Author: Staff @CD

Smriti Chetna is a student of Civilsdaily mentor Ravi sir. She joined the Ultimate Assessment Program (UAP) on 18 August 2020. As she is happy with Civilsdaily, she has now upgraded to UAP 2022.

You can also get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form now. An expert mentor will reach out to you in the next 24 hours.

Initially, Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation but found Mains to be manageable. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 70 marks out of 250 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

Smriti Chetna: “Believe in yourself, Believe in your dream and Surround yourself with those who Believe you can achieve your dream“.

We had a chance to catch up with Civilsdaily student and aspiring civil servant, Smriti. In between her college studies and UPSC CSE preparation, we were able to have a quick 15 minute chat with her.

Smriti, what has motivated you to prepare for UPSC as a college student?

My father is a government officer and we have discussions (sometimes, even debates) over dinner on how we can improve systemic changes that impede the growth of our country. From this, I have realized that as a country we do have the laws, money, resources and manpower for high growth. What’s lacking is the right execution. Only government and civil servants can do this. Though my dad is not an IAS officer, I have seen him bring changes in whatever capacity he is allowed. When I was in school, our chief guests on annual days were IAS or IPS officers. Their inspiring speeches and my dad’s work has what interested me to prepare for UPSC.

Why do you think mentorship is very important for your UPSC-CSE preparation?

I think its important for every aspirant to be in the right company when they are preparing for this unpredictable and tedious exam. They need to believe in your preparation as much as you do. Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants, that’s when Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end support.

You found prelims to be difficult initially, why so? How has Ravi sir mentored you for prelims?

I was not good at remembering the exact factual data. I have done UPSC-CSE prelims paper analysis from 2018-2021. I must say, the Civilsdaily prelims test series are at the same level and some of them are even tougher than the actual UPSC-CSE paper. I have also personally checked if the subject-wise test series covers all the topics in the syllabus. There are 4-5 questions even from topics that aspirants consider to have lesser weightage. Under Ravi sir’s mentorship, I learnt to pay attention to stats and figures for prelims. He also helped me with the different elimination techniques I can use to get the right answer. Samachar Manthan is my favorite aspect of the Ultimate Assessment Program. The current affairs is neatly consolidated topic-wise from The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, RSTV, Yojana and Kurukshetra. It’s a good material to revise your current affairs 3-4 months before the exam. The more tests I take, the lesser fears and anxiety I have about the upcoming UPSC-CSE exam. I get value-added materials, coaching notes and online classes from Civilsdaily as well.

How was your preparation 1-2 weeks into UAP and how is it now?

When I started out, I used to take 2-3 months to complete a standard book. However, I would still not have my concepts clear. Right now in my third revision, I am able to complete the entire Laxmikanth book in one week. With respect to mains answer writing, I never used to answer all the keywords of the questions. Now, I am able to organise an answer in my mind as I answer it. After evaluating my answers, Ravi sir would give me a call where he would discuss where I could have included diagrams or flowcharts and the other sources I can refer for better answers on a topic.

I always feel as a beginner, you have to be easy on yourself. Don’t write off UPSC CSE, just because you did not understand the concepts on Day 01.

What’s more important for a UPSC Aspirant — Intelligence or Consistency?

Few of my friends who started at the same time as me, performed much better in tests and had more knowledge on a topic than I did. But now, they are not interested in preparing for the examination anymore. I would definitely rank consistency over intelligence.

Are group studies detrimental or useful for your UPSC preparation?

Group studies online, especially the way Civilsdaily has structured it, removes the cons generally associated with group studies. When we study with our friends, we generally do for an hour or so before hanging out at a joint and chit-chatting. That does not happen over here. We explain concepts that we are not clear about to each other, sometimes share links of important reading material. When you are able to make another person understand a concept, you feel more positive about yourself.

Any final advice you would like to give to beginners?

Always go through the videos of toppers who have given multiple attempts before clearing the exams. Because, what has worked for others might not work for you, but what has not worked for others will also not work for you. I understood how important it was to study for your optional subject everyday after watching these videos.

What is Ravi sir’s mentorship all about which boosted Smriti’s confidence & marks nearly 2x times? Let’s hear him talk about it.

Smriti used to consult multiple mentors in other institutes but now she only prefers the mentorship of Civilsdaily. What’s unique about the mentorship of Civilsdaily?

After talking to other students, I learnt that the mentors in other institutes are egoistic and have a ‘know-it-all’ attitude. They often demotivate students for what they call as ‘silly mistakes’. They even go to the extent of predicting if a student is likely to clear UPSC or not. But in Civilsdaily, mentors believe in working like a GPS. We understand what direction the student is in right now and tell them the closest route they can take to complete the syllabus and score marks in their tests. We are nobody to judge a learner. That’s why aspirants like Smriti prefer Civilsdaily mentorship.

With respect to Smriti, how did you guide her?

Smriti is a very passionate and hardworking student, but I noticed that she would take study breaks that lasted more than a month or two. This didn’t deter me from putting across reminders to her. I believe that a mentor shouldn’t stop encouraging an aspirant in the initial months even if they don’t show the inclination to prepare. The syllabus is vast and overwhelming and it’s understandable that a beginner can get demotivated.

Due to this, Smriti gradually opened up to me about her issues. I understood that she gets panic attacks and it would take her nearly 2-3 weeks to recover. I decided that as a mentor, I had to be empathetic and sensitive to her issues and not brush them aside. Smriti often felt guilty about her study breaks and I assured her that it was okay to take a break as she deserved one. I asked her to hang out with her friends and family more often and go on a walk in the park with them. Over a period of time, Smriti could recover from a panic attack in 2-3 days instead of 2-3 weeks.

I then started giving her weekly targets to achieve and congratulated her upon successful completion in the study group. I would assign her a topic to read and ask her to explain the same to me. I would let her teach me those topics. When she missed out points, I would immediately tell her why adding a certain point will help her in the exam. After this, I even asked her to conduct few sessions on Habitat for other learners. This made her confident to continue her preparation.

Let’s get into the specifics, what are other methods you used to mentor Smriti on a day-to-day basis?

All of my test-series, whether prelims or mains are conducted on Zoom with the camera on so that I can monitor the students. This will discourage a student from taking unnecessary breaks and they will only utilize the three hours to answer questions.

Besides this, when a student starts studying I will ask them to say ‘Hi’ . When they are taking a break they need to say ‘Bye’ and when they resume their studies they need to say ‘Hi’ once again. At the end of the day, I would calculate the number of hours they spent studying and let them know the same. I never used to judge them for studying less. It’s like how a fitness tracker works. Whoever is interested in completing 1000 steps in a day will compensate for the next day if they are unable to achieve today’s target. This pushed Smriti to study for long hours.

We have heard about the virtual library in your mentorship. What is that?

Virtual library is a practice wherein the student gets their study materials, logs in to a zoom session with other aspirants. All of them study silently. On the go, I share any extra reports or current affairs articles they have to read along with their standard books. While studying, if any student has a doubt they can ask in the session and it will be resolved.

Sometimes, our virtual library will be divided into small study group of 3-4 members who will all study the same topic together and discuss the aspects of the topic to each other. This is to prevent the aspirant from feeling lonely in their long preparation journey. Many students have reacted positively to this initiative as well, they get a sense of companionship and competitiveness when they are studying as a group.

What are few of the topics which students find difficult?

Economy is a subject where most of the students grapple with. I get a lot of doubts on topics like RBI, security market and bonds.

We have asked Smriti as well, but we want your take on this. What do you think of Smriti’s performance in the past 10 months?

She is a consistent performer. Though, initially she had scored only 30 out of 250 marks in GS Essay, now she is scoring above 100+ in all the mains test series. I am confident if she maintains the same consistency she can clear the exam in 2022.

That being said, I feel she can score better in mains. While evaluating her papers, I understood she is not including relevant factual data to back up her answers. I will be providing her committee reports and recommendations and mentor her in this direction from now on.

Get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form below —

Smriti Chetna is a student of Civilsdaily mentor Ravi sir. She joined the Ultimate Assessment Program (UAP) on 18 August 2020. As she is happy with Civilsdaily, she has now upgraded to UAP 2022.

You can also get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form now. An expert mentor will reach out to you in the next 24 hours.

Initially, Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation but found Mains to be manageable. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 70 marks out of 250 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

Smriti Chetna: “Believe in yourself, Believe in your dream and Surround yourself with those who Believe you can achieve your dream“.

We had a chance to catch up with Civilsdaily student and aspiring civil servant, Smriti. In between her college studies and UPSC CSE preparation, we were able to have a quick 15 minute chat with her.

Smriti, what has motivated you to prepare for UPSC as a college student?

My father is a government officer and we have discussions (sometimes, even debates) over dinner on how we can improve systemic changes that impede the growth of our country. From this, I have realized that as a country we do have the laws, money, resources and manpower for high growth. What’s lacking is the right execution. Only government and civil servants can do this. Though my dad is not an IAS officer, I have seen him bring changes in whatever capacity he is allowed. When I was in school, our chief guests on annual days were IAS or IPS officers. Their inspiring speeches and my dad’s work has what interested me to prepare for UPSC.

Why do you think mentorship is very important for your UPSC-CSE preparation?

I think its important for every aspirant to be in the right company when they are preparing for this unpredictable and tedious exam. They need to believe in your preparation as much as you do. Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants, that’s when Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end support.

You found prelims to be difficult initially, why so? How has Ravi sir mentored you for prelims?

I was not good at remembering the exact factual data. I have done UPSC-CSE prelims paper analysis from 2018-2021. I must say, the Civilsdaily prelims test series are at the same level and some of them are even tougher than the actual UPSC-CSE paper. I have also personally checked if the subject-wise test series covers all the topics in the syllabus. There are 4-5 questions even from topics that aspirants consider to have lesser weightage. Under Ravi sir’s mentorship, I learnt to pay attention to stats and figures for prelims. He also helped me with the different elimination techniques I can use to get the right answer. Samachar Manthan is my favorite aspect of the Ultimate Assessment Program. The current affairs is neatly consolidated topic-wise from The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, RSTV, Yojana and Kurukshetra. It’s a good material to revise your current affairs 3-4 months before the exam. The more tests I take, the lesser fears and anxiety I have about the upcoming UPSC-CSE exam. I get value-added materials, coaching notes and online classes from Civilsdaily as well.

How was your preparation 1-2 weeks into UAP and how is it now?

When I started out, I used to take 2-3 months to complete a standard book. However, I would still not have my concepts clear. Right now in my third revision, I am able to complete the entire Laxmikanth book in one week. With respect to mains answer writing, I never used to answer all the keywords of the questions. Now, I am able to organise an answer in my mind as I answer it. After evaluating my answers, Ravi sir would give me a call where he would discuss where I could have included diagrams or flowcharts and the other sources I can refer for better answers on a topic.

I always feel as a beginner, you have to be easy on yourself. Don’t write off UPSC CSE, just because you did not understand the concepts on Day 01.

What’s more important for a UPSC Aspirant — Intelligence or Consistency?

Few of my friends who started at the same time as me, performed much better in tests and had more knowledge on a topic than I did. But now, they are not interested in preparing for the examination anymore. I would definitely rank consistency over intelligence.

Are group studies detrimental or useful for your UPSC preparation?

Group studies online, especially the way Civilsdaily has structured it, removes the cons generally associated with group studies. When we study with our friends, we generally do for an hour or so before hanging out at a joint and chit-chatting. That does not happen over here. We explain concepts that we are not clear about to each other, sometimes share links of important reading material. When you are able to make another person understand a concept, you feel more positive about yourself.

Any final advice you would like to give to beginners?

Always go through the videos of toppers who have given multiple attempts before clearing the exams. Because, what has worked for others might not work for you, but what has not worked for others will also not work for you. I understood how important it was to study for your optional subject everyday after watching these videos.

What is Ravi sir’s mentorship all about which boosted Smriti’s confidence & marks nearly 2x times? Let’s hear him talk about it.

Smriti used to consult multiple mentors in other institutes but now she only prefers the mentorship of Civilsdaily. What’s unique about the mentorship of Civilsdaily?

After talking to other students, I learnt that the mentors in other institutes are egoistic and have a ‘know-it-all’ attitude. They often demotivate students for what they call as ‘silly mistakes’. They even go to the extent of predicting if a student is likely to clear UPSC or not. But in Civilsdaily, mentors believe in working like a GPS. We understand what direction the student is in right now and tell them the closest route they can take to complete the syllabus and score marks in their tests. We are nobody to judge a learner. That’s why aspirants like Smriti prefer Civilsdaily mentorship.

With respect to Smriti, how did you guide her?

Smriti is a very passionate and hardworking student, but I noticed that she would take study breaks that lasted more than a month or two. This didn’t deter me from putting across reminders to her. I believe that a mentor shouldn’t stop encouraging an aspirant in the initial months even if they don’t show the inclination to prepare. The syllabus is vast and overwhelming and it’s understandable that a beginner can get demotivated.

Due to this, Smriti gradually opened up to me about her issues. I understood that she gets panic attacks and it would take her nearly 2-3 weeks to recover. I decided that as a mentor, I had to be empathetic and sensitive to her issues and not brush them aside. Smriti often felt guilty about her study breaks and I assured her that it was okay to take a break as she deserved one. I asked her to hang out with her friends and family more often and go on a walk in the park with them. Over a period of time, Smriti could recover from a panic attack in 2-3 days instead of 2-3 weeks.

I then started giving her weekly targets to achieve and congratulated her upon successful completion in the study group. I would assign her a topic to read and ask her to explain the same to me. I would let her teach me those topics. When she missed out points, I would immediately tell her why adding a certain point will help her in the exam. After this, I even asked her to conduct few sessions on Habitat for other learners. This made her confident to continue her preparation.

Let’s get into the specifics, what are other methods you used to mentor Smriti on a day-to-day basis?

All of my test-series, whether prelims or mains are conducted on Zoom with the camera on so that I can monitor the students. This will discourage a student from taking unnecessary breaks and they will only utilize the three hours to answer questions.

Besides this, when a student starts studying I will ask them to say ‘Hi’ . When they are taking a break they need to say ‘Bye’ and when they resume their studies they need to say ‘Hi’ once again. At the end of the day, I would calculate the number of hours they spent studying and let them know the same. I never used to judge them for studying less. It’s like how a fitness tracker works. Whoever is interested in completing 1000 steps in a day will compensate for the next day if they are unable to achieve today’s target. This pushed Smriti to study for long hours.

We have heard about the virtual library in your mentorship. What is that?

Virtual library is a practice wherein the student gets their study materials, logs in to a zoom session with other aspirants. All of them study silently. On the go, I share any extra reports or current affairs articles they have to read along with their standard books. While studying, if any student has a doubt they can ask in the session and it will be resolved.

Sometimes, our virtual library will be divided into small study group of 3-4 members who will all study the same topic together and discuss the aspects of the topic to each other. This is to prevent the aspirant from feeling lonely in their long preparation journey. Many students have reacted positively to this initiative as well, they get a sense of companionship and competitiveness when they are studying as a group.

What are few of the topics which students find difficult?

Economy is a subject where most of the students grapple with. I get a lot of doubts on topics like RBI, security market and bonds.

We have asked Smriti as well, but we want your take on this. What do you think of Smriti’s performance in the past 10 months?

She is a consistent performer. Though, initially she had scored only 30 out of 250 marks in GS Essay, now she is scoring above 100+ in all the mains test series. I am confident if she maintains the same consistency she can clear the exam in 2022.

That being said, I feel she can score better in mains. While evaluating her papers, I understood she is not including relevant factual data to back up her answers. I will be providing her committee reports and recommendations and mentor her in this direction from now on.

Get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form below —

Smriti Chetna is a student of Civilsdaily mentor Ravi sir. She joined the Ultimate Assessment Program (UAP) on 18 August 2020. As she is happy with Civilsdaily, she has now upgraded to UAP 2022.

You can also get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form now. An expert mentor will reach out to you in the next 24 hours.

Initially, Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation but found Mains to be manageable. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 70 marks out of 250 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

Smriti Chetna: “Believe in yourself, Believe in your dream and Surround yourself with those who Believe you can achieve your dream“.

We had a chance to catch up with Civilsdaily student and aspiring civil servant, Smriti. In between her college studies and UPSC CSE preparation, we were able to have a quick 15 minute chat with her.

Smriti, what has motivated you to prepare for UPSC as a college student?

My father is a government officer and we have discussions (sometimes, even debates) over dinner on how we can improve systemic changes that impede the growth of our country. From this, I have realized that as a country we do have the laws, money, resources and manpower for high growth. What’s lacking is the right execution. Only government and civil servants can do this. Though my dad is not an IAS officer, I have seen him bring changes in whatever capacity he is allowed. When I was in school, our chief guests on annual days were IAS or IPS officers. Their inspiring speeches and my dad’s work has what interested me to prepare for UPSC.

Why do you think mentorship is very important for your UPSC-CSE preparation?

I think its important for every aspirant to be in the right company when they are preparing for this unpredictable and tedious exam. They need to believe in your preparation as much as you do. Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants, that’s when Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end support.

You found prelims to be difficult initially, why so? How has Ravi sir mentored you for prelims?

I was not good at remembering the exact factual data. I have done UPSC-CSE prelims paper analysis from 2018-2021. I must say, the Civilsdaily prelims test series are at the same level and some of them are even tougher than the actual UPSC-CSE paper. I have also personally checked if the subject-wise test series covers all the topics in the syllabus. There are 4-5 questions even from topics that aspirants consider to have lesser weightage. Under Ravi sir’s mentorship, I learnt to pay attention to stats and figures for prelims. He also helped me with the different elimination techniques I can use to get the right answer. Samachar Manthan is my favorite aspect of the Ultimate Assessment Program. The current affairs is neatly consolidated topic-wise from The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, RSTV, Yojana and Kurukshetra. It’s a good material to revise your current affairs 3-4 months before the exam. The more tests I take, the lesser fears and anxiety I have about the upcoming UPSC-CSE exam. I get value-added materials, coaching notes and online classes from Civilsdaily as well.

How was your preparation 1-2 weeks into UAP and how is it now?

When I started out, I used to take 2-3 months to complete a standard book. However, I would still not have my concepts clear. Right now in my third revision, I am able to complete the entire Laxmikanth book in one week. With respect to mains answer writing, I never used to answer all the keywords of the questions. Now, I am able to organise an answer in my mind as I answer it. After evaluating my answers, Ravi sir would give me a call where he would discuss where I could have included diagrams or flowcharts and the other sources I can refer for better answers on a topic.

I always feel as a beginner, you have to be easy on yourself. Don’t write off UPSC CSE, just because you did not understand the concepts on Day 01.

What’s more important for a UPSC Aspirant — Intelligence or Consistency?

Few of my friends who started at the same time as me, performed much better in tests and had more knowledge on a topic than I did. But now, they are not interested in preparing for the examination anymore. I would definitely rank consistency over intelligence.

Are group studies detrimental or useful for your UPSC preparation?

Group studies online, especially the way Civilsdaily has structured it, removes the cons generally associated with group studies. When we study with our friends, we generally do for an hour or so before hanging out at a joint and chit-chatting. That does not happen over here. We explain concepts that we are not clear about to each other, sometimes share links of important reading material. When you are able to make another person understand a concept, you feel more positive about yourself.

Any final advice you would like to give to beginners?

Always go through the videos of toppers who have given multiple attempts before clearing the exams. Because, what has worked for others might not work for you, but what has not worked for others will also not work for you. I understood how important it was to study for your optional subject everyday after watching these videos.

What is Ravi sir’s mentorship all about which boosted Smriti’s confidence & marks nearly 2x times? Let’s hear him talk about it.

Smriti used to consult multiple mentors in other institutes but now she only prefers the mentorship of Civilsdaily. What’s unique about the mentorship of Civilsdaily?

After talking to other students, I learnt that the mentors in other institutes are egoistic and have a ‘know-it-all’ attitude. They often demotivate students for what they call as ‘silly mistakes’. They even go to the extent of predicting if a student is likely to clear UPSC or not. But in Civilsdaily, mentors believe in working like a GPS. We understand what direction the student is in right now and tell them the closest route they can take to complete the syllabus and score marks in their tests. We are nobody to judge a learner. That’s why aspirants like Smriti prefer Civilsdaily mentorship.

With respect to Smriti, how did you guide her?

Smriti is a very passionate and hardworking student, but I noticed that she would take study breaks that lasted more than a month or two. This didn’t deter me from putting across reminders to her. I believe that a mentor shouldn’t stop encouraging an aspirant in the initial months even if they don’t show the inclination to prepare. The syllabus is vast and overwhelming and it’s understandable that a beginner can get demotivated.

Due to this, Smriti gradually opened up to me about her issues. I understood that she gets panic attacks and it would take her nearly 2-3 weeks to recover. I decided that as a mentor, I had to be empathetic and sensitive to her issues and not brush them aside. Smriti often felt guilty about her study breaks and I assured her that it was okay to take a break as she deserved one. I asked her to hang out with her friends and family more often and go on a walk in the park with them. Over a period of time, Smriti could recover from a panic attack in 2-3 days instead of 2-3 weeks.

I then started giving her weekly targets to achieve and congratulated her upon successful completion in the study group. I would assign her a topic to read and ask her to explain the same to me. I would let her teach me those topics. When she missed out points, I would immediately tell her why adding a certain point will help her in the exam. After this, I even asked her to conduct few sessions on Habitat for other learners. This made her confident to continue her preparation.

Let’s get into the specifics, what are other methods you used to mentor Smriti on a day-to-day basis?

All of my test-series, whether prelims or mains are conducted on Zoom with the camera on so that I can monitor the students. This will discourage a student from taking unnecessary breaks and they will only utilize the three hours to answer questions.

Besides this, when a student starts studying I will ask them to say ‘Hi’ . When they are taking a break they need to say ‘Bye’ and when they resume their studies they need to say ‘Hi’ once again. At the end of the day, I would calculate the number of hours they spent studying and let them know the same. I never used to judge them for studying less. It’s like how a fitness tracker works. Whoever is interested in completing 1000 steps in a day will compensate for the next day if they are unable to achieve today’s target. This pushed Smriti to study for long hours.

We have heard about the virtual library in your mentorship. What is that?

Virtual library is a practice wherein the student gets their study materials, logs in to a zoom session with other aspirants. All of them study silently. On the go, I share any extra reports or current affairs articles they have to read along with their standard books. While studying, if any student has a doubt they can ask in the session and it will be resolved.

Sometimes, our virtual library will be divided into small study group of 3-4 members who will all study the same topic together and discuss the aspects of the topic to each other. This is to prevent the aspirant from feeling lonely in their long preparation journey. Many students have reacted positively to this initiative as well, they get a sense of companionship and competitiveness when they are studying as a group.

What are few of the topics which students find difficult?

Economy is a subject where most of the students grapple with. I get a lot of doubts on topics like RBI, security market and bonds.

We have asked Smriti as well, but we want your take on this. What do you think of Smriti’s performance in the past 10 months?

She is a consistent performer. Though, initially she had scored only 30 out of 250 marks in GS Essay, now she is scoring above 100+ in all the mains test series. I am confident if she maintains the same consistency she can clear the exam in 2022.

That being said, I feel she can score better in mains. While evaluating her papers, I understood she is not including relevant factual data to back up her answers. I will be providing her committee reports and recommendations and mentor her in this direction from now on.

Get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form below —

Smriti Chetna is a student of Civilsdaily mentor Ravi sir. She joined the Ultimate Assessment Program (UAP) on 18 August 2020. As she is happy with Civilsdaily, she has now upgraded to UAP 2022.

You can also get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form now. An expert mentor will reach out to you in the next 24 hours.

Initially, Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation but found Mains to be manageable. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 70 marks out of 250 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

Smriti Chetna: “Believe in yourself, Believe in your dream and Surround yourself with those who Believe you can achieve your dream“.

We had a chance to catch up with Civilsdaily student and aspiring civil servant, Smriti. In between her college studies and UPSC CSE preparation, we were able to have a quick 15 minute chat with her.

Smriti, what has motivated you to prepare for UPSC as a college student?

My father is a government officer and we have discussions (sometimes, even debates) over dinner on how we can improve systemic changes that impede the growth of our country. From this, I have realized that as a country we do have the laws, money, resources and manpower for high growth. What’s lacking is the right execution. Only government and civil servants can do this. Though my dad is not an IAS officer, I have seen him bring changes in whatever capacity he is allowed. When I was in school, our chief guests on annual days were IAS or IPS officers. Their inspiring speeches and my dad’s work has what interested me to prepare for UPSC.

Why do you think mentorship is very important for your UPSC-CSE preparation?

I think its important for every aspirant to be in the right company when they are preparing for this unpredictable and tedious exam. They need to believe in your preparation as much as you do. Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants, that’s when Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end support.

You found prelims to be difficult initially, why so? How has Ravi sir mentored you for prelims?

I was not good at remembering the exact factual data. I have done UPSC-CSE prelims paper analysis from 2018-2021. I must say, the Civilsdaily prelims test series are at the same level and some of them are even tougher than the actual UPSC-CSE paper. I have also personally checked if the subject-wise test series covers all the topics in the syllabus. There are 4-5 questions even from topics that aspirants consider to have lesser weightage. Under Ravi sir’s mentorship, I learnt to pay attention to stats and figures for prelims. He also helped me with the different elimination techniques I can use to get the right answer. Samachar Manthan is my favorite aspect of the Ultimate Assessment Program. The current affairs is neatly consolidated topic-wise from The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, RSTV, Yojana and Kurukshetra. It’s a good material to revise your current affairs 3-4 months before the exam. The more tests I take, the lesser fears and anxiety I have about the upcoming UPSC-CSE exam. I get value-added materials, coaching notes and online classes from Civilsdaily as well.

How was your preparation 1-2 weeks into UAP and how is it now?

When I started out, I used to take 2-3 months to complete a standard book. However, I would still not have my concepts clear. Right now in my third revision, I am able to complete the entire Laxmikanth book in one week. With respect to mains answer writing, I never used to answer all the keywords of the questions. Now, I am able to organise an answer in my mind as I answer it. After evaluating my answers, Ravi sir would give me a call where he would discuss where I could have included diagrams or flowcharts and the other sources I can refer for better answers on a topic.

I always feel as a beginner, you have to be easy on yourself. Don’t write off UPSC CSE, just because you did not understand the concepts on Day 01.

What’s more important for a UPSC Aspirant — Intelligence or Consistency?

Few of my friends who started at the same time as me, performed much better in tests and had more knowledge on a topic than I did. But now, they are not interested in preparing for the examination anymore. I would definitely rank consistency over intelligence.

Are group studies detrimental or useful for your UPSC preparation?

Group studies online, especially the way Civilsdaily has structured it, removes the cons generally associated with group studies. When we study with our friends, we generally do for an hour or so before hanging out at a joint and chit-chatting. That does not happen over here. We explain concepts that we are not clear about to each other, sometimes share links of important reading material. When you are able to make another person understand a concept, you feel more positive about yourself.

Any final advice you would like to give to beginners?

Always go through the videos of toppers who have given multiple attempts before clearing the exams. Because, what has worked for others might not work for you, but what has not worked for others will also not work for you. I understood how important it was to study for your optional subject everyday after watching these videos.

What is Ravi sir’s mentorship all about which boosted Smriti’s confidence & marks nearly 2x times? Let’s hear him talk about it.

Smriti used to consult multiple mentors in other institutes but now she only prefers the mentorship of Civilsdaily. What’s unique about the mentorship of Civilsdaily?

After talking to other students, I learnt that the mentors in other institutes are egoistic and have a ‘know-it-all’ attitude. They often demotivate students for what they call as ‘silly mistakes’. They even go to the extent of predicting if a student is likely to clear UPSC or not. But in Civilsdaily, mentors believe in working like a GPS. We understand what direction the student is in right now and tell them the closest route they can take to complete the syllabus and score marks in their tests. We are nobody to judge a learner. That’s why aspirants like Smriti prefer Civilsdaily mentorship.

With respect to Smriti, how did you guide her?

Smriti is a very passionate and hardworking student, but I noticed that she would take study breaks that lasted more than a month or two. This didn’t deter me from putting across reminders to her. I believe that a mentor shouldn’t stop encouraging an aspirant in the initial months even if they don’t show the inclination to prepare. The syllabus is vast and overwhelming and it’s understandable that a beginner can get demotivated.

Due to this, Smriti gradually opened up to me about her issues. I understood that she gets panic attacks and it would take her nearly 2-3 weeks to recover. I decided that as a mentor, I had to be empathetic and sensitive to her issues and not brush them aside. Smriti often felt guilty about her study breaks and I assured her that it was okay to take a break as she deserved one. I asked her to hang out with her friends and family more often and go on a walk in the park with them. Over a period of time, Smriti could recover from a panic attack in 2-3 days instead of 2-3 weeks.

I then started giving her weekly targets to achieve and congratulated her upon successful completion in the study group. I would assign her a topic to read and ask her to explain the same to me. I would let her teach me those topics. When she missed out points, I would immediately tell her why adding a certain point will help her in the exam. After this, I even asked her to conduct few sessions on Habitat for other learners. This made her confident to continue her preparation.

Let’s get into the specifics, what are other methods you used to mentor Smriti on a day-to-day basis?

All of my test-series, whether prelims or mains are conducted on Zoom with the camera on so that I can monitor the students. This will discourage a student from taking unnecessary breaks and they will only utilize the three hours to answer questions.

Besides this, when a student starts studying I will ask them to say ‘Hi’ . When they are taking a break they need to say ‘Bye’ and when they resume their studies they need to say ‘Hi’ once again. At the end of the day, I would calculate the number of hours they spent studying and let them know the same. I never used to judge them for studying less. It’s like how a fitness tracker works. Whoever is interested in completing 1000 steps in a day will compensate for the next day if they are unable to achieve today’s target. This pushed Smriti to study for long hours.

We have heard about the virtual library in your mentorship. What is that?

Virtual library is a practice wherein the student gets their study materials, logs in to a zoom session with other aspirants. All of them study silently. On the go, I share any extra reports or current affairs articles they have to read along with their standard books. While studying, if any student has a doubt they can ask in the session and it will be resolved.

Sometimes, our virtual library will be divided into small study group of 3-4 members who will all study the same topic together and discuss the aspects of the topic to each other. This is to prevent the aspirant from feeling lonely in their long preparation journey. Many students have reacted positively to this initiative as well, they get a sense of companionship and competitiveness when they are studying as a group.

What are few of the topics which students find difficult?

Economy is a subject where most of the students grapple with. I get a lot of doubts on topics like RBI, security market and bonds.

We have asked Smriti as well, but we want your take on this. What do you think of Smriti’s performance in the past 10 months?

She is a consistent performer. Though, initially she had scored only 30 out of 250 marks in GS Essay, now she is scoring above 100+ in all the mains test series. I am confident if she maintains the same consistency she can clear the exam in 2022.

That being said, I feel she can score better in mains. While evaluating her papers, I understood she is not including relevant factual data to back up her answers. I will be providing her committee reports and recommendations and mentor her in this direction from now on.

Get your first free counselling session (30-40 minutes) from Civilsdaily by filling the form below —

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Ask me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje (IPS, AIR 453) CSE 2020
Date & Time: Dec 6, 2021 @07:00 PM (start logging in by 06:45 PM) India

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Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Success isn’t always because of greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson.

IPS Officer Shubham Nagargoje lived by this saying during his entire UPSC and RBI Grade B preparation of three years. Hence, failing to clear the UPSC Prelims twice didn’t deter him. He finally got appointment letters both as an RBI Grade B officer and an IPS officer. His joy knew no bounds and the very first thing he did upon hearing the news was hug his roommate and cry tears of joy. Shubham’s inclination in civil service motivated him to reject the former for the latter.

Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

As UPSC-CSE aspirants, most of us would have faced the issue of consistency — we achieve our targets for the first month, but soon afterward our preparation (best known to us) fizzles out. Before we know, we would have gone months together without studying due to which we would give the upcoming UPSC exams a miss. This invariably delays the prospects of selection by a year or more.

But what exactly is consistency? It appears to be a very common word just like ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ that everyone throws around. How does it feel to follow consistent life like other UPSC toppers? Consistency in UPSC parlance involves two aspects — being regular and being steadfast. It’s the willpower to read the current affairs in the morning, read the prelims portions in the afternoon, study for your Optional subject in the evening and round it off with a Mains subject at night. It’s the ability to not skip prelims and mains test series on the weekends. And it’s about making time to revise your notes once a week. Even if you miss one of these aspects, you are not true to your preparation.

Does this sound difficult? Then attend the Ask Me Anything Session with Shubham Nagargoje to understand the five ways you can keep yourself consistent aka motivated for the upcoming UPSC CSE 2021 Mains and UPSC CSE 2022 Prelims exam.

It’s absolutely free for anyone to attend but due to a fixed duration of 1 hour, we are only having limited slots. So kindly register for the webinar by filling this form right now.

Key Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Nagargoje IPS

1. Consistency according to Shubham. What did it mean to him?

2. Day 01 v/s Day 365. How regular studies made him more intellectual, mentally strong and increased his confidence in mastering the topics?

3. Mistakes aspirants make in the name of consistency. For example, why studying one book for the entire day is a bad idea?

4. The right approach to Dynamic Prelims. What are the changes Shubham made in his 3rd attempt which helped him clear Prelims?

5. Acing group studies for UPSC. How did Shubham successfully prepare with his four friends because of which all of them cleared Prelims and Mains?

6. The time-management technique which helped Shubham stay focused. What were the distractions in Shubham’s preparation and how did he conquer them?

7. What to write in DAF and what not to. How did Shubham research on his DAF because of which he was able to give a convincing interview?

8. Navigating through study breaks. How long should a study break be and how to get back to study mode?

9. Ideal hobbies for UPSC Aspirants. What are the hobbies you should cultivate now that can be a refreshing break for you?

10. Other Government Exams. What are the other government exams you can study along with UPSC which has a similar syllabus but lesser competition?

Webinar Details

If you want to improve your preparation for UPSC, then do attend this webinar by IPS officer Shubham. Registration is free but limited due to the number of questions we can accommodate in the one-hour session. So fill the form below and confirm your attendance ASAP!

Date: 6 December 2021 (Monday)

Time: 7 P.M

Though, you can prepare for UPSC and give your attempts anytime till 32 years, the optimal time to begin your preparation is during the college days. A graduation degree is for 3 years and almost all toppers have prepared for the same amount of time to get the success they now enjoy.

One of the biggest advantage for a college student is that they can easily switch to study mode as there are no other additional family responsibilities or expectations. Plus, an IAS officer who clears the exam within 23 years is more likely to hold the highest position of cabinet secretary than someone who cleared it in their late twenties. Youthful enthusiasm is the biggest internal motivation that college students possess which can help them in clearing this exhausting exam.

So, now that you have broken the news to your parents about wanting to write the UPSC-CSE exam, you might be now wondering — what is UPSC-CSE? How to prepare for it? Should I attend a coaching institute? What is the syllabus? How many hours to study… the list is endless and daunting.

However, you would have missed the obvious question— What kind of questions come in the paper and what kind of answers UPSC expects from an aspirant?

Is UPSC CSE really about reading Unlimited Sources?

Some of us will ask advices from all our friends and family on how to prepare for the exam, resulting in confusion in following through the UPSC syllabus. Don’t let these questions play the devil and make you postpone your UPSC preparation by a few more years. Having the right direction and guidance can help you save 2-3 critical attempts in UPSC. Listen to our Civilsdaily student and AIR 132 2020 UPSC topper Lakshay Chaudhary on how he improved his performance after 2 attempts with the guidance of civilsdaily mentors.

Without much ado, register yourself for our free 1-on-1 counselling session at Civilsdaily known as Samanvaya. Your counsellors are trained mentors who have given the Mains exam six times and have attended UPSC interview multiple times. Experienced mentors like Sajal sir and Ajay sir have nearly mentored 500+ students.

What are the other mistakes in UPSC preparation first-time aspirants are likely to make?

About 60% of the UPSC toppers have mostly prepared the wrong way in their first attempt. This could range from books, notes to time and consistency. If you want to start in the right direction, then it’s about time you booked a slot with your Samanvaya mentor.

First time aspirants often make the mistake of reading many sources for a single subject. If there is a new book in the market, they will not hesitate to buy it. UPSC preparation is not about reading multiple books, but one book multiple times. Few others, answer the essay paper in a very academic and technical manner. Most of the first time aspirants skip studying for the language and CSAT paper. In the first few months of preparation all of us read the entire 24 pages of newspaper and waste 3-4 hours time. Some of us are over-confident of clearing the exam with our own preparation or by our institute’s coaching. We might be making notes but we will not be updating them or revising them. First time aspirants struggle to understand what to skip in a book or what to cover. They take atleast 2-3 months to finish books like Laxmikanth and yet don’t have conceptual clarity.

You can go through this video over here to get a basic understanding of the UPSC preparation.

Toppers were once Beginners. And they began with Samanvaya.

We, at Civilsdaily, are extremely proud to announce the incredible success of our students who have made their dreams come true. Today, we celebrate the hard work, commitment, and dedication with which they prepared for this exam, and succeeded! They are the heroes of today and leaders of tomorrow, and we are extremely glad to have been a part of their journey.

We are also happy to announce that 78 Civilsdaily students (and counting) are now rank holders in UPSC. Our success rate has increased by 77% from last year in terms of rank holders. Civilsdaily is proud to say that 20 of our students are in the top 100 ranks. And this is a phenomenal 25% increase in our success rate for the top 100 positions since last year.

And finally, we are extremely proud of our mentors whose tireless efforts helped our students become officers today. Their daily guidance, skilled mentorship, round-the-clock support, and dedication to work with the students day-in and day-out has led to this wonderful occasion where we celebrate the success of our students together!

How is Samanvaya, UPSC Counselling Session Planned?

At Civilsdaily, your assigned mentors interact with you on a daily basis. They are not just teachers, but coaches, philosophers, and guides. And this is how they will help you succeed:

• Motivating you for one whole year and pushing you to complete the modules on time.
• Helping you restart preparation despite low scores in test series.

• Helping you study for 6 hours everyday if you are working.
• Guiding you on how to revise the whole syllabus 3 months before prelims and mains.

• Providing you topic-wise notes.
• Teaching you elimination techniques, tikdams and helpful strategies like 4-2-4 model of preparation.

• Keeping you updated on what to study and from where to study.

1. 30 minute counselling session: Once you fill the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your preparation level, study constraints, your strategy for the last 6 months, and create measurable targets for next week, next month and so on. You will hear back from us within 24 hours. The first counselling session is absolutely free for all, however there are limited slots available. So please register now.

2. Access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat:  This is where you can post your daily doubts, discuss your test questions and have real-time, live discussions on news and op-eds, and connect with other aspirants in your optional groups.

3. 1 on 1 mentor allotment: The mentor will be available on scheduled calls with you throughout all the stages of your UPSC preparation and will daily assess, evaluate, and plan the next module according to the available time. We will help you pick the right books, make you practice answers daily, evaluate them and design practical & personal strategies that you can follow everyday