CSE 2021: Plan / Strategy / Daily Routine
Hello 2021 aspirants. I thought it would be nice if we can share what we are doing and intend to do with one another here.
This could be a thread for discussing everything prep for 2021.
No one method fits all but to see the plans and progress made by fellow aspirants might help with the finer details of preparation and also keep one on track.
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Good morning guys! I just realised that I forgot to update in the night after doing things (long story short, some things got done). Targets for 20.7.21:
March 2021 C/A (1/2)
GS 1- Society
PSIR- Arendt and Gramsci
Editorial- IE+ Hindu
Daily C/A
AWP
CSAT
That’s all forks! Let’s get this bread!!
Sab kuch done, ekdum ache se that too. I finally feel satisfied with my work after a really long time. Safe to say, I’m not toast today :D
I don't know why I keep visiting forum,I am not that active here nor do I have such rhetoric in my quiver to make that subtle manifestation of my priorities and whims.
May be because it is the only place I can observe people like me, who are trying to express their muse and are much more enlightened and brighter than I ever was.
Till this point I have seen more than anything upsc as my verse(dead poets society reference).
But now I think somehow it's like any other material things just to be planned,needed and executed.
May be ,This will not last long, may be the journey which started 2 years back will soon find its goal,may be the pursuit of self discovery will culminate into the name in that holy pdf.
Until then I will keep looking for my verses I have so many of them to contribute to humankind ,till I shall perish into nothingness.
Refer this beauty by Walt Whitman
20/7/21
Dynamics ->2/3 classes done; Newspaper ->done; CA revision ->50% of planned done
Today was a weird day. I woke up late after a night without much sleep. This meant I was groggy throughout the morning until I had my afternoon nap. Anyways I managed to squeeze in some study hours throughout, especially in the evening.
After dinner though, prelims anxiety struck. Unable to do anything, I sat down and made a detailed plan for prelims. This took me about 2 hours but the good news is I feel calm and optimistic now. Tomorrow I'll set even more ambitious targets.
Anyone over here appeared for sfg before, how is the experience?
I took part in SFG twice (2020 July-August-September and 2021 March-April ).
2020 SFG was a boon for me. It was the best decision in terms of my Prelims prep. In 2021, I had the opposite experience. I left the program midway after attempting less than 10 tests. The difference between the two years was not the program; but rather my circumstances and needs.
1) SFG at this stage is good for you if you done multiple revisions of the basic books but now need to take it to the next level. If you're unsure of what exactly to do and how much time to devote to each subject i.e. you need a readymade comprehensive plan, then this SFG is perfect. By dividing each subject topic-wise, you get a good revision plan.
2) SFG through the daily tests can push you to study harder. If you lack motivation, then this may work. It was perfect for me in 2020 as the pandemic meant I was hardly studying (as libraries were closed). But in 2021, I was already used to studying at home so I didn't really need the SFG pressure. I managed well without it.
3) The biggest strength of SFG is also its biggest downside. It's rigorous and inflexible. This can be good if that's what you need. However, if you already have a personalised plan, then SFG can spoil things. For instance, let's say the days allotted for Polity is 5 days and that for History is also 5 days. But based on your preparation level, maybe you need only 2 days for Polity and 8 days for History. The rigour of the program and the fear of the tests may mean you end up studying Polity all 5 days, missing out on the History portion.
This was the main reason why I quit in 2021
4) SFG questions are quite hard and detailed, beyond average UPSC questions. To answer them, you'll have to know your books line by line. This is helpful in a way as you learn how to stay calm even when faced with the toughest questions. On the flip side it can demotivate you. Further, this means you end up studying more for each test. Hence if you have planned to cover some extra work, you may miss out on those.
5) The online mode means that a lot of people will be cheating. So don't bother about your rank. Instead, try to maintain your marks above 50% (which is good enough). Ideally, aim for 60-70%.
So choose wisely. If you're lacking motivation and don't have a clear plan, take up SFG. It can help you clear Prelims. If you're confident on your own and need to do things in your own way, you can skip SFG. It's not a must do
Celeborn,posting targets after long time
20-07-2021
target study hours - 14 (have never actually studied for that long. trying for first time)
gs3 - 9,10
Modern history video - 2/7
test 12
1 more target (if time permits)
Lets do it!
study hours - 9.5 (will try again for 14)
gs3- 9,10 - Done
Modern history video - 2/7 - Done
test 12 - didn't do it - instead did science and tech pt365 (1/10)- not a good substitution for test though.
1 more target (if time permits) - ye to waqt ko hi naa-manzoor tha (i slept a bit too much in afternoon)
posting targets before i sleep (and the world wakes up)
21-07-2021
target study hours - 14
test 12 (on priority)
internal security (1/4)
Modern history video (3/7)
Keep hustling friends!
@LetsGetThisBread Hi, how are you covering the Society part of GS1? Sources? any advice regarding it?
posting targets before i sleep (and the world wakes up)
21-07-2021
target study hours - 14
test 12 (on priority)
internal security (1/4)
Modern history video (3/7)
Keep hustling friends!
@LetsGetThisBread Hi, how are you covering the Society part of GS1? Sources? any advice regarding it?
Google is the ultimate source. I went through the PYQs and figured out the topics and tried to look up things just by typing “topic xyz upsc”. Besides that I had a few newspaper editorials that I had read and clipped out for later as well. So I’m using those to build a few points as well. I haven’t found any one comprehensive source per se.
Managed to sit for a long number of hours irrespective of the productivity. Today was better than yesterday and yet, miles to go still! I finally completed the mock test analysis and that made up for the slow pace in the other subjects. Will give the test tomorrow.
Targets:
- Mechanics & Fluid Dynamics PYQs (4/5) Give a Prelims Test Vision CA Feb (Finish!) Newspaper
- Mechanics & Fluid Dynamics PYQs (4/5)
- Give a Prelims Test
- Vision CA Feb (Finish!)
- Newspaper
All the best to you for your targets, lovely people of Forum!
Was able to complete the targets. Although mathematics is going slow, so will take more time. I'll double down on maths today and then re-evaluate how many more days I need to give to this chapter..
Targets:
- Mechanics & Fluid Dynamics PYQs (5/5)
- Prelims Test Analysis (Finish?)
- Newspaper
@Celeborn I agree. The math community might just come in handy post prelims. Let's hope we all reach there happy and full of energy :D
Sunday was not productive at all. Did a little bit of mathematics here and there but I guess the weekend vibes didn't let me study. I spent most of my day reading about this book on India & Afghanistan. Had been stuck at it since a month, so I finished it yesterday itself :P
Same targets repeat.
All the best everyone, have a good day!
Had a good first half, a not so good second half. Going to give two more days to this chapter before I move ahead. Today needs to be a good day.
Targets:
- Mechanics & Fluid Dynamics PYQs (6/7)
- Finish Prelims Mock Analysis
- Give Prelims Test
- Newspaper
Was able to finish all targets except mathematics. Will have to go overboard with maths today to compensate. Will try to focus more on prelims from tomorrow onwards.
Targets:
- Mechanics & Fluid Dynamics (7/7)
- Finish Prelims Mock Analysis
- Newspaper
Here's hoping everyone has a good day today! :)
July 21, 2021
I took a day off today.
Aligned my schedule to SFG’s calendar and got vaccinated. Therefore I watched a movie (which I rarely do) called Wonder on a friend’s recommendation and I totally loved it! Last movie that I watched was in 2019 and today it felt as if I was in a stress free zone for 2 hours. I feel rejuvenated and I realised that I should do this once in a while. But my arm still hurts.
Also, how are you guys getting this suitcase symbol? After getting fully vaccinated or does it work for partial one too?
21/7/21
Dynamics ->3 classes done; Newspaper ->done; CA ->60% done
Today was a better day. I'd switched off my phone throughout the day. This meant minimal distractions. And so I could end up completing almost all my targets.
I went for a long walk/jog in the evening. That left me tired. So my late shift was unproductive. Otherwise could have easily blazed my targets.
Overall it was a satisfactory day. Looking forward to more :)
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