Question : Ignoring Optionals Might Be Disastrous - Why?
Answer :
- Nowadays, students are carrying the conviction that studying optionals do not create much difference. They focus much of their energy on GS papers which carry 1000 marks. Also, the Prelims and Mains which have similar syllabus, takes most of the time of their preparation.
- Optionals are important because these subjects are considered to be one of your chances to improve your marks and hence, choosing your strongest area will keep you in the most comfortable position psychologically and preparation wise, resulting in your best performance.
- This plays a vital role. If you are already good at something then you don’t have to put all your efforts in something and hence keeping it your advantage with the best possible idea. Apart from that, having previous knowledge in the field will end up with your less time of preparation which means you have a lot of time to dedicate and prepare well for all the other subjects.
Thus, prepare well for optionals and do not ignore them.
Assess Your Optionals by Practicing Test
Writing practice is as important as studying. It has 3 effects:
- It helps you retain things.
- Helps to revise things and learn new things not covered by conventional books.
- It helps you improve your writing speed, prods you to improve your handwriting and above all develops the ability to think and formulate answers in an efficient way - practice makes one perfect.
- Since most aspirants complete their optional before Prelims, they altogether forget about it until after Prelims is over. Don’t do that mistake. If you are not revising it, then all your hard work will be gone because when you come back, you will not be able to remember most of the things. Thus, be in constant touch with your optionals- either by practicing answers continuously or revising flash cards.
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Be a Leader, Don’t go for Herd Mentality If one takes a look at the aspirants who have cleared the UPSC Civil Services Exam, most of them are from medical science and engineering backgrounds who have opted a different optional subject rather than what they have studied at their graduation level. Some opted history, sociology, anthropology, geography, political science, psychology and public administration and one major reason behind this is that the study materials for these subjects are available with no effort. However, this should not be the main criterion for selecting an optional. Some thumb rules for selecting the right optional for IAS: The subject should:
Generally, candidates should choose an optional subject with which they are familiar with or they have studied at their graduation level. Always, candidates should ensure that they are comfortable with the subject and the subject they choose interests them and also should keep in mind that the study materials of the optional subject are also available easily. Don’t think about the score at this stage, just focus on selecting an optional with the above qualities and remember, this will differ for different aspirants. Once you have mastered the syllabus and have adequate writing practice, the marks will follow. |
