide through this maze of UPSC.

3.Try to enjoy the process. Not just the fun bits, but the most boring parts of the preparation. Keep chipping away. Keep revising.

4.Do not hesitate to ask for help. 

5. Do not lose sight of your physical and mental well being in this pursuit.

1. Revise: anything you read, you've to revise. Figure out for yourself, how to revise and remember.
2. Learn to say no. Your time is precious.
3. Endure.

1. See coaching as an investment. It saves time and energy.

2. Preparation begins 1.5-2 years before the year you are planning to write the exam. Understand the exam cycle.

3. Reading newspaper and revising static subjects go hand in hand. You can't understand the newspaper if you don't understand the static. Reading newspaper will make revising static portion bit interesting.

4. PYQ

5. Don't be scared.

True. The exam is challenging but not impossible. Different people take different time to prepare the syllabus. You will

need to work your arse off and may need more time than you first thought. Has nothing to do with you, has to do with the nature of the exam.

Accept the truth.

“The truth shall set you free”