[CSM 2014] Lessons for future - What / What not to do in CS Mains

imHimachali

Hi friends,
Many of fellow members have cleared mains and geared up for interview, many more have not done so. Plz share your experiences and preparation methods and also how you answered the questions.
This applies to all who have cleared or not
Also plz reply around following heads
Subject
Edu background
Place of stay
Coaching
Attempts
Strategy for study
Strategy for answering
No. Of questions answered on avg (in %)
Strength related to exam
Weakness
Advice to all

Thanks it will be helpful to all

Nd all the best for successful friends for interview

kaaliyo

for me its , writing skills and handwriting , it matters a hell lot .! Although ,its cant be final solution but a nice handwriting will definitely pay in such erring randomness !
i am going to give next few days to hone my hand writing !

mrlobo

may be i will sound radical..but i will share my experience of two years of this journey

1.never ape anyone's choice of optionals..i foolishly selected an optional based on good words of an IAAS fellow.sure,the subject worked for him and it was popular one.but,ultimately you have to decide your optional based on your writing skills,mugging capacity.interest etc.do not get swayed by someone saying that a particular optional a or b is doing better than optionals c and d.stick to your optionals once you select it.

2. good handwriting matters.even if your content is good,it is irritating for an examiner to read it thoroughly and decipher them.and he checks hundreds of copies in a short time.place yourself in an examiners shoes for a moment to understand the situation.

3.it is far better to answer 10 questions well,rather than answer all in an average manner.you hardly get any marks for writing english.on the top of it the examiner gets cranky reading crap content.

4. coachings really does not matter.i have known people from elite coaching firms not qualifying,people sailing without coaching,people getting in from lesser known coachings .it is purely a personal choice to go for coaching depending on one's pocket.

5.since the gs 3,4 papers and essay have turned very crucial ,improve writing skills.
one's answers must be a bit appealing and in sync with the issue asked,discussing all possible angles.
also work on the presentation part.

6.lastly,there is no perfect strategy as for me to tackle the exam.everyone has their strength and weakness,one must follow the style which suits him.
no person can say that he has finished gs and optionals completely and revised and practiced it.
this exam has it's hits and misses.nothing is foolproof.

p.s.-the fact that you pass this exam or not will not permanently determine your intellect or attitude or other traits.

ZenBuddhist

Read your regional language guys and gals. Just do it.

Etat

1. Study well for your compulsory languages
2. Stop wasting time here r on other social media

bansidhar

1. Study well for your compulsory languages
2. Stop wasting time here r on other social media

2nd point is most important.

imHimachali

1. Study well for your compulsory languages
2. Stop wasting time here r on other social media

@Etat compulsory language me kya ho gya

mrlobo

1. Study well for your compulsory languages
2. Stop wasting time here r on other social media

very very valid points..i have a feeling that lot of people got dumped in Hindi..(including me.)
also,i have taken an oath not to open Facebook etc. from new year day (15th April)
also,forum ias will now be a weekly visit or when something urgent related to exam is called for.

mrlobo

1. Study well for your compulsory languages
2. Stop wasting time here r on other social media

are you going to sit for the exam again?

imHimachali

1. Study well for your compulsory languages
2. Stop wasting time here r on other social media

very very valid points..i have a feeling that lot of people got dumped in Hindi..(including me.)
also,i have taken an oath not to open Facebook etc. from new year day (15th April)
also,forum ias will now be a weekly visit or when something urgent related to exam is called for.

I comiited this mistake. I was not a member of forumias but followed it occasionally. Unfortunately I joined it in Dec 14 just before exam. Spent some precious time here. Not entirely but one of reasons of not clearing mains

Etat

I am sure I was knocked off by this compulsory vernacular paper. I will work on it from now on. I took it for granted and payed a bad price. This is speculative, though.

I am going to give UPSC a run for its money. I am not going to give up. I have 3 years and 3 shots left. I am going to use every single one of them if required. Failures have always had this effect on me. They piss me off sufficiently enough to make me come back and go for the kill. It becomes a bit of an obsession.

I will wean myself off the forum soon. Maybe in a week or so. I will become a lurker myself and post only occasionally, if at all required.

I have already started studying for next prelims. I would suggest everyone to do the same. Barely a few months left to go.