‘Have your own journey’, says Anisha Srivastav

By Sruthi Kuruganti Hyderabad: Anisha Shrivastav had a job which she left in 2018 to prepare for the Civil Services exam. She failed to clear the exam in 2019 but persisted with her efforts and preparations to achieve an All-India Rank of 66 in her second attempt in 2020. Anisha, a Hyderabad resident who is […]

By Sruthi Kuruganti

Hyderabad: Anisha Shrivastav had a job which she left in 2018 to prepare for the Civil Services exam. She failed to clear the exam in 2019 but persisted with her efforts and preparations to achieve an All-India Rank of 66 in her second attempt in 2020.

Anisha, a Hyderabad resident who is currently pursuing IAS training in Mussoorie’s Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), shares her experiences and advice with ‘Telangana Today’.

Understand the fundamentals
Because the syllabus is so huge, students have to give enough time to understand the basics without diving into the core initially. You cannot find time to study about other necessary issues if you delve on one particular issue. So, have a clear perspective on how much information you need about a topic — previous year’s papers will guide you in this regard.

Students might feel that they should have knowledge about everything, but it is necessary to think in an exam perspective. It’s important to put a stop somewhere otherwise you’ll just be specialising in some topics, neglecting other important topics.

Time management and effective revision
It is essential to have a well-organised timetable for the entire preparation process and stick to it. It’s difficult to remember everything you’ve read. You must take notes on a daily basis, so that you can return to revision at planned time schedules. Prepare your notes such that you can go through them again even an hour before the exam. One note you made at the beginning of your preparation may help you with the answer writing in the exams.

Have your own understanding of everything
You must know where you stand, what you require, and how much you can make out. As issues keep coming up on a daily basis, your analysis is important apart from what has already been written in the books. Whether or not to go to coaching is a very individual and subject-specific decision. You don’t have to waste time taking coaching for a subject if you’re good at it. But when in doubt, coaching helps.

How to attempt the answers
The exam is very dynamic in nature; there’s only some you can derive from existing books. Self-learning and personal notes is what makes the difference. Having your own analysis about any topic adds you the brownie points. Make notes from newspapers and debates around the topics and come up with your own points from time to time. Talking or writing about the topic helps you to analyse further and remember better.

Your answer should include your analysis on a topic complemented by statistics, current affairs and the facts. The points must be well-presented.

Have your own journey
The nature of these competitive exams is to test students’ patience and perseverance. Everyone will have their own strengths and weaknesses. How you understand yourself and make a journey for your own self is important.

Be prepared that the journey becomes monotonous after a point of time. Give yourself breaks in-between. Take mock tests to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t let low scores in mock tests discourage you. Learn from them and improve your strategies. Always have your self-confidence up and don’t let the exam scores define you.

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