Chaitanya Shah

I’m in my final year of graduation in engineering from Shah and
Anchor. It is only recent, about 4 months, that I have begun my
preparation for the Civil Services Exam. The preparation, though at a
beginner level, is going in the right direction.
The decision to appear for the CSE was my own and not based on my
peers. This is when I started looking for good coaching in my
vicinity, in Mumbai. I found out some offline classes and visited
them. The only thing common among them was their fee. It was close to
a lac and even more than a lac in case of a couple of classes. I found
this amount to be exorbitant, considering I had to study myself. I
later found out from a couple of friends that the notes given by the
classes mostly came from some different classes in Delhi, which
happens to be a hub for UPSC preparation.
It was only then that I came across UPSC Pathshala. I saw their ad on
Facebook. Out of curiosity I filled up the form on their website. The
very next day, I got a call from their counsellor. I discussed my
issues in finding guidance, material etc. I watched their videos. I
was even given a one day access to their course for free, basically to
have a look at their content. I found it to be really good. the videos
were concise and explained topics in manner I had not imagined them to
be. I also had a word with one of their teachers, Shishir Juvekar,
who’s himself an aspirant. He explained me aspects about the exam and
its preparation which were, till now, beyond my understanding. From
that conversation I gained a thorough insight about the preparation
for this exam.
I have been following my teacher’s advice ever since. As of today, I
can say that my preparation has been well beyond satisfactory. My
research has improved a lot and so has my answer writing. Initially,
when I went through the essay topics, I was highly demotivated. After
having started practicing for it, and with the correct guidance, I’m
slowly able to get the hang of it. I can write much better than I
earlier. I can think from different aspects about a particular topic.
Ultimately, it is up to every person to take his/her preparation
seriously. The teachers are doing an excellent job, it is up to us
students to bring laurels for their efforts.