Are the Study Materials of the Coaching Institutes Reliable? Can They Help You Succeed?

Are the study materials of the coaching institutes reliable? Can they be the path to your success?

• There is no straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response to the above question. Because it may work for some people but not for others. Coaching materials and handwritten notes from CSE toppers are both crucial. They are relevant in some ways. They can help you when you are doing self-study. But it all comes down to the quality of the materials. Whether it has been updated or not, as well as from which coaching centre it came.
• Why having handwritten notes boosts your self-assurance and comprehension? Because the Civil Services Exam is based on understanding rather than on specific subject matter. Therefore, only your comprehension and clarity count. Printed material will work well if you are familiar with the course syllabus and can choose your reading material wisely.
• Handwritten notes at times are difficult to understand and read because it is comprehended by a person who has attended live classes and may not be legible. Thus, it may lack all relevant information about a topic.
• Handwritten notes at best can be used to get a brief idea of what all has been taught in the class.

Piling up Offline and Online Materials: Is it Really Helpful?

• It is generally observed that civil services aspirants develop a habit of collecting every resource that they lay their hands on. This is a strict ‘no’. They browse different websites and download every article that appears. In their rush, they overlook the fact that the information will eventually overwhelm them.
• In this instance, bad information drives out good information because, as the phrase goes, "Bad money drives out Good."
• The majority of hopefuls make an effort to use every resource on the market (visit bookshops, photocopy shops, online portals and collect all available resources). Stress and anxiety are produced when the amount of material increases.
• In the end, the candidate is left behind with a mediocre knowledge, never-ending information and is reading the same information again and again which he might have studied from any previous centre- thus wasting his time.

Coaching materials and handwritten notes from CSE toppers are both crucial. They are relevant in some ways. They can help you when you are doing self-study. But it all comes down to the quality of the materials.

• In an effort to gain an advantage over their rivals, aspirants blindly copy others rather than concentrating on their own plan and degree of preparation. They lose sight of their own advantages and disadvantages in the process.
• They follow others blindly and spend money on reading items they shouldn't. Aspirants must comprehend that each person has unique capabilities, capacities for learning, perspectives, and modes of knowing. Aspirants should therefore evaluate their own flaws and strengths rather than copying others' techniques. They ought to take their own notes and maintain a clearer knowledge of what matters and what is unimportant.

Current Affairs How to keep abreast of current affairs? Reading the newspaper is one of the finest ways for newcomers who plan to take the Civil Service Examination to stay up to date on current events. Other resources for exam preparation include various current affairs periodicals, static general awareness, etc. Covering current affairs for the UPSC exam: Since the current affairs portion has no set syllabus, candidates must have a thorough understanding of the most recent events that occurred at least 12 to 18 months before the exam date. In addition, candidates must have a thorough understanding of the context and history of the incident. Make sure to take accurate and orderly notes to make revising easy. Daily Routine for Current Affairs Read the newspaper Daily Press Information Bureau (https://www.pib.gov.in/indexd.aspx) Read Civil Services Chronicle, Yojana, Kurukshetra and other magazines What duration of current affairs to cover? Usually, 12-18 months (from the date of prelims exam) of current affairs must be covered. These days UPSC current related questions have become a lot more unpredictable. Some of the questions asked in exam were in news before 3-4 years (but this is rare). How to link content from newspapers with static portion? Similarity in Syllabus: The static element of the curriculum is typically extended by the current affairs section. So familiarise yourself with the course material so you can determine which news to read and which to skip. Reading the Newspaper: Everyday, set aside an hour to read the newspapers and magazines. It has been shown that applicants who include recent information to their descriptive responses perform better than others. Segregating: When reading the news, attempt to divide it up into separate categories. If a story fits under more than one category, link it together. Then go through all the themes and the static information you noted in the news. Make sure not to spend more than an hour reading newspapers while doing this, though. You should finish reading daily current affairs within 2 hours. Revision: Revision is extremely important when it comes to current affairs. While the static portion of the syllabus is limited, current affairs get piled up by the day. Hence, if you haven’t indulged in constant revision, it will be extremely difficult for you at the end to look up the current affairs for an entire year. So, keep revising the current affairs constantly so that you never lose track of it.