Do’s and Don’ts During Self Study for UPSC Civil Services: To Get a Knack of It

UPSC is one of the most reputable exams in our country. Every year lakhs of aspirants sit for the exam. Ever have a thought why people don’t go for UPSC? Applicants consider the UPSC exam a tough nut to crack. The fear of not being able to clear is overpowering to some candidates. Delhi is a well-known place for it’s UPSC coaching classes. Here are some do’s and don’ts for UPSC aspirants in Delhi.

UPSC exam is divided into three stages; Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Every stage requires a different level of preparation. There are numerous coaching centres providing IAS coaching, but some students believe in the power of self-study.

Do’s and Don’ts During Self Study for UPSC Civil Services

Do’s of Self-study for UPSC

1. Self studying makes an aspirant responsible for the goal. It inculcates the habit of setting achievable targets and working towards them.
2. It makes you responsible for your study materials and notes. You can also make notes according to your convenience. Self-study further reduces the fear of criticism.
3. UPSC civil services exam is all about grasping the right knowledge, being consistent and implementing smart work towards the goal. Self study enables students to retain knowledge more naturally than coaching.
4. UPSC aspirants perform well if they focus more on self-study, as it builds your problem-solving techniques and analytical skills.

Don’ts of self-study for UPSC

Self Studying also has some pitfalls that one must avoid during the preparation.

1. Fear of Missing Out: Students tend to feel a fear of missing out when not able to go to the coaching centres as their fellow mates. They feel that they are missing on some important topics, which is not the case in reality, especially with the vast amount of study material available online.
2. Adhering to a Time Table: Coaching centres usually have a particular time allocated to each subject or topic. Students also have a scheduled time for classes.This creates a sense of discipline towards studying, which sometimes lacks in self-studying.
3. Less Interaction with Peers: Self-studying kills the interaction time with your fellow mates, this isolation increases the stress level, which in turn can affect your performance. UPSC exam has an essay writing section which can be excelled through the right intellectual and social interaction.

Also Read : Online Vs Offline Coaching for UPSC: Which One Should You Choose?

The Hustle of Coaching Centers in UPSC

Just as Kota is known as a hub for JEE aspirants, Delhi is also famous for its coaching centres for UPSC aspirants. Students from all over India wish to join the coaching centres of Delhi.

1. Enrolling in a Decent Coaching Centre: Candidates wish to join a coaching centre that is best ranked in the city or country. However, there are several factors that one needs to keep in mind before taking admission in a coaching centre like living expenses, commute, etc.
2. Get a Place to Live Near Coaching Centre: There is a mad rush to get a place to live near coaching centres, it is mainly because living nearby saves time and money.
3. Don’t Get Distracted Easily: We all are very much aware of the enticing lifestyle of Delhi. Candidates often get distracted by that, which can sabotage their focus and preparation. Aspirants living in Delhi should avoid partying and focus on preparation.

Why People Don’t Go for UPSC?

1. Most of the aspirants believe that the civil services exam is one of the toughest exams that is present in the country, which intimates them and creates a fear of failure.
2. People believe that going for a UPSC exam requires at least 15-20 hours a day for preparation, which is a daunting figure for a lot of aspirants.
3. There is a very prevalent misconception amongst the candidates; that only English medium candidates can become IAS officers. This notion resists them to sit for the exam. UPSC exam is open for every candidate irrespective of the language of education.

Common Factors on Which Aspirants are Judged

1. Pragmatic solutions for socio-economic problems.
2. Clarity of expression while writing answers.
3. Overall awareness of national and international issues.

What will Happen if You Don’t Qualify for UPSC?

A thought that always nags UPSC aspirants is what happens if they are unable to clear the exam? The fear of not qualifying holds back a lot of people from appearing in the exam. This question solely depends on the perspective of an individual. UPSC allows six attempts, and on an average, candidates take two attempts to clear the exam.

UPSC exam creates room for various top posts in the government sector/PSUs and even in the private sectors. Candidates who fail to clear the exam in two attempts still have four left. It just depends on the level of determination of an individual.

Some Factors to Keep in Mind while Preparing for UPSC Exam

1. Discover your strengths and weaknesses and prepare accordingly. Recognizing and understanding your weakness enables an individual to work on it and improve.
2. Sticking to a strict time table would help to manage the time effectively. UPSC exam demands constructive time management skills to cover extensive topics.
3. Write clear and structured answers, it reflects your fine writing skills.
4. Fabricate a reliable strategy for yourself, for example, whether you need to join a coaching or you are self-sufficient to study by yourself.
5. Be diligent and focused on your preparation throughout. There would be a lot of obstacles, but candidates must ensure that they overcome these curve balls and have an optimistic approach further.

Conclusion:

The determination to work hard towards the goal and set achievable targets can help you to reach the heights. Analyzing the flaws and working on them reflects a resilient trait of one’s personality. Self-study is one of the most reliable approaches to clear any exam, not only UPSC but every exam, even though it has some loopholes.

Having a personal mentor to prepare for UPSC is the best way to ensure constant improvement, especially if you are studying by yourself. UPSC Pathshala’s personal mentors are experts of UPSC with years of experience. They solve doubts, keep track of progress, and help to improve.

How to Ensure UPSC Pathshala Mentors are the Best? With UPSC Pathshala, aspirants can get their own personal coach and can access the free demo classes as well which helps in getting a firsthand experience of their teaching methodology. Visit our website to know more!

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