When you think of the word study, you think of an activity of reading books for3-4 hours continuously just like you did in board exams.Unfortunately, this is impossible for a working professional. And when you try to dothat (or even think about doing that) it leads to frustration.If youre doing a job, youre actually occupied from 9 AM to 9 PM.(breakfast-

traffic-office-work-lunch-work-traffic-dinner)On weekdays, continuous study for 4-5 hours is impossible, given the jam-packed work-schedule + work and traffic fatigue.So, accept the truth and dont feeling guilty or depressed about it. And whatever study time-table you wish to prepare, it mustbe prepared in light of this truth.

Try to squeeze out 10-15-20 minutes out of your schedule, whenever you can.For example, Read the theory of aptitude topic at home, in the morning. Go to office, and during the free time, solve 4-5 sumsin on go, Instead of trying to finish whole chapters or exercises from a book.Similarly, for GS/ Opt.subject, pick up the book read one or two paragraphs; write the crux in the margin, leave.Pick up the book again when youre free and repeat the procedure.Come back home, study 2-3 hours after dinner. You sum up the minutes and hours you spent studying, Itll be no less than 4-5hours.

In the enthusiasm (or stress) to study for the exam, many candidates keep reading books even while travelling in bus, train orrickshaw, daily.Problem: vehicle keeps jerking and shaking and so does your book. So, your eye-muscles have to put more effort to read thesentences.You don't feel it immediately, but in long run, it damages your eyesight.and since your eyes get more fatigue in 'vehicle reading', you cannot keep yourself awake for a long time in the night.So, Better keep the eyes fresh in 30 minutes bus journey and instead study for 30 minutes more, at night.

Ive seen a lot of students going to multiple tuition-classes. First class from 4 to 5 and secondfrom 5.30 to 6.30. But What I havent seen, is a student who studies between 5 to 5.30.

Time hotaa nahi hai, Time nikaalnaa padtaa hai.

Working professionals (and students) use internet round the clock in office, in college, at home.They surf on Wikipedia, read editorials in The Hindu and The Economist etc. and do random seach on geography, history etc.They think theyre studying. They think theyre using the internet productively.Bitter truth: it wont help you much.Why?Because Overreliance on internet = mistake.The Likelihood of getting a question from some random internet article of Wikipedia or newspaper in UPSC = very less.Again why?Because UPSC has to keep in mind the candidates from small towns and villages, who may not have 24/7 internet access. Somany questions come from static theory part, to give them level playing field.Youve to keep the syllabus in mind, and do selective study accordingly, from the standard books rather than trying to do Ph.Don everything from internet.

HOME MOTIVATION APRIL 15TH, 2012 63 COMMENTS

For example Stem-Cell research: at most you will need 10-12 points to write a descriptive answer. You dont need to make anultra-awesome research note from 50 different pages on google search.Initially youll feel enthusiastic about doing google-research, but after 15-20 days, youll lose the tempo and start feelingnervous thinking I can never complete the syllabusOfcourse you can search internet for further explanation of a topic. But UPSC exam is not made up of one particular topicalone. It is a mixture of everything. So dont overdo anything.

You came across a fantastic article on US-China relations,it has 7 paragraphs, truckload of statistical and chronological data.You find 4-5 points, worth quoting in the essay/ interview/ mains answer.But youre unlikely to remember or recall those points after 2-3 months, during the actual exam/interview. Thats why

A lot of aspirants just keep cutting newspaper editorials from The Hindu/ Indian express or save webpages, thinking Ill dofollowup on Sunday or after 15 days. Ill read them laterBitter truth: You will never get the time or mood to study those pages later. Such files only gather dust on your table, andwaste space in your hardisk.Barely 15 days left before the exam, you are under so much pressure to cover all the topics, youll have leave the file as it is,without even touching or looking at it.Besides, if you read the same column after 15 days, youll have to re-read each and every sentence.Lesson: dont leave anything on future, if youre reading something: just highlight or underline important stuff or take anextremely short-note of keywords. And move on. Whether it's a book, newspaper, magazine or webpage.

But all ^these suggestions are meaningless, without the first and the most important rule for any competitive exam:

Like it or not, youll have to study. , . , .

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63 comments to [Strategy] Five Rules: How to prepare for UPSC without leaving job?

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silly common manReply to this comment

guys..my advice to u..is to listen BBC HINDI news daily..its timings are..7:30-8:00 indian time. hope it will help..:)

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dr.piyushReply to this comment

Good,

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