What is the 1 thing you learned from your Prelims failure?
So Prelims is to come in about 5 months. For those of us who have written the Prelims before, what is the one thing prelims failure has taught you?
There is Tolstoyan perspective of history that events are important, men are nothing.
But you have to accept things, the way they are.
Again preparing for battle and this time hopefully result would be different.
Joined SFG.
HAVE ALL NOTES ( HAND WRITTEN HANDY) + Prepared for mains during this cooling off period ( Optional is thoroughly prepared with test series )
let’s see 2022.
It is a gradual evolution, a long series of small wins and tiny breakthroughs. The only way I can make progress—the only choice I had— is to start small.
Mocks - they are important. You can learn and cram all the concepts and facts. You may do pyp well, but don't underestimate the value of mocks. Sectional mocks can be skipped, but do attempt ~ 10 full length mocks. I remember giving one ForumIAS Simulator test, found it so absurd and random, thought UPSC don't ask these questions neither UPSC is such random and the rest is history. The one thing I have learnt is that be ready to test yourself in every situation, UPSC can throw any bomb be ready to face any situation.
Give some full length mocks. They'll help to recognize how much questions to attempt, how to approach the paper and so on. PYP are imp, but they only tell what topics are important, which type of questions come and what type doesn't.
And lastly train yourself to not panic. If I have not panicked in prelims this year, may be I had stopped myself from over-attempting.
That in those 2 hours, not being in a state of calm can f** up a lot of things.
I couldn’t bubble my OMR for about 20 questions in my first attempt due to panic and improper time management. To this day it’s unbelievable to me that it happened that way and sunk my entire preparation for that year 🥲
2nd attempt >finished paper and luckily qualified jaise taise 💁🏻♀️
Chief Sage,SiddharthJohri
The thing I learnt is that there should not be an iota of complacency.
For prelims, I studied and revised(multiple times) all the standard books. I solved PYQs from 2013(not revised though)
Then, I felt safe. I felt that whatever question it may be, it would eventually will be from these topics/books and hence satisfied that I did them well.In the process, I totally blinded myself from the most well established tra of UPSC-"unpredictability".
They say that there's a fine line between being confident and being overconfident. Unknowlingly, I crossed it.
Ugh!!! Whatever.
I hope I learn from these and not be overly confident/complacent, rather be more cautious in future. Signed up for SFG(got into RLG tho) and hope I clear prelims 2022.:D
SiddharthJohri,
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