Hello everyone. This is Akash Sharma UPSC CSE’22 AIR 419 this year. Earlier qualified RAS 2016 with rank 179 and working in Rajasthan Tehsildar Service also selected as Assistant Professor with Geography by RPSC. Here I will be sharing my strategy, notes and experience regarding the UPSC and other exams.
Now that you are all done with prelims, a few things to keep in mind.
1. If you haven’t checked the answer key so far, check now or (no need )as You would know the result very soon. (If trend of last 2 years is any indication, it will be out by 15th June)
2. Even if you have, if you are scoring anywhere around 75-80 or above, don’t feel disheartened just yet. With higher vacancies and a very unpredictable paper this year, the cutoffs can go low.
3. Start preparing for Mains. You only have about 105 days. By the time Prelims results are declared, those who waste this time in anticipation or anxiety have already increased their chances of elimination in the next round.
4. Every single candidate has a unique strategy of preparation that works for them. Do not get worried and anxious by looking at strategies of selected candidates of previous years. Still, do look at them and add portions that seem relevant to your preparation according to your preparation, previous year marks and suitability to your approach. Even little bit may help.
In the subsequent posts, I will be sharing strategies, my notes and answer script.
When we couldn’t make it to the list, we pity/blame ourselves for not making topic wise notes/example, not writing enough test, not doing value additions etc etc.
But sometimes it’s our fate and luck.
On the other hand, When we get rank we can connect the dots and dedicate our success to our hard/smart work and strategy. But here luck has also played a major role.
But only thing we can do is to improve ourselves, borrow something from toppers and write the exam with full force.
Do your duty, that is best; leave unto the Lord the rest.- David McKay 🙏🏻🙏🏻
( my score 2021-marks 89 didn’t work on essay, wrote ZERO test. 2022 marks 120 worked a little and wrote 4 essays in test and a few summaries )
Essay Preparation is crucial, even for those who have experience with writing. UPSC Essay Writing is a different ball game than all the other creative writing or even the answer writing for GS. The most critical issue is how to *start* writing essays in general, and the specific essay on topic in the paper.
My Essay Score: 120 in 2022, but scored 136 in previous attempt.
1. Sources: – Toppers’ Copies- the ultimate source, from where I borrowed many concepts, ways of writing essay and examples. – Vision’s weekly thematic topics on some selected topics. – Extensive internet surfing on ideas like PRINCIPLE OF LIBERTY, SOCIAL CONTRACT, CLIMATE CHANGE, OUT OF AFRICA THEORY. etc ( you can find in my notes) – Book summaries form internet and material provided by coaching these books included WHY NATIONS FAIL, SAPIENS, 21 LESSONS FOR 21st CENTURY, OVERDOING DEMOCRACY, INDIA CAN, WINGS OF FIRE, THE ART OF WAR, IN THE SEARCH OF MEANING and many more. ( I will share if I could find the notes) – YouTube- my most important source for all knowledge. As the essays getting philosophical, we should also become pseudo philosopher ( or pretend to be) Some channels. SWAMY SARVAPRIYANANDA- VEDANTA SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, ACHARYA PRASANT, and my favourite OSHO( once you search these, rest you leave it to YouTube, it will suggest you much more than required)
2. How to start preparing for Essays: – It is advisable to start by reading some essays of previous year toppers, especially those who have secured high marks in the essay paper. ( can read mine too, but I am not among the topper… joking ) Some Suggestions – VIKRAM GREWAL SIR, ANUDEEP DURISHETTY SIR, APURVA PANDEY MAAM ( most imp search 2021 and 2022 toppers copies bcz you know about the changes in pattern and marking)
– The most important step is to start writing. You can start with writing summaries of toppers copies and short essays around 500 words. bcz
One cannot complete a journey until they place the first foot forward.
3. How to start writing your own essays: – My approach has been to first form an outline of what I intend to write. It includes the sections I would make, flow of my essay as well as examples and quotations I would be using in the essay. – Initially, one can spend 25-30 minutes on creating this outline and 70-80 minutes in writing the essay itself. Slowly, this has to be brought down to around 15-20 minutes for the outline and 60-70 minutes for writing the essay.
4. How to improve upon your essays: – You can join a test series for getting your essays evaluated and working on inculcating the feedback. But no one can match UPSC marking pattern ( one would hardly get above 140 in coaching evaluation. So take the feedback with pinch of salt. Test series can help in making one discipline and forcing to write the most boring paper)
– Take help of your colleagues especially toppers if you find one ( tell them it’s more important to help your old friends then to attend too many coaching falicitations hum poor rank walo ko to koi bulata nahi, so I am ready to listen (not read) some of aspirants essays ) – Most important- Re-read your own essays after a gap of 1-2 days . In this duration, we generally get newer ideas as well as become more open to critiquing our own work. – Work on justifying your arguments, Wherever you think an argument is enforcing your views liberally sprinkle with examples.
