N.S.Anusha (CSE-23 AIR-818) Comprehensive Strategy

Background and Journey

I am N.S.Anusha, CSE 2023 Rank 818 , presently deputy collector, Andhra state PCS 2022, ex- Range forest officer , Andhra Pradesh 2018.

This is my fifth attempt at UPSC. Born and bought up at Visakhapatnam called the city of destiny. As the name very well goes with my aspirations to become a civil servant. My constant endeavour to achieve was and is filled with many challenges.

Every job I had cracked came at the back drop of my father’s health crisis, time constraint along with full time job, fear of failure & anxiety…every challenge we as aspirants face.

For a brief period, I had stayed at Delhi (ORN) for my initial days of preparation and then shifted back home.

How and When to Start Preparation

It was parents struggle to get access to public services delivery as well as the personality trait I possess which brought the ignition, drove desire towards preparation for UPSC 2017 onwards.

Timetable

Before getting into a job, I used to be a full time aspirant with 7.00am heading towards library till night 11pm with sufficient breaks. I used to have more of a mixed subjects kind of timetable. For eg. Polity + geo mapping + csat in a day to break the monotony.

Preparation with job?

Early morning 5-9am slot, afternoon lunch break buying sometime, evening 6-11pm. It was rigorous, hectic but I had no choice except to go in a time targeted approach. Slept during the journey to office.

Prelims Books, CSAT strategy, Mains Books, Optional Strategy and Books

Prelims

Polity- Laxmikant , constitution at work NCERT( for beginners must)
Economy- Vivek Singh
Geography-NCERT, mapping by Garg
Environment and science & tech – Shivin lectures
Current affairs ( Sunya+PT 365)
Art and culture- NCERT, Nitin Singhania
CSAT- PYQ (first do these and only then for some crash course classes available on telegram)

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Optional – Geology (self preparation with planet geology classes, IGNOU, books for value addition)

Mains

Static notes that I had prepared over my 4 years of preparation from various institutions.
In the present times, one can choose anyone source for which value addition must be made through newspapers or any compilations realeased.
I had a peer group where we sorted out few probable questions, made notes , exchanged on our group. This exercise saves a lot much time and gives vivid types of answering a question.

Note Making or Not

Handwritten notes made for different subjects. From monthly magazines to online websites to one pager notes for quick revision. With multiple revisions, I made my notes shorter.

Definition, stats, committees, conclusion lines, diagrams – I made sure these are inherently made in the notes.

Role of PYQs in Prelims-Mains

My initial attempts I failed in prelims was because of this. PYQ is the BEST – the only SOURCE where you analyse the mindset of paper setter. NEVER EVER ignore PYQ be it for mains or prelims. I made themes for mains PYQ from it and notes for it, revision and all set to go for the mains.

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Ethics book referred by CSE 22 Toppers: AIR –76, 91, 176, 189, 249, 288, 297, 299, 326, 356, 476, 541, 611, 616, 700, 737, 739, 746 & others

History book referred by CSE 21 Toppers: AIR – 44, 212, 572, 653 & others

Find PDFs of All Decode Series Books Here

Revision Strategy

Three slots of revision.
After making notes at the end of the day I give it a reading.
Then after the cycle of subject is finished. I compile the notes at one place as I make my notes on A4 sheets. Then give it a second reading with different highlighters.
In the third reading I try to memorize it because I have aptitude for pictorial memory.
I usually do the revision of a subject in that slot of a day where my adrenaline rush is at peak.

How to Attempt Prelims?

I attempted in 20-20 slot. For 20 questions I search for one liners, then my areas of strength environment, geography, economy, mapping, polity questions. For every 20 questions answered I mark the OMR sheet.
Along with this A,B,C marking of questions A- dilemma in 2 options; B- dilemma in 3 options, C- type of questions should be not answered.
This eases the pressure during the time. This might sound hectic but with practice mocks this helped me in attempting more number of questions.

How and Which Tests to Practice

Prelims: those 2 hours of mindset matters rather a whole year of rigorous preparation. Trust me, if one is peaceful then rational choices amongst the options will be made. From my personal experience just one institute slot of tests would suffice with strong static revision.
Mains: It’s a personal choice based on strength and weakness. Whether sectional or FLT. I always chose sectional as I wanted to cover more number of topics through it.
Initially weeks of main preparation you can start giving essay and ethics as in this way you will know your shortcoming areas to improvise on. Once the value addition and content is built sufficient enough to frame an answer then you can give the rest of the GS papers.
Never neglect optional as it could cost the final list dynamics. I had changed from geography to geology and couldn’t give time appropriately due to my simultaneous attempt at state PCS in a gap of one month.

Answer Writing Strategy

Completing the paper within time is the utmost priority.
Structuring of ideas well before attempting a 10 and 15 marker as there is no buffer available for thinking in real time example.
Due to full time job, in my 2023 attempt I couldn’t give any tests for GS this time.
For this attempt I relied on content enrichment based on mains monthly magazines. Ethics- brain storming on more examples. Geography- focussed on diagrams collected from internet , history on pyq themes.

Essay Strategy

Breaking down the essay topic & making a blue print of how one would attempt it – filled with examples- ordering or numbering the sequence of themes as we would attempt it finally. This organises our thoughts on one sheet. Becomes so easy for flow of thoughts.
Rigorous reading of toppers copies.
Essay MGP test series my 2023 attempt for practice. You may choose as per your convenience.
Brainstorming templates on themes like philosophical part. For eg: Thinking- man-mind-process- I would start with comparison of how Abdul kalam and Osama bin laden differentiated in thinking- then how positive or negative thinking would bring in desired changes. Always positive or sometime negative approach also leads to desired results? Such is my approach for essay.

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7) KN Chandana Jahnavi AIR-50 3/3 Selections + Socio + Comprehensive

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