What sacrifices did you make to crack UPSC CSE 2018?

This exam requires a sense of discipline and mental attitude to be inculcated, without which, IMO, it would be difficult to crack top 100 positions.

Disclaimer: This might not apply to all students/aspirants because everybody has a different way of functioning. Some students can balance their social and academic life's very well and kudos to them!

Here are some sacrifices I made:

Minimal wardrobe: Those who know me in ORN, know that I used to wear 3 tshirts in succession: yellow, orange and blue. I had just these 3 tshirts in my almirah. No time ever wasted on what to wear and when. Simple clothing. Simple thoughts.

Minimal social media usage: I hadquit WhatsAppfor a very long time.No FB. No Instagram.These platforms introduce you to a world that can be very fake when it comes to showcasing enjoyment. One might be sitting in a boring restaurant, with a boring friend, but will put an Instagram story that appears to be fun filled. People will be getting married, having boyfriends, going on treks, but following all that should matter LEAST. I can vouch for this that once you clear this exam, all these people will not only look upto you but also tell you how aimless and stressed their lives are. Have a set of good friends who have some aims in their lives and keep in touch with them over phone. It's rightly said that digital revolution has reduced heart to heart distances. Build them if possible but say a big NO to social media.

Minimal phone usage: I believe that heightened screen usage disrupts sleep patterns and focus periods. Thus, reduce your phone usage to just one part of the day, preferably evenings. I had kept my smartphone switched off all day. Had bought a Jio phone whose contact was there only with my family and some friends. Again, effort was to eliminate all unwanted distractions.

Avoid eating junk atleast for 6 months: I love eating (something evident from my size :p) and on top of it, I absolutely enjoy eating junk food. But I had left it all between April 2018-September 2018. Because, first outside food can make you sick, something you cannot afford in this examination. Secondly, with all the vinegar and the soya sauce, it leads to massive electrolyte imbalance in the body. And as is said often, healthy body and healthy mind are inter related. Hence eat healthy and take care of yourself.

Correct sleep patterns: I have been a night owl during my college days. Haven't all of us slept with sunrise? Hahaha. But you need to change that. If you can manage headaches and focus spans by studying in the night, don't read this. It's for those who face these problems, because I did. I felt lazy all day, lethargic enough not to do anything, focus span was narrowed and this impacted studies. Hence, I trained myself to sleep at 10:30pm and woke up by 6:00am. I need an 8 hr sleep because I don't rest even for 5 minutes during the day. This sleep pattern was key to my attentiveness during exams.

These are often repeated points by most rank holders. And their repetition is due to the fact that they help inculcating a sense of discipline that is crucial to breaking through top 100.

Also you need to be prudent with what works and what doesn't for you. I say this often and I'll say it again. DON'T FOLLOW ANYONE'S STRATEGY BLINDLY. Put your own thoughts. Know yourself. Your weaknesses and your strengths and then win!

Cheers!!

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