Saturday, March 14, 2009

misc


9. MISCELLANEOUS


Health

The importance of good health should be understood very clearly. This exam is of very long duration, under severe psychological stress. If suppose you become sick at any stage, you will have to write the exam again and lose out an another year and half. So, it is very important to take care of the health throughout the exam preparation period. Remember - Healthy mind in a healthy body.


Please note the following points:

Get up early in the morning. It is the best time to make the body vibrations in tune with that of the natures’.

Spend the first few hours in fitness activities. This is not a waste of time, but an investment. It ensures that the whole day is active and focused.

Take care of the water and the food that you eat. Do not eat junk food, which will not help in anyway.

Learn and practice Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation. They will develop the mental fitness, which is most essential in studying for long with concentration, to excel in the exam.


An important dimension in life, which is grossly ignored, is the breath. A person can live for a few days without food or water, but cannot exist for a few minutes without air. We take unnecessary care about food and water, but ignore the breath. The more oxygen we take the better will be the burning efficiency of carbohydrates in the cells. With more energy, the cells perform to their maximum capacity and the body becomes very active. This is also important to have good focus on whatever we do.


However, we use only 25% of the lung capacity. That is the reason why we do not function to our potential. In India, there were ancient techniques, which have been developed to increase the capacity of the lungs and to use them to their full potential. They are called the Pranayama techniques.


In fact, the breath can be used to control the emotions in the mind, like using a thread to control the kite. There is a direct relation between the breath and the emotions in the mind. Observe the breath as the emotions change. If you are angry or depressed, the breath is shallow, short and rapid. If you are in a cool and happy serene mood, then observe that the breath is deep and of long duration. Normally, the breath is involuntary and its rhythm depends on the emotions. But through some techniques, you can reverse the process. That is by controlling the rhythm of breath, you can control the emotions in the mind. It is important to learn these techniques since they help a lot in preparation for the exam. You will have to sit and study for long durations throughout the year. Above that there will be lot of pressures both social and psychological. To face them all, it is important to manage the emotions in the mind.


Hobbies

While filling up the mains application form, there is a column for the hobbies and other interests. It is better to cultivate some hobby rather than leaving it blank. So be prepared for this aspect from the initial stages itself. It helps a lot in the interview if the questions are asked from your interest areas. You can also think of some peculiar hobbies to attract the interviewer. But be careful that you have a genuine interest in that area and do gather good information so as to answer any question.


Some of the hobbies of candidates are:

- reading books

- listening to music, even some specific variety say telugu old songs.

- reading short stories

- Gandhism

- Introspection

- Philately and numismatics

- bird watching

- cooking

- conducting alcohol de-addiction camps

- social work

- teaching

- Learn and practice yoga and meditation

- weapon systems

- physical fitness, etc.


Internet Surfing

Those who have Internet access at home or office, make complete use of it. Internet is an ever-bulging ocean of information. All the NCERT Books are now available on it’s net. You can get India Year Book, Complete Budget and Economic Survey Book and Summary of all bilateral meetings. You can get almost any information from wikipedia website. For example complete information regarding India’s space program is available on it.


Addresses of Some Useful Websites:

www.upsc.gov.in - For all official information regarding the exam at any stage.

www.upscportal.com - For tips, Book list, suggestions, coaching information, etc.

www.civilserviceindia.com - For tips, Book list, suggestions, coaching info, etc.

www.visionias.cfsites.org- For tips, Book list, suggestions, coaching info, etc.

www.persmin.nic.in - Useful after selection

http://www.ncert.nic.in/textbooks/testing/Index.htm - To download all NCERT Books

www.goidirectory.nic.in/ - It connects to official websites of all Ministries and departments.

www.meaindia.nic.in/ - External Affairs Ministry website useful for India-World relations

www.indiacode.nic.in/ - Constitution of India, Central Acts, Supreme Court, etc.

www.indiabudget.nic.in/ - For latest budget and Economic Survey

http://publicationsdivision.nic.in/ - For latest India Year Book


Ideal Timetable

Many candidates give their first attempt without even properly chosing the optionals or completing the syllabus. This is a wrong step, which will have severe consequences later on. This exam can be cleared in the first attempt itself with focused preparation and solid approach. Mainly, the thought that the exam requires multiple attempts should be removed from the mind. With right information and proper material, and sustained hard work for and year, there is no reason why someone should not clear the exam in the first attempt.


The preparation with full momentum should start at least one year before the prelims. Ideally, the preparation should be started in May and by December the mains syllabus should be completed to a large extent. Then from January, prelims preparation should be made, while consolidating the mains knowledge. After the prelims, the preparation should be continued with out any break. The next 5 month will be very crucial and the preparation should be at full momentum. The syllabus in any case should be completed by July. At least two months are required for the revisions.


After the mains exam, interview preparation should be started. Simultaneously, prelims preparation should also be made. This is important since the final result will be given only 4-5 days before next prelims. In case of failure, you should be in a position to give next prelims. So, from the beginning it is better to be prepared for this possibility.


After the mains result, more focus should be made on interview preparation.


Studying while doing a job

Civil Services demand at least one and half year full time preparation. It is obviously difficult to prepare for Civil services while doing a job. It is even more difficult if you are doing a private job like software job. But, It is not impossible. There are many examples who have secured top ranks while doing job. Those who have financial constraints can definitely prepare while doing their job by following tips below.


Tips for those who are preparing while working:

1. Make sure that you get leave for at least 1 month before Preliminary exam and 3 months before Mains Exam.

2. Make complete use of Internet at office. Simply exploit.

3. Evenings shall completely be devoted for preparation.

4. It is very important to have constant contacts with those who are preparing full time. Interact with them regularly.

5. Don’t get sentimental about Company if your boss motivates you to work more or when any job challenge is thrown at you. There is a danger of deviation if you get too much involved in the work. Never bring work home.

6. Your work for company should be impassionate.

7. Always remember that you are working only for financial support not for building a career in that company. If you eye for building a career in the company you will definitely be deviated from your cherished goal of Civil Services.


How to Study

The main requirement when you sit for studying is total concentration. Without 100% focus, whatever time you spent on study will only be a waste. You should not do things, which will be distracting when studying. The room should also be neat as it has an impact on the mental conditions. So you should always ensure that the situation should be tuned to have a concentrated study. Even what you do when not studying is also quite important. Suppose you go for a movie because of boredom, then after coming back when you sit for studying then there is every possibility of not focusing completely as all the scenes from the movie starts flowing in your thoughts. Thats why its important to ensure that you don’t do distracting things even when you are not studying. If you feel tired, you can go for a walk or listen to some lecture or calm music. You should go very slow while reading trying to understand the core concepts.


How to prepare notes?

It is always better to prepare notes for every topic in the syllabus, especially for the topics, which you prepare from various sources. This aspect is the most crucial stage in the preparation. Finally what you write in the exam only matters. You write only what you remember. You remember only that which you revise before the exam. Note that you will have to revise as many as 1000 topics including all the sub-parts in GS and optionals. Therefore your efficiency in revision matters a lot for your performance in the exam. The revision efficiency depends on the notes that you prepare. So you should always be aware of this practical aspect while you prepare notes for the exam. The notes should not be prepared as if writing a thesis paper. For any topic, you should have a brief synopsis. Do not even use sentences while writing notes. Note down the key terms and the logical structure with side headings. Also note down the figures and diagrams in a simple manner, which can be reproduced in the exam within time limit.

For most topics, one or two pages of notes are sufficient. Write them down in a logical framework using different inks, so that your efficiency in revision increases. Finally, when revising just before the exam, you cannot spend more than 5-10 minutes for each topic. So keep that in mind always.


Do not spend days together on any topic. The exam only requires a basic clarity which can be obtained by studying one or two standard books and spending more time on thinking. Usually, 3-4 hrs sufficient for each topic. Just be cautious if you are spending more time on any topic inspite of availability of good material.


Revision

Revision is very important for the performance in the exam. The efficiency with which you do revision determines the grip on the subject matter. It should not be postponed till the last phase. As you keep preparing, some time should be spent in revising and consolidating what you read. Otherwise, when you start revision in the end, everything will appear new and lot of time has to be spent in deciphering the notes made. This will be very counter productive and all the hard work will be a waste. So, revision should also become a part of your everyday schedule. Don’t think it’s a waste of time, since finally you will save a lot and the pressure will also reduce. Therefore, revise what you read next day. Then keep coming back to it at regular intervals.


Finally, before the exam you should keep two months for the revision. It has to be done again and again, as many times as possible. Be very careful while preparing notes, keeping in view the requirements of the revision.


Where to prepare?

In any complex situation, the right information at the right time plays a very key role. Similarly, for this complex exam, information has a role. So, you should have the information channels throughout the exam preparation period. This will ensure that you are on the right track.


In this context, the place of preparation becomes important. It is better to be close to where many aspirants are preparing. The main places of exam preparation are Hyderabad, Delhi, etc. There will lot of study material and information circulating in these areas. Also, psychologically it is better if you have co-aspirants with whom you can share your experiences and the mistakes. In case you are not in a position to do so, do not worry. But ensure that you are getting the right information. So try to establish some contacts with persons in those areas.


How to write answers?

Your answer is the medium through which you are communicating with the examiner. Your final marks depend on how best you can convey to the examiner. Otherwise, all you study and hard work is irrelevant. So ensure that you perform the best while presenting the answer.


The important points to note:

The pen that you use. Please spent some time in identifying the right pen using which your efficiency increases and the written matter looks like a print.

The handwriting can influence the marks by 5-10%. It is the first impression on the examiner and matters a lot. It not just sufficient to have a mere legible hand writing.

Next the matter that we write in the answer is important. It is about how logically we present the answer. You will have to structure the answer in such a way that it becomes easy for the examiner to identify the various dimensions in the answer.

Concentrate on the introduction and the conclusions.

Underline the important terms that you use.

Make innovations like diagrams etc to impress the examiner and to convey the concept better.

For analysis type use the paragraph form, while for the factual answers you can use point form. But remember that the examiner is not interested in your memory, but in your analytical and intellectual abilities. So try to include them in your answer.

You can use different colours for the diagrams.


How to remember?

This is the common question before a Civils aspirant. There is such a huge syllabus and so many facts to memorise that some times it seems impossible. Anyhow, remembering is some thing that has to be done well for good performance in the exam. Information is to be stored as done in a computer. You will have to direct the information to store it in your brain system. Do not merely mug and memorise facts. You will have to develop inter linkages based on what you already know. Do not try to remember unnecessary numerical facts. Use mnemonics for remembering facts or some points. The popular mnemonic is the VIBGYOR to remember the colours sequence in a rainbow. Prepare similar mnemonics based on innovations. Your real intelligence depends on how efficient you become in this area. Regular revision is essential to ensure that what you remember stays in your mind till the exam date. So keep a regular revision schedule.


Stress Management

The Civil Services Examination is highly stressful and pressurizing. It is in fact testing the mental strength of the candidate. The administrator in the Indian context has to deal with very complex and testing situations. So the exam structure and the process is aimed at preparing the candidates for the real administration. Therefore, take the process as a learning experience. The stress cannot be avoided, you will have to learn how to manage stress. There are no hard and fast rules for stress management. It is individual specific and has to be developed on your own based on observation.


Some of the following points may be helpful:

Stress means a disharmony between the mind and the body. The body is in the present moment while the mind keeps fluctuating. It is either regretting the past, anxious about future or dreaming an imaginary situation. This disharmony between the mind and the body is the main reason for the accumulation of stress. So, it is important to live in the present moment, i.e, concentrate 100% on what you do.

Take deep slow breaths whenever you feel stressed or tensed. Close your eyes and observe the breath. Keep doing this till you feel light and focused.

Go out for a long walk.

If you feel agitated in the mind, don’t do things, which will aggravate the agitation. For e.g. don’t go to a movie. That will only worsen the situation. The idea is to calm down the mind, so do things, which will reduce the agitation. In fact, these are the critical moments, which have a major impact on your preparation. So, be very careful during these phases.

Talk to some one with whom you can share your emotions without any inhibition.

Meet people who can give you inspiration and motivation.

Listen to good music or lectures by great people.

Practice meditation. This is a very effective way of improving the energy flow.


For aspirants in the long term

There are many undergraduate students who have the target of joining the Civil Services. At this stage there is not much to be done for the exam. However they can note the following points:

Build a good academic record

Chose such subjects, which will be helpful for the exam later on.

If interested and if there are good reputed colleges then join the arts courses. However, even if you have to join the professional courses, do not worry. They will act as an alternative, since this exam has less vacancies and is often risky. But, do concentrate on your courses and excel in the field.

Read the newspapers and good magazines like the Frontline regularly. You should have a good awareness of whats going on around you.

Cultivate a habit of participating in extra-curricular activities especially those involving organizing abilities, GK, quizzes, etc.

Develop some good hobbies

Improve your personality traits

Learn to spend lots of time reading books and studying because this is what you will have be doing while preparing for this exam.

You should read the life stories of great people as an inspiration. Also, meet the successful people in various fields.



Listen to good programs on radio and TV.

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