[MOTIVATION] Keep Calm and Conquer UPSC Prelims 2024

Every morning, she would religiously cross out the dates on her calendar with a red marker. This ritual was meant to instill a sense of urgency and motivation. However, with just a week until D-day, it was only making her nervous. Would her years of hard work finally reap the ‘desired’ results? Would she be able to cross the competitive cut-offs, which seemed to be decreasing at an alarming rate over the years? Would she finally be able to leap to the next stage (‘Mains’) and put pen to paper after sacrificing innumerable pen refills over the months? These thoughts swirled in her mind like a whirlpool each night as she lay in bed, eyes closed, but the portal to worry wide open.

With Prelims fast approaching, have you too found yourself constantly worrying about your preparation and the possible outcomes?

“Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” -A S Roche

Have you noticed that worrying is a compounding habit? It starts small with one thought, and suddenly it metamorphoses into this hydra-headed monster encompassing every aspect of your preparation and the exam. Let’s think for a bit, shall we? Has worry ever helped you in any tangible manner? Has it enabled you to dictate the desired outcomes or magically transform your life overnight (or in this case 8 days)? We’d like to think no, it hasn’t. Then, what has worry done for you? Has it deviated you from thinking positively, distracted you from what matters, and drained you of the precious energy needed to accomplish your targets?

Now that we have agreed on what worry does for us, let’s learn to counter it by doing a few things for the next eight days.

1. PRACTICE: You have studied all that you could over the last few months, but that is not enough. Prelims is not just a test of knowledge. It’s about how you can apply intelligent guesswork, and connect seemingly disparate information to arrive at logical answers. Most importantly, it is about how calm you can remain under immense pressure and time constraints. The best way to prepare now is to practice by taking mock full-length exams in the offline mode. This will enable you to practice your strategy in attempting the complete paper within the time limit. Register for our FREE STEP-UP Test Series for UPSC Prelims 2024 HERE. Attempt our FREE 75-days Revision Tests HERE

2. BE SELF-ASSURED: Tempted by the shiny new materials being posted on social media? The ‘last-minute tips and tricks to ace the UPSC Prelims 2024 Exam’, ‘Most important topics for IAS exam’, and you know the drill…Steer clear, avoid the temptation! With one week to go, be content with your preparation. Do not constantly worry about all that you could have read and accomplished if you had started earlier or chosen a better test series or any other reason that is making you question your past choices. Focus on the NOW. Revise what you have already studied; do not try to gather new materials at this stage. Trust yourself and your preparation.

3. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY ROUTINE: In the final stretch, it’s vital to keep a balanced routine. Ensure you get enough sleep and eat nutritious meals. This will keep your mind sharp and your body energized. A well-rested mind performs better under pressure.

4. COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY: Heard this before, haven’t you? It’s true! Has your friend completed 20 revisions, attempted 100 mock tests and is on his 21st revision? Is that making you feel inadequate? Stop focusing on others, focus on yourself and your journey. Remember, we all have different starting points. What matters is the quality, not quantity of your preparation.

5. THE EXAM IS NOT LIFE: You know all that pressure you put over yourself? About multiple attempts, being unemployed, the hydra-headed monster of self-doubt that plagues you-if you’ll clear it or invest another year…the thoughts of “what will people say?” Banish such thoughts. Tell yourself that “It’s just an exam”. It’s not bigger than your happiness & well-being. It really isn’t. Take regular breaks to recharge, relax, and talk to your parents or friends/mentors who encourage you. But most importantly, talk to the person staring back at you in the mirror & tell them *“Hey, you’re doing your best. That’s all that matters. Keep going.” *

As she crossed out the final day on the countdown- D-day of the exam, June 16th – with her bright red marker, she felt a mix of trepidation, but also relief and most importantly excitement! She was excited to get the opportunity to be able to finally put her preparation to the test after months of hard work. She recalled her mentor’s advice from the previous evening, ‘See a challenging Question in the paper? Smile. Walk in to the examination hall with a big smile on your face,” and that’s exactly what she planned to do! She had given her best, and now it was time to smile, stay calm and conquer UPSC Prelims 2024!

Until next time!