Mix of fun and flinty: The daunting journey of UPSC aspirants

In 2022, more than 11 lakh candidates applied for the examination. Only 13,090 cleared the prelims and qualified for mains.

During his journey, Faridabad-based Singh has realised that mental health is of utmost importance. After losing his father to a cardiac arrest in 2018, he went into a loop of negative thoughts. “That has impacted my studies and even my social life. One needs to be mentally strong to be able to get the results,” he said.

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While being consistent with his studies, Singh applied different techniques to make the preparation more engaging and easier for general studies subjects.

He makes handwritten notes as he can learn things faster and while writing notes, he used to relate the static portion to some news that he might have heard months ago.

(23-year-old Tejasv Singh, an UPSC aspirant)

“I take that news as an example and create an image so that I can remember it for a long time. I use three different markers for data or index that the government releases -- prelims-oriented news analysis and mains-oriented analysis, he said. By doing this, he believes the information is separated and more clear to read and recall afterwards. Honestly, studying is not hard. Anyone can study for 8-12 hours but doing it regularly changes the story,” he said.

Self-doubt is real

Nowadays, students confront a problem of information overload and selecting the right resources, said Pranay Aggarwal, Director of IAS Gurukul, a coaching institute and convenor of think-tank Indian Civil Services Association.

“Families of many serious candidates have financial constraints. Besides, many candidates’ family members alter their lifestyle to support the candidate’s preparation -- for example, by stopping watching television,” he told Moneycontrol.

While embarking on UPSC preparation, Aggarwal suggested students must make doubly sure they want to go ahead with it. “You must have a good reason to motivate you through the long-drawn preparation journey. Reasons vary from personal to familial to career ambition to societal – find your why.”

After graduating from Bhavan’s College, Mumbai, in 2022, Arshiya Riyaz Shaikh saw all her peers either applying for MBA, CA or CS. However, her family had been very persistent in encouraging their daughter to apply for the civil service exams.

“First, I was sceptical as it is one of the most difficult exams to crack. Now, I am preparing for UPSC and it is all because of my family who believes in me and motivates me to plan civil service as a career,” she said.

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Twenty-one-year-old Arshiya’s day starts with reading the newspaper for an hour followed by a little workout to stay fit. She has also joined coaching. Then begins the rigorous eight hours of study schedule, which includes self-study, watching current affairs shows, and reading blogs and articles every day.

(21-year-old Arshiya Riyaz Shaikh’s day starts with reading the newspaper for an hour followed by a little workout to stay fit)

Self-doubt definitely discourages her. There are days when Shaikh feels she won’t be able to crack the examination. “I do not have any plan B. It needs to be a government job – either UPSC or Maharashtra Public Service Commission. The best part is there is no pressure from my family to sit for hours and study, which keeps my mind fresh and sorted,” Shaikh added.

‘Do not treat UPSC as a larger-than-life-size object’

While some plan to become pilots or doctors at the age of nine, Hyderabad-based Kavya Shree learned the three coveted combinations of alphabets – IAS, even though she had no idea what they stood for. Inspired by her father, every step further was taken, keeping UPSC in mind.

In 2016, she enrolled in a reputable UPSC coaching programme in Hyderabad. “I worked tirelessly and without interruption, and confined myself to the study room to appear for the 2017 exam. I didn’t make it,” she said. Yet, it did not deter her. She went to Hyderabad’s Ashok Nagar, a locality well-known for coaching centres.

She woke up around 5 am and began with the most challenging portion. “The first few hours after awakening are when our brains are the most receptive to learning new things. After breakfast, around 10:00 am, the schedule is self-study and revision till she falls asleep. However, all three attempts -- in 2018, 2019, and 2020 – also did not prove successful.

After four unsuccessful attempts, Shree realised that the exam requires a minimum of two years and sometimes people become asocial and withdraw themselves to study. During such times, she suggested only talking to those who have experienced the struggle and are in similar circumstances. “Only they will understand what a person is going through,” she said.

(In 2016, Kavya Shree enrolled in a reputable UPSC coaching program in Hyderabad)

Despite being a gold medallist in her post-graduation from a central university, a college second topper during under-graduation, and having always been in the top five of her class since she was a young child, Shree was unable to crack the exam.

In 2020, she gave it up and started over with her career in law. To identify one's calling, 28-year-old Shree feels one can strive and experiment with several paths. “However, if you approach an exam as a larger-than-life object, you risk losing yourself in it and devoting your entire life to lamenting your failure.”

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“The most tragic reality about smart people is that they lack the sense of when to stop. One should be able to support oneself when they fall, not deter hopefuls from making further attempts,” she added.

Overall, Shree feels preparing for the UPSC was a wonderful stage of her life filled with information and learning. “Without it, I would not be who I am now.”