This is the 15th Topper Journey & Strategy post from the Batch of 2023. While every journey is unique, journey of Damera Hima Vamshee, who cracked CSE-22 with AIR-548, will inspire you big time. His journey is testament of perseverance & dedication. Here he has discussed his Journey and Sociology Strategy.
Introduction
I am Damera Hima Vamshee, AIR 548 in CSE 2022. I hail from Telangana. I have graduated from IIT Roorkee in 2018, and preparing for UPSC CSE ever since. This was my 5th attempt and my optional is Sociology.
The introduction might look simple, but the actual journey has been tough, it was anything but simple. It was a stressful, challenging and an uncertain one. During my long journey of 5 years, there were many setbacks, there were instances when self-doubt threatened to consume me. There were also times when my mental and emotional fortitude were tested to the limits.
However, I made it a point to not let the setbacks go in vain. I did learn many lessons from them. And these are what propelled me forward, and helped me to keep on improving with each attempt.
My UPSC journey & the Lessons learnt in the process (I will not talk about the sources used, as many toppers have repeatedly mentioned them. And mine were very similar)
1st attempt – Fresh out of college, I had limited knowledge about the exam and its process. Appeared in the exam, and naturally did not clear Prelims.
So, you cannot clear UPSC without substantial preparation. At least most of us cannot. And that message was loud and clear.
2nd attempt – I studied really well. Read all the Standard books, revised them. But still, failed to clear Prelims. That got me disappointed and wondering
After some introspection, I realized some major mistakes which are to be rectified with immediate effect.
I must analyse PYQs – That helps in identifying which areas to emphasise on while studying
I should practice solving enough tests – The paper solving mindset is very important. It teaches us skills of time management, staying calm and composed during the exam.
3rd attempt – I worked on the shortcomings of my previous attempt. So, I did clear Prelims this time with a good margin.
Then, Corona happened. I was down for almost a month. And the uncertainty all around made even the remaining time worse. I did what I can, but could not clear Mains. My preparation till now was focused on Prelims. I passed that, but I failed to notice that it is the Mains part which is the actual selection decider.
I learnt that one needs to balance Prelims and Mains preparation. Excelling in one and falling short in the other takes us nowhere.
4th attempt – I covered substantial syllabus for Mains as well. Therefore, this time I cleared Prelims and Mains. This was my first opportunity to appear at the interview. I was very hopeful to clear this time. But, missed the final cut-off by a few marks.
Marksheet showed that I scored poorly in Optional and Interview. I realised not to bank on 1 or 2 papers to score big, but focus on all equally.
5th attempt – It was hard. It was really hard to give Prelims, after the major setback just 5 days before. To muster strength and appear in the exam was tough. But somehow, I did it. Cleared Prelims.
I did not completely rely on any single paper this time, but identified focus areas in each paper. I tried to balance out my preparation, by hedging the risks in each paper.
Did multiple revisions, value addition, gave mock tests etc. Discussed with friends who were good in their respective areas. Fortunately, it worked this time.
And for Interview as well, I prepared meticulously, identifying, and working on my DAF areas and Current Affairs. The discussion sessions with my PT Extended Family helped extensively.
I also gave many mock interviews. Though their reviews are to be taken with a pinch of salt, this exercise put me in a comfortable position having formal interactions.
After I saw the result, all the 5 years of struggle flashed through in front of my eyes, in about 5 seconds. It is a moment of pure bliss, something which flew in from the years of hard work and resilience.
Every setback, every hurdle, and every doubt along the way has been eclipsed by this overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I was happy, I was excited, but more than everything else, I was relieved.
I am fortunate enough to find great friends (I would rather call them family), who were with me throughout the process, starting from my first debacle to this success. I am immensely grateful for the support I have received.
This achievement is just the beginning of a remarkable journey in the service of our nation.
Sociology – 10 Point Strategy
All that I have learnt and refined in my journey with Sociology optional in the last 5 years. I will try to keep it crisp, yet as comprehensive as possible.
1. Memorize Syllabus + Go through PYQs carefully
Most important part of the process. One needs to be aware of the syllabus to interconnect concepts.
And the PYQs help in understanding what to emphasize on, while we study. Many questions often repeat from PYQs.
2. Develop Good understanding of Concepts
This step is vital. Remember that we can write good answers only when there is conceptual clarity.
For this, one can join any coaching if situations permit. YouTube works equally well though. I have watched Sleepy classes videos, freely available on YouTube.
Can watch concept specific videos as well when needed. ‘Deciphering Sociology’ (a channel on Telegram) videos by Prevoyance mam came to my rescue several times.
I did try to go through many sources in the start of my preparation, but honestly that doesn’t help. Once we attain conceptual clarity, it is best to stick to few limited resources.
My base material was Essential Sociology by Nitin Sangwan Sir + Sleepy classes notes for any additional information. IGNOU material is very useful for Thinkers part. I would not suggest entire IGNOU material because it is too bulky.
(I did go through selected chapters of Ritzer, Haralambos like Methodology, but Sleepy Classes notes is mostly a notes from Haralambos. So, you don’t need to make one again.)
4. Make Short Notes – Revise Multiple times
I prepared short notes. I made pointer notes for almost all chapters, according to syllabus. This helps in quick revision and retention of info.
This also gives us a collection of keywords. Using these keywords makes our answers sociological. That is how we differentiate Sociology answers from GS answers
5. Do Value Addition
This part includes Thinkers, Current Examples, Case studies, Diagrams, intriguing quotes etc. Try to make them topic wise and keep them relevant.
Make sure you are not going overboard with Value Addition. Do not bombard your answers with Thinkers and examples. Keep them optimal and relevant.
Value Addition is like Butter, whereas standard content is the Bread. It tastes good only when there is appropriate amount of butter. Too much of it, spoils the taste.
6. Daily Answer writing
After finishing substantial amount of syllabus, start writing answers. Preferably start with PYQs. Writing only 2 Questions a day can go a long way.
Writing answers also helps us in refining our notes. Good notes often, translates into good answers. They go hand in hand.
7. Improve on Each aspect of the answer
Dissect the answer, and create a checklist of what all aspects need to be included in a good Sociology answer.
Keep assessing each answer you write, on these parameters. And consciously improve on these areas. After writing 10-15 questions, we will identify patterns.
If introductions are weak in most questions, work specifically on improving them. If examples are missing, place greater emphasis on them.
8. Prepare Model answers for PYQs
An Analysis of PYQs shows us that, nearly 70% of questions from Paper 1, and about 50% questions from Paper 2 are repeated.
And this makes it very important to prepare model answers for PYQs. Having that more than 50% questions ready beforehand will help immensely in the exam.
I did brainstorming sessions for Socio PYQs along with a friend. We tried to prepare model answers for last 5 years questions asked in Sociology. This exercise was of much help.
9. Give Full length mock tests
Writing a few good answers is one thing, and writing 19 decent answers, that too in 3 hours is a totally different thing.
It requires immense practice. Revise your notes multiple times and give full tests. Write in exam like conditions. That is how we can get a realistic understanding about our performance.
Stick to the time limits. Do not worry about low scores. Low score is never a problem, Stagnation at a low score is. And if all the above steps followed properly, stagnation would not happen.
10. Be Confident in your effort
As Dhoni says, Trust the process. These are all small steps individually, so the changes might not be very evident when we just start. But after a reasonable amount of time, and these steps put together, they bring massive improvements.
And, there is only so much we can control. The aspect of Luck/Fortune in this exam, or in any aspect of life cannot be denied. That being said, it is Hard work which puts you in the place where Good Luck can find you.
We have by now, done enough to control the controllables. So be confident in your effort. You will do good.
The Big Learning from UPSC journey
This journey is hard. There will be days we don’t feel like studying, there will be things we don’t feel like doing. But we must do the things we need do, even though we do not feel like doing them. That is what Professionalism is.
I would like to give the analogy of Virat Kohli here. We all know how dedicated he is to fitness. He works out for hours, runs around the ground many times, he also said he gave up his favourite food (Garlic Naan & Butter Chicken).
Inherently, nobody likes to do all these. Nobody wants to sacrifice so many things. But he does that anyway. Not because he likes doing these, but because these things eventually put him in a place to do what he loves to do. That is to play for the Indian Cricket Team.
This professionalism is something which always inspires me. As an aspirant, and as a person, this is a principle which will always stay close to my heart.
That is about it. I wish you all success in this exam and in life. My Best Wishes.
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