Hello everyone!
I am Ramya CS, AIR 46 in CSE-2021 with PSIR as optional. I was also one among you reading topper’s articles & watching their videos to identify preparation strategy and aiming to crack the examination somehow! Hence, in this write-up let me just focus on certain Do’s and Don’ts which has stemmed from my experience.
Do’s
- A self-analysis activity – identify your strengths (in my case my analytical approach), weaknesses (for me it was data memorization) and mould your preparation around this.
- This is not a one-time activity, try doing it as your preparation progresses and re-strategize yourself accordingly.
- Make your own notes (digital or handwritten based on your convenience, for me handwritten worked well) – be it for GS or optional paper – this will help you to refine focus areas, create intuitive memory, prepare for mains too!
- Handwritten spider notes helped me quite well, as it created a photographic image in my mind and helped to recollect points easily.
- For covering current affairs, experiment multiple approaches like creating notes subject-wise, date-wise, handwritten, digital compiling – narrow down to one which is apt for revision and ease of use.
- I had to do this experimentation and ended up with an approach where I had made base notes for each subject and then added relevant current affairs to these.
- Focus on the preparation as a life-experience and as a privileged opportunity.
- Ignore any negative comments around you as it creates a self-doubt which can hamper your preparation & life too.
- Ensure support from your family, create a financial backup for emergency – this can create a positive enabling environment for the preparation.
- Do consider part-time jobs (if necessary & possible) to have your ends meet without creating any dependency – but please don’t get carried away while doing this.
Don’ts
- Don’t blindly follow toppers – make your own strategy, approach and notes based on your self-analysis.
- Strategy from toppers is just one of the ways to the process that has met with success – this may or may not work for everyone. Hence, take a personalized approach of preparation.
- Don’t flood yourself with resources – narrow your study materials and focus on covering them with utmost care. Having multiple books, materials at times confuses, creates a fear and makes us approach the exam with a lower-confidence.
- This was a mistake I seriously regret as I realized this quite late. Having a de-cluttered preparation table in itself improves your focus, boosts morale and helps you to prepare better.
- Don’t view the preparation process from the lens of clearing the examination rather view it as a life-experience – the process will make your personality evolve.
- Biggest gift the process yielded me is TRANSFORMATION – I have become a better individual across thoughts, actions, personality and character. At the end, it gave me the confidence that I will survive well wherever I go.
- Don’t get hard on yourself for failures – in fact success after failures is the sweetest!
- Examination is given by many from various backgrounds, hence there are people who may be ahead or below you in the process. Hence, RATE YOURSELF ONLY WITH YOU – realize your errors, try modifying them and improve yourself.
- Don’t have an isolated solitary life for the sake of examination. Make the preparation as a routine but not at the cost of creating memories with friends & family.
- In fact, these gives a boost to you psychologically that you tend to excel in that day’s preparation. However, have a defined limit to this and stick to it – an overdose might hamper preparation too.