Transcription
And so you will have to ensure that at least Polity, Geography, Economy, which are our main subjects, you have at least five to six revisions of them before you go to give the Prelims, and for the test series with multiple iterations, you should give at least 30-35 tests for the Prelims. And after taking the tests, spend the whole day analyzing which question was wrong, why it was wrong, how it could have been done differently, is there a deficiency in my knowledge, is it not in my notes, if it's not in my notes, then I should write it down. If something is over the top, extra, then how to approach such a thing, then how many questions to leave, how many questions to attempt, for all this, giving exam papers is very important. So I had taken the test series, I generally keep my things very limited, so I had kept my test series limited too. I had taken Vision's test series. So I used to read current affairs myself daily. But apart from that, if I found some new things in the test series, I would add them on. So for current affairs, I have referred to only these two things. One, the new things I got through the test series, and the other, I used to read the newspaper daily and make notes of important things. So this is what I did for current affairs. And for other subjects too, I have kept my resources very limited. I haven't taken coaching from anywhere. I got some courses on YouTube, some content for free on Google, or some coaching institutes keep putting up free content. So whatever topic I had to study for Mains, we are given very clear topics. So I would search for it on Google, and if there was a good course, I would do it. I would make my own notes by watching it on YouTube, and then give the test series. Then add to my notes, some of the remaining things, this is what I did. And for Mains, I had made very short notes for each subject, of 10-10, 15 pages, because I knew that my current notes, which I had made by watching so many lectures or anything, are very bulky, I won't be able to revise them between Mains and Prelims, and this time there is even less time between Prelims and Mains. So for that time, I had already made notes before Prelims. So for each subject, I had short notes of around 15 pages, 10 pages. I used to write very small things on them. Mentally, it's like this, if there are fewer pages, we revise things quickly. Otherwise, if the notes are very bulky, there is a lot of mental block. So that's why I made those 15-page notes. And if you want, I will share them with you all. I don't have photos right now, but I will send them to sir. So you can see what size I have written, what things I have written. Then when I was making those notes for Mains, if any current affairs things came up, which we read in the newspaper daily, if they were related to that topic, I would go there and add a little bit in short, on the side, like this news has come, or so many people have died there. For example, if some data came on left-wing terrorism, and I had written that in my internal security notes, then I would go there and write it down briefly. So this greatly improved my integration of current affairs in Mains. And it didn't take too much effort either. So those were small efforts every day, but overall less, because at the end, it becomes too much. So I focused a lot on Mains and the test series. I was sure that I had to give the test, and especially, for example, I took Abhyas, which prepares you a month in advance, it's like a mock. Similarly, there are other coaching institutes too. You can take any coaching, but follow it completely till the end. Whether your preparation is complete or not. So that was very good for me, and finishing the tests within the time limit is very important. So that should be your first priority, even if you degrade the quality of the last questions in the beginning, write a little less. But finishing the question paper is very important. Apart from that, I think you should not make cuttings in the Mains papers, and try to write clearly in good handwriting, so that it is easy to read. And you can use some things like small flowcharts, pie charts, so that you can cover the space and you don't have to write too much. Sir has my copies. Sir, please share my copies. They are not very good, but you will get some idea. Apart from that, for Mains, this is it, finishing within the time limit, but even after that, when you go to give Mains, it becomes very mentally exhausting. So be prepared for that. Just if you get through that phase, if you give all the papers, however you do, you will definitely qualify for Mains. This is my personal experience, and after that, for the interview phase, I had given many mock interviews from various coaching institutes, but I didn't make too many amendments. Like in many reviews, they tell a lot of things, but I didn't make so many amendments within myself because I had given the interview before as well. I gave the interview in my second attempt too, and I got good marks in that too, and I thought why I got them, because I said what I thought, how I am, I said that. I mean, I said what I believed. I didn't think about whether sir would find this right or not, or whether it is right or not. So I felt that because of that, perhaps I got good marks. I also did many things that are generally told in mocks, like don't do this. But I did them too, because if something is in my nature, I did it. It works out there. So the second time too, I thought that if I have to amend something in my personality, if I feel that I can give a correct answer to a question, meaning morally it won't be a bad answer, then why shouldn't I be as I am? So this time too, I just did that much. But I gave the mocks, so I got into the habit of speaking English a little. So I got decent marks this time too. So this was my approach for the interview. And if you want to ask anything specific from any part, Prelims, Mains, Interview, then you all can ask, like which book to prefer for any subject, you can ask me all that. See, I think for Prelims, there is no point in making short notes. So for Prelims, just revise your fundamental notes more. They are quite detailed, so they are more helpful. But for Mains, you can make short notes. The reason is, when we start, we don't know how much importance or depth a topic has. We write everything. Will this topic even come, or what things are more important? So we don't know that much. But when we complete it, then we understand that this topic is coming this much. These topics are coming repeatedly, like federalism, or center-state relations, or the debate between the Governor and them. These are coming repeatedly, so these topics are very important. So you should definitely make notes of them in your Mains notes. So if something related to the judiciary comes up, or some topics like this, you will understand this when you read the syllabus, and later you can make notes. So you will have to complete the fundamental notes once. After that, you can make your Mains notes, and I will share photos of my notes. You all will understand. So I will share photos with sir. And I preferred my handwritten notes because I can always revise my own writing faster and retain more. But some people also do it digitally, so if you can make them digitally, you can opt for that too. That is also a good option. So in GS, there are many small subjects. For example, Disaster Management, Internal Security, Science and Tech. Almost three questions come from each of them. So these subjects, I covered them like this, first I watched a course on YouTube. You can watch any YouTube course, or some of them didn't cover all the topics, so I watched some and made my own fundamental content. So I covered it exhaustively, meaning all the topics written in the Mains syllabus, then made short notes of them, and just added the news related to them. And this is such a low-hanging fruit that I feel many people ignore it so much, because it's a small subject, but three questions come from each of these subjects. Like Environment. So these subjects, I have studied them separately very well. So I felt that GS Three was generally my strongest. But this time, in terms of marks, I got better numbers in others too. But the strategy for GS Three is this. For Science and Tech, I didn't make any notes. Science and Tech is very vast, and what would you make notes of? I probably only made them for Prelims, that too for current affairs that came in the news. So I used to revise that, and my gaps, if any, were covered by the test series. And for Mains, I just searched for important topics on Google, understood what it means, what is its significance, just in my own language. And then I thought that if anything related to this comes in the paper, I can write it in my own language, and I won't be able to memorize it, or if I do technical terms now, thinking this, I understood the terms in Science and Tech. And when questions like this came, if something I had read came, it was great. If something else came, I would still think about what it could be and write it in the answer. So I didn't spend much time or effort on it. So you can consider it if you are interested, otherwise you can also use my strategy, it might work for you. And Economy was my department in college, Economics. So it was always good for me, so I didn't have to do anything special for it. But I used to make notes of current affairs daily, whatever came in Economics. My optional was Anthropology, so I didn't do much in Economics. Basic questions used to come, and I did those. And I studied Agriculture separately, that part of Agriculture. I also got content for Mains from coaching institutes' free content that was available. I saw a video from some sir, or some topic from somewhere, if I didn't understand a particular topic, I would search for it and read it to understand what it meant. So I did Agriculture like this. Agriculture is also very dynamic. It has a lot of current affairs too. So you can focus on that in the Agriculture sector. And and which other subject is there? That's all in GS. Internal Security. Yes, I've told you. So Disaster Management, Science and Tech, Economy, Agriculture. So these are their subjects. You all can also share my notes if you want. I will share my short notes, the 10-10 page ones, for these small subjects. If you all want, you can also make your own notes from them if you find something useful. And yes, integrated study. You don't understand anything until you give the Mains paper, that you are studying in that way or not. But no topic is ever studied just thinking that it is for Mains or for Prelims. Because what is only for Mains, you will only read after Prelims, because there is so much pressure of Prelims that you won't be able to read things that are only for Mains, like Ethics. You won't be able to read Ethics or Essay before that. So before that, you are doing integrated study, in my opinion. Meaning, our fundamental notes are for both Prelims and Mains. It's just that you cannot revise them completely for Mains. That's why you have made short notes on the side so that even in the gap between papers, if you need to see something, you can flip through four-five pages and see quite a bit and go. Some current affairs things, those notes are made for that. So in my opinion, what you are studying foundationally, like suppose you have taken some course in Vision and you are reading lectures daily, that is integrated, and that's how you should study. I don't think I ever studied separately. I only studied Ethics and Essay for Prelims. And people ask many questions, so I forgot the first question. One by one. When I started my preparation, after a month, in great enthusiasm, I wrote two-three answers. Which come daily. But this doesn't happen. If you can maintain discipline, that's great. But I think at least half of a subject should be covered before you attempt to answer questions from that subject or for that part. Because as you read further topics, your perspective grows. So if you write something extra now, maybe you have studied it very well and remember it, then you can write it, otherwise you will only be able to write two-three points. But as you read other subjects too, like if you are reading Economics or Polity for seven-eight months, then if any question comes, you can write at least one point from Polity, like what would be its political implications. You can write one point economically. One environmentally. So you need some perspective for answer writing. So after half of any subject is done, you can start answer writing. And I couldn't do much answer writing, which I should have. If you can do it, that's great. But if you can't, then I don't think there's anything to fear. I wrote most of the papers between Prelims and Mains. Before Prelims, I might have written only two-four, two-three papers for Mains. But I had given Mains before. So I had also written them between Prelims and Mains. So I knew a little bit about the speed at which I had to work. And I had an idea about all that beforehand. So you should consider that. How much time is there? What can I do? And if you can't do it now, there's no need to panic. And something that was happening with me was that the body should have three parts. Then, for example, within the body, if they have asked something. If they have asked only one thing, then I generally add one extra way forward or something from my side. If they have asked two things, then if I have time, I add the way forward again at the end. My meaning, and if they have asked more, and it took me more time to do the question, then I just write what they asked and end it. So generally, I used to add a way forward. And if it's not a question like a way forward, then while introducing something at the beginning, I would make a pie chart or do something. Like I was always thinking of writing one extra element. Apart from that, for maps etc., I practiced their drawing a little, so I thought of making a good map, because everything creates an impression there. You are making a diagram, anything. So it shouldn't look very funny or very strange. And apart from that, how to attempt. For the conclusion, I joined Gaurav sir's Telegram channel just between Prelims and Mains for a few days. He took a session one day. If I had taken it daily, it would have been very beneficial, but one day he told me in a meeting how to write their conclusions very easily and quickly. For the conclusion, he said, like our SDGs, the 17 SDGs, the goals of every subject of India. The different indices that come, like the Multidimensional Poverty Index, and NITI Aayog also releases some indices. So all these things, write them down for the conclusion. When a question on that subject comes, you can easily write the conclusion. For example, if it's an Economy question, we immediately wrote that if we are going in the right steps, named two-three schemes, that these schemes are in the right direction, and if we continue like this, we will definitely become a developed economy by 2047. So they will feel that you have given some substance, some material in the conclusion too. So they will give you half a mark or one mark for that. And if you remember it well, it will be very handy for you. So you can do that. And like articles, for example, Article 51 in International Relations, which is related to our fundamental duties, how useful it is for mediation and International Relations, you can quote it anywhere. Like when you read about quality, if something seems relevant to IR.
There can be a lot of use for it there. Make a small note of it. Keep your notes a bit heavy, so this is what I used to do. And what else did you ask? So after mock tests, generally the comments that come, I didn't pay much attention to them because I felt that students like us are generally checking them, and they have their own understanding. But if you feel that what you have written is not wrong. It's possible you missed one or two important points that they pointed out, then it's fine. But if what you have written is not wrong, then there's no need to worry about getting three marks or four marks. It's very important to just address what was asked. For example, I used to see in the copies of some of my friends that generally their problem in Mains was that they would start addressing something else. Something else was asked, but they knew something else better, so it wasn't exactly that thing. So it's very important that you address what is asked. Apart from that, I used to read my own answers to see if I had written correctly. What have I written in this? But I didn't do this much, but I should have. Self-analysis should be done a lot. And yes, I used to look at toppers' copies a lot. I mean, I often didn't look at my own answers because I felt that if I liked it, I might not improve. So I used to look at their copies. I felt like I wanted to write an answer like that. So I would just set it in my mind a little bit that my copy should look like this. So I used to do that. Okay, so I don't stay in dilemmas much. I am very simple in this regard. I mean, I have never done something like changing my mind and thinking of taking another optional, and I haven't done all those things. But when I chose, I didn't think too much about it. I think very simply. For example, I wanted a subject for which I could get a test series. For which I could get toppers' copies. For which notes etc. would be available, or some course would be available, so I wanted such a subject because in the entire optional, you should have at least Masters-level excellence, only then can you give that subject. So it couldn't be done by just reading it from anywhere. And at that time, when I started, Akshat Jain sir's videos were also quite popular, and he had Anthropology optional. So he said that the test series is available, it's a small course, and toppers' copies are available. So I thought, let me take this subject, and then I took that subject and started with it. Then I made my own notes from many places. I also took a course from one place, but it wasn't very fruitful for me. That's why I don't want to talk much about it. But after that, I compiled notes from many sources online or somehow and made my own for both papers. And after that, I kept that as my main source for revision. I didn't even make short notes because those notes were short in themselves. Even though they were short, they were still big. But what short notes would you make for an optional? So that's my optional. So yes, dilemmas are faced, but I think they shouldn't be complicated so much. And once you have decided and feel that this can be done. Then no matter how difficult it is, don't think of leaving it in the middle and thinking, "Oh, I should take another option." I think that would be very foolish. So you shouldn't do that. Yes, there is a coaching, and they have a monthly newsletter, I always forget its name. I don't know what it's called. I will tell you. So they have a monthly magazine-like thing in which there are current affairs for Anthropology. So if you want, you can take examples from there, anything. So I also did it from there. I couldn't complete it till the end. But I did some from there. But the paper came out in such a way that I couldn't use it much. But I think if you study the static part well, your paper will be good. Current affairs are not a big issue, and adding current affairs would be the cherry on the cake, I think. So I will remember and tell you its name, and if I remember it in between, I will tell you. And apart from that, what else did you ask? The coverage of the paper, I don't feel like it's increasing. Because from where I covered, you should cover all the points from the syllabus. I don't think the paper came from outside that, or it will come. But it might. So for Modern History, I referred to the Bipin Chandra book, both for Prelims and Mains. I have read that book many times, and I think most of the Modern History questions have come from that book if you have read it well. And it's a thin book. Not a very thick book. A small book. So Spectrum is very big, so I didn't read Spectrum. So you can do Modern History like that. And for Polity, I only kept Laxmikant and read no other book. In the new version, more things have been added. The latest one that came. So you can use Laxmikant for Polity. Apart from that, I didn't read any book for Economics because it was my graduation subject. If I had any doubts about a topic, or if there was no clarity, then I would search for it on Google, that particular topic. And for Agriculture, I didn't refer to any book. I just did what I told you: any good, word-for-word syllabus-based YouTube lecture series, or if you are studying in coaching, they will also have it. So you can watch that, make notes, and keep it updated with current affairs. And apart from that, which subjects are there? And Internal Security, Disaster Management. For all these, I didn't read any book. I did all of them like this. Apart from that, yes, I didn't read any book for Environment either. For Geography, you can read NCERT. And for Art and Culture, you have that sir's book, right? You also have it, Nitin Singhania. The Ratan Singhania book, you can read that for Art and Culture. And for Art and Culture, you can also refer to NCERT. NCERT is very useful, and Geography NCERT will be useful for you. So you should read that, especially the 11th and 12th grade ones. Apart from that, I did Geography in a similar way, the complete course. I didn't refer to any other book for this either. For Environment too. And if you feel that my notes might be more beneficial for you, then I will share them. For Environment and all these, and questions, Ethics. You first asked. No, I look at the size of the book and decide. I won't be able to read it. I mean, I want to read only those things that I can revise. I mean, I can't read that much. So I think about what I can revise and then read that. It's not like I've read four books and am repeatedly revising one. I don't do that because if you haven't read it at all, you won't remember most of it. You read so much. So I think, pick any book. Just read it thoroughly. Between the lines. I mean, every line should be understood properly. For example, in Bipin Chandra, look at every line and think about what they are trying to say, what the environment would have been like in that part of India at that time. If you have read it like that, then you won't need much else. Literature. Literature was not my optional, and generally, I don't have much special for it. Answer writing. For answer writing, I think you watch a lot of news, so you get many quotes or things that you can quote in an answer. Then, for example, when I used to read any book, if there were terms like this, for example, in Modern History, there was something about the East India Company behaving with the Indian kings at that time as if they had responsibility without power, and the kings had power without responsibility. So this is one thing. So I liked this, and I also used it in Polity. In the tussle between the CM and the Governor. So you can write down such things that you read, if you find something catchy or well-written somewhere, you can write it aside. I used to do this for Essays and Ethics too. If I found a good quote, I had my Essay and Ethics notes very handy, and as soon as I found something good, I would take it out and write that line there. So if I read a good quote throughout the day, or found something like that, I would save it and write it there. So this is how I prepared for Essays and Ethics. Apart from that, what else did you ask? Then for literature, I think you won't get separate time. It will happen through this. So when you search for a topic, and open an article, first look at its size. If it's too big, you can't do it. So first, see if it's doable. And how deep it is. You don't need to read everything in depth. Some coaching content is very in-depth. So it's not necessary that you do it from there. You can open two or three different links at once and see. You will have to figure this out yourself. And after some time, you will get a type of course. For example, if you are studying from some coaching or something, and you are reading it regularly. Initially, you will feel that it's too much. How will I do this? But if you read it regularly for two or four days, on the fifth day, you will feel very comfortable. So look at two or three places and choose one: I will stick to this source, this website, or this coaching. And then stick to it. Don't keep thinking, "No, this thing isn't good, let me look there." First, let your fundamentals be complete. If you still feel that this article on this topic is very good, then add its good things to your notes. Analytical skills in the sense of problem-solving skills. I have seen that many people make mistakes in understanding the question. So, read the entire question. Nowadays, UPSC gives very long questions. First, they give some introduction. Many people think, "Oh, some introduction about federalism, okay." And they start writing about federalism. But they have asked something else later. So read the whole thing, and only answer what they have asked. After that, if you have time, then answer something else. So this is the approach, and I don't think there's any specific approach to develop. Just answer what is asked. It is very difficult, but I had written a quote on my front page: "Giving up is the birthplace of regrets." So I felt that if I gave up today, I might regret it later. So this helped me a lot. Whenever I felt a little weak, I would read it, and I would think, "No, I won't give up." So you can use whatever motivates you in this way. I just feel that I wasn't too segregated during the preparation time, like I wasn't talking to anyone or not going to family functions. I was in touch with friends, but not too much. Like, if I talked to a friend once a month, I would maintain that. And I was fully involved with my family. If someone came home, I would meet them, talk to them. I would go to family functions if the exam wasn't near. I would go out with my friends. So I think this keeps you relaxed. You should do this. If you isolate yourself too much, you start feeling a lot of frustration, and then it feels like this exam is life, which is a big mistake. So we should never feel that the exam is our life. The more desperately you chase it, the further it will go from you. So I think just live your life and study along with it. Now, how can I tell you? If someone has read it and got good marks, you will think that you have to figure this out yourself. But whatever you fix, fix one source and revise it repeatedly. And then don't just stick to it if you find content from somewhere else. If something new comes up, but you can fix that source. Like I did with the test series. If I get something new in the test series. I'm giving a History test. I get 50-60 new things in every paper. I don't even know about this thing. So I add it to my notes. So you can do it like that. So it will be done like that, overall. But you have to keep that one thing. Now, you can discuss among yourselves which book is good right now, which is the best, or which has the best content, or which one I can read. You decide that. Yes, when I started, I gave my first Mains here, in Vizag. And I think I only managed to write 16 questions, with difficulty. And I wrote very small and in that way. Then in the next paper, I wrote 17 questions, finished. Then for some time, I kept writing 17, finishing 18 with difficulty. But this time, and the last time I gave Mains, I just finished the papers. But in the actual paper, I didn't finish. There, I left two questions, one question in each section. So this time I specifically ensured that I would finish the paper. And for that, you have to write with speed. Where you can give how much spacing, or use some flowchart or something, so that it doesn't look like you want to write less, or so that things can be recalled quickly. So that will come from revision, and when you give tests, it will come from being able to write quickly. So there is absolutely no shortcut for this. You have to write with speed and give tests, many mock tests. Only then will your paper be completed. Yes, for Mains tests, I didn't analyze my answers much, like I wrote this wrong, I wrote it like this. After it was checked once, I would definitely see in which questions I got fewer marks, or in which I got more marks. If I got more, then why? What did they like? And if I got fewer, then why? For example, I didn't even address one or two questions correctly. So when I realized that I was not addressing the question correctly, then in those with average marks, I didn't look at anything special. But in the test series, there were some topics that perhaps I hadn't studied, or I didn't have enough good content for them. And in the answer booklet that sir gives, there is some other good content. So I would add a little bit of that. So it would take me time, at least six, seven, eight hours. But I felt satisfied by spending that time, feeling that I was preparing properly. So I think being organized is very important. You will be organized. Your Mains notes and after the test series, then what did you ask about the test? How did you give tests? How did you manage time? Yes. So for revision, I had made those 15 pages. So if I have an Economy test tomorrow, I will sit down today. At most, two days. I mean, those notes, the entire notes, I would take at most two days because I was reading them thoroughly. Reading everything. Then in between, I wasn't very disciplined. I would start doing other things, so it would take me two days. So if I have to give the paper for that subject after two days, today and tomorrow I read, and the day after tomorrow I give its paper. Then I would take another subject. So like this, I did all. First, I thought I would give GS. After that, I kept one month only for Optional. And then in the last 10-10 days, the last 10 days, all subjects, Essays, and all these, whatever was made. So I would take extreme feedback seriously only if there was extreme feedback. Otherwise, I feel that everyone's point of view is different. So in every question, because the checkers, they give some remark in every question, like do this here, do that. So you don't have time to focus on such minute details because you have so many subjects, so many papers to give. So that's why I dropped that part. You can do this before Prelims. If you are before Prelims.
If you are giving a test series, then do this minute level of analysis then. My seat was for JEE, meaning I gave JEE, and my second attempt was never weak in it, but still, I had some basic formulas that don't come to mind at that time, like percentage, no, not percentage, but principal and compound interest, annual interest, and in that, what is the principal, what is the rate of interest, so these things, these formulas, you can write them down once and practice one or two questions on them because many times we know the question, but we don't know the exact formula, so it takes us a lot of time to figure it out, so you can do that, things will become a little faster, and I attempted more comprehensions, which was enough because you read one comprehension and three questions are answered from it, and generally, two of them will be correct, so you can also practice comprehensions and go, they are scoring, so if you find math tough, then do comprehensions, and for math, if you are leaving eight out of ten questions in a row, then there is no problem. You just have to find two questions because you get two and a half marks for each, right? Yes, so the marks are quite good for attempting questions, so I comfortably leave questions in CSAT, if I don't know seven or eight questions in a row, I leave them, I don't stress there, I will find them later, and if not, we have time to come back and attempt them again, so in that way, and you should definitely give one or two four tests for CSAT first, and when you feel you are getting around 100 marks, 90 marks, then after that, you can think about it. For PT, I did not read NCERT, only Laxmikant book and current affairs, but see, everyone recommends NCERT. So if you can read it and have time, you can definitely give it a read. But it is not necessary, it is not compulsory. See, I feel that the UPSC exam is something that you learn during preparation, it is not just the exam, and also the job afterwards, the different things you do in your life, the good and bad incidents from which you learn, that is what makes you an officer, it prepares you to handle such situations if they arise in the future, and this will be reflected in your interview and in your Mains answers because it will be a part of your personality. So I feel that you should participate openly in whatever activities are happening around you, and college time is such a good time, I feel you should all enjoy it. If you are getting extra time, then study, and after that, you can start preparation in your final years, that is also fine. If you want to start earlier, it's your wish, you can do that too, but try to participate in other things as well. See, this is only possible with the support of parents. I graduated in 2020, and my selection happened now. I did not do any job during that time, but my parents were very supportive. I used to tell them that I want to do a job, I will do something else and prepare alongside. But my parents refused, saying, no, we don't need money, you do the preparation, study well, as long as you want to study. So this has to come from your parents, and they have to trust you. So you have to talk to them, and when they understand, it takes one or two years to prepare. There are 20-22 subjects, so many tests to give, new things come up every day, and then there is the pressure of college, and you haven't even enjoyed college. So later on, you will feel many things like, oh, I should have done this, I should have done this. Sorry, sir, as I told you earlier, if I found any good quote anywhere or any example, like when studying history, or in Buddhism, Jainism, so many good examples of kings come up, sometimes reading them, you feel like, wow, what a thing. So when I felt like that, I used to write them in my notes, how good this thing is, its quality. So some quotes, or if someone said something to me during the day, sometimes my mother would say such good things, so I would write them down too, inspiring things. So all these things, I have used them in my essays, and I had printed and kept the copies of the toppers of essays, those who got good marks, so in their copies, you get very good examples, very good quotes, very good lines, and how they are writing. If you think you are checking it, why would you give them marks? Think about those things and try to implement them in your paper. So that's all I did for essays, and I practiced essays. Like you have made your fundamental notes, wherever you have made them, then you give tests, and when you give tests, there must be 20-30 questions in Prelims that come from your notes, so actually, only those many questions will come that you know, only 20-30. Apart from that, whatever content you get, that you get in the test series, questions that were not in your resources, add them to your resources. Then it will become comprehensive. After that, wherever you see questions, they will generally be from your topics, at least 50 questions will be in your notes, 50-60 will come in mocks, so from there, your resource will become complete. Now, every day, magazines keep coming, someone's, sometimes this comes, sometimes that comes, sometimes analysis of this, sometimes 10-10 analyses of the budget are coming, pre-budget analysis is coming. So you don't need to do all that. Absolutely not. It doesn't come in that much depth. So you have to set this satisfaction in your own mind that I will study only this much from here and I will revise it only. So you have to do that yourself. I just have to do this much, and I won't be disturbed. Prelims tests, you should definitely start Prelims tests by January. Start from January for sure. It's good if you can start before that too. And for Mains, once you start Prelims, you won't be able to give that many. So try to give at least three or four Prelims tests first, so that you get a reality check that Mains is very important and cannot be taken lightly, and for that, I need to do this. So when you are preparing for Prelims and giving Prelims tests, if you find anything specific to Mains, then add it to your Mains notes simultaneously for those four-five months. So as soon as you finish Prelims and pick up your Mains notes, the short notes, you will find current affairs of the last four-five months already written with topics. So while preparing for Prelims and giving mocks, you should keep adding current affairs to your Mains notes. This way, Mains will not be left behind. For example, if there was a Naxalite attack, and so many soldiers died, immediately go and make a small bullet point in your Internal Security notes and write it there. You should do this between Prelims and Mains, and then between Prelims and Mains, you will have your notes. You will be following current affairs at that time, so you can do these things from there, your notes, current affairs, and tests, between Prelims and Mains. Yes, yes, sectional tests should definitely be taken. Before the full test, take sectional tests. Like, whatever you are studying for PT, give the PT test, then study Geography, give the Geography test. Then there are also tests where two subjects are combined, like there are tests for two subjects, give those. But after giving all of them, then start. So sectional tests are definitely a roadmap to complete GS and optional syllabus. How is the roadmap? Okay, simultaneously or separately? I did GS completely first, then I took optional. When I did GS, I felt that I had made fundamental notes for every subject, which I did very quickly because I was enjoying reading a lot, the different subjects were very appealing to me. So I quickly watched videos for all of them, whatever I could find, and wrote my own notes alongside. So I did that very quickly. After that, I had a lot of difficulty in making notes for Anthro because I kept thinking, is this complete, or is the content not good, or is this topic missed, and because of that, by the time of this attempt, my notes became complete. So I didn't really make a roadmap, I was just interested and did it very fast. I had no other work, I had also graduated, meaning due to COVID, we were at home. I graduated in December, but at that time, we were at home, so I was free the whole time at home. I used to do this from morning till evening. So this was my home. Regarding the internet, you have heard enough that I learned almost everything by searching. So it played a big role. In between, I used to watch many things on YouTube, but they were oriented towards UPSC preparation, meaning I was watching channels that were generally making fun of the current state of affairs, political affairs, or such things. So, your likings naturally lean that way. And I didn't post much on social media, nor did I watch it. I had muted everyone except WhatsApp, and even there, I didn't talk much. Just a few work-related messages. That's all. I feel social media is quite distracting. I installed it recently, and I am feeling it. So you all should also try to stay away from social media. Good afternoon. Thank you. So I feel that in Science and Technology, perhaps I could have done more. I put a lot of effort there. But the questions were not that wrong, but they could have been more correct. And the Art and Culture section remained weak for me until the end. So I feel I could have focused there. I could have strengthened that a bit more. And during Mains, [music] in essays, I feel I put in less effort. I should have written more essays. I gave very little time to essays. So I could have done more there, and I didn't write that many papers in Ethics. Not that much, I mean, I had very good marks in Ethics in my first attempt. This time also, the marks were the same, but they could have been more. So I felt that even if I got 5-10 more marks, it would have been better. And during the interview, I got a little sick on the last day. So perhaps I was not in that much energy. But I still tried my best. But before the interview, I feel that I had two-three friends. All three of us had interviews. So we used to have a lot of fun. We were quite confident. We used to kill a lot of time. So I feel that if I had studied a bit more, I could have gotten more marks. So the last time I gave Mains, I did not attempt it very well. Meaning, my syllabus was not complete. My papers were not completed during mocks, and I probably knew only half of my optional syllabus. I hadn't even studied half of it. I didn't even know the topics. Because I got sick at the end, and then I felt that now seven-eight days are gone, how will it happen? But then, at the time of the exam, I thought, whatever the result, I will give my best today with whatever I know. So I gave those Mains papers like that. I think I got 734 marks in total in Mains, which, according to me, was more than I expected. I didn't think I would get that many. So writing, I feel, has always been a strong point for me since school time. Meaning, I write answers quite well. Even if I haven't read about a topic, I can write something about it. So from there too, I feel I got some strength. Plus, I told you about these intro and conclusion things. Then, in the introduction, I used to try to include some date, some current event. For example, for a question on railways, when I got a question on railways, I had this data written in my short notes that it carries 1 billion passengers, or perhaps 8+ billion passengers annually. Indian Railways, this 67 km long railway line, all these things. So as soon as the question came, I would mention that thing. So they got something in the intro. They get something in the conclusion. In the body, you remember some things anyway. And I add extra elements like way forward or something. If I add one extra thing compared to others, I do that. So I feel that because of this, I must have got marks, and I kept the paper clean and clear. I tried to keep my handwriting good. But it's hard to tell when writing so fast until the end. But it's okay. And I used a 5mm pen. Everyone was telling me to use a 7mm one. It has a thicker tip. But 5mm felt fine in my hand, and I was giving the paper with it, so I thought I would write with this. I wrote with it. I wrote with a pilot pen. In the first attempt, I wrote with a ballpoint pen, the previous one. Consistency, see, I couldn't maintain it much, and people can't either, but the thing is, you just shouldn't make too many mistakes. It's not like you are not studying anything for four days. If you could study less one day, then try to compensate the next day. Like if I missed the news on any day, I would read the news of that day the next day, and also make notes for the previous day and that day. I would spend four hours instead of two. Then it would feel like I don't even feel like being consistent, because the next day it will be too much of a burden. So if it was less one day, then do more the next day. But maintain some basic things that I have to do this every day, no matter what. I have to read the news today. I have to make notes for this. So fix a time. Schedule it according to that time, that at this time I do this. At that time, don't make plans with friends outside. Do it during the day or at night. So make plans with friends like that. But have a time for it, like, let's go at night, or let's go in the evening, or let's go in the morning. So that way, your consistency will be maintained, and you don't have to... I feel that from what I have seen, people read one subject once, but then someone tells them that that sir is giving a good course, so they are also doing that course there. Then you are doing the same course for three-four months again. Then someone else tells you, and you do that. That is the biggest mistake. Once you have read something, if you don't like it, don't read it at the beginning. After two-three lectures, read something else. But if you have chosen and thought, yes, this is good. And you are reading it. Complete it and revise it. So I feel you shouldn't do this repeatedly, like this is also a source, that is also a source, because whoever is teaching is trying to cover everything as best as possible. So have a little trust in them too, and give your exams, and from there you will understand whether the questions are coming from what we are reading or not. Then you will understand that. And then this exam is such that no matter how much you read, sometimes you won't find it, like these questions, where did they come from? You won't even know 50-60 questions. That will also happen. So just, these are difficult times, but don't think beyond that, like, do I need to read something else? Have a little patience, give the other exam too. So that's it. One to AIR 2 Harshita Goyal and AIR 3 Dongre Harshit Parag have been common apart from securing top ranks in UPSC CSE 2024. They both began their journey with the General Studies Foundation Course at Vision IAS. They didn't wait to feel ready. They built readiness step by step with structure, strategy, and support. If you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin, that's not a flaw. It's a signal. A signal that what you need is not more hours. It's better direction. And that's exactly what the Vision IAS GS Foundation Course is built for. Hence, how we guide you from day one. Structured step-by-step learning. Prelims, Mains, CSAT, and Essays. All taught in a way that's easy to absorb and hard to forget. No fluff current affairs. PT 365 and Mains 365 filter out the noise. So you focus only on what matters. Mentorship that adapts to you. Real one-on-one support to fix your weak spots, refine your strengths, and build your confidence. Test plus feedback loop. Not just marks, but meaningful feedback that helps you grow with each attempt. So don't just prepare harder, prepare smarter with the same foundation that builds toppers. [Music] I revised only after completing it. If you have classes for how many hours a day? Three hours. Then you can definitely do it. It's not necessary to revise that thing. You can revise something from the previous day for 2 hours. And it's not necessary that you have to revise today. Suppose you fix it after two days, that I have to revise this on Sunday, then do it on Sunday. I used to take one subject, study it, and give its test. So when I used to study another subject, I would do that other subject. But now, closer to the exam, you can allocate one or two hours each for every subject. No, no, take two-three major subjects daily and finish them in three-four days, then take another two-three subjects. If you try to do every paper, every subject, you won't be able to do anything, it will be too much. So divide your morning, afternoon, and evening time and revise three subjects in a day. See, for Modern History, the Bipin Chandra book and a course by a sir whose name I am asking, it was a long time ago, in 2021. I made my basic notes from that, and I used to supplement it with the Bipin Chandra book. And apart from that, I gave so many Modern History test series, so many tests in that time. From that test series, whatever new things came up, like some revolution, or something happened in some small area, or some king, or some incident, I used to write all that in my foundational notes. So that and Bipin Chandra, that's all. I feel Bipin Chandra is quite deep, that book. Meaning, you read it, there are things in every line between the lines. So it's not necessary that the book has to be very big for it to have depth. But I felt that even if you are not reading it between the lines, it is enough, in my opinion. So I didn't feel that any question came that I hadn't thought of, or that I had never heard of, or never seen. I was able to relate everything, that yes, at that time, if I hadn't read that thing there, but I know that the atmosphere was like this at that time, so this could also be happening. No, no, I didn't read anything like that. I just said what my views are, because I can justify them. If they ask a follow-up question, I can tell them why I think that. If I said something else that I don't think, and then they ask me the next question, I won't be able to answer. So I thought this, and I can't lie much either. So I thought, I will say what I say, and what I think, I will say that, and I said that. And I feel that's what they want to know, how honest you are, how fearless you are. If you go there and think, I will say this, maybe I won't get good marks, then you might think that way later too. So they want to see these qualities, perhaps. I feel that many people who prepare for interviews complicate it a lot, like where all the board members are from, what they have done, what are the probable questions, all these things, they get to know a lot about them. Now, when we know too much about someone, we already have a bias. So I didn't do that. I didn't want that. Nor should I have any bias, nor should they. So I shouldn't have it either, right? Otherwise, my answers will also be affected. Maybe I think, if I say this answer, sir won't think like that. So that thing should not be done, which perhaps people tell online or not. Apart from that, it's okay. I mean, I would say that, like when you are going for mocks, you don't need to take advice from everyone. It's not necessary that someone tells you something. If you feel confident, if you feel that you are able to express yourself and say what you want to say, you are humble enough, you are honest, then it's okay. Present yourself like that. I feel they will like it very much. Yes, I don't miss out on UPSC preparation because everything is not negative. Many things have a lot of benefits. So my perspective is that it's not like you have to criticize everything. But if you don't agree with something, like my first question in the interview was about the Uniform Civil Code being implemented in Uttarakhand at that time, and perhaps registering live-in relationships, making it compulsory to register live-in relationships. So they asked me that as a female, as a Gen Z woman, what do you think about this, should it be done? So I said, sir, it should not be done. It will become a parallel system to marriage, what is the need for it? Live-in didn't start for that reason. So I said what I had to say. I didn't think that the government wants to do this, so I am speaking against it. Now, these are my thoughts, I gave them the logic. After that, it's up to them to decide. If they give some other argument, if I feel it's right, I would agree. So it's like that, you simply say what you think. So earlier, I used to say such things. I say them if there is something like that. Hobbies, I had written dancing and teaching. Teaching, not professionally, but like if there's a child at home, sometimes teach them English, sometimes this. So I feel that like I have seen others, they write anything as a hobby. If they like talking, if they like traveling, if they like walking, they write that. Like, I had a friend who wrote storytelling as her hobby, and I asked, what is storytelling? She said, it's telling stories. So whatever you like, just, if you like walking, then write that, I like walking. It should be something that makes your eyes sparkle when you hear about it. So something that you like to do, and everyone writes all sorts of things, like watching thriller movies, watching Netflix, meaning watching Netflix is also a hobby. So anything can be your hobby. So there's no need to stress so much about it. Also, if you can develop any games, it would be good for your physical and mental health during preparation. Okay, you feel that if we study one subject for a month, we will forget the other subjects. So that depends on you. If you feel so, then take out one day every seven days to study PT, do it like that. It's up to you how you do it. Like, I used to finish two subjects in a month, 15-15 days each. So maybe in between, you might feel a little like, oh, I don't remember the basic things at all. But there's no need to worry, you will revise it again, and then when you do four-five revisions, you won't feel like I have forgotten. Just turn the pages once, and you will remember things again. So that's it. Otherwise, you can also take out one day for quality or one day for that every seven days. And [applause]