mains preparation-gs

JUST AFTER PRELIMS

the mains exams starts usually in second half of october, so one hardly gets 4-41/2 months for nine papers of mains.hence, the logic of starting mains preparation just after prelims gets over.initial few days should be used to build a clear strategy.mains gs is of 600 marks ,in comparison to optional which total to 1200 marks.also,gs is much unpredictable and less dependable for scoring marks than optional.thus strategy must be to make optional strong enough to fetch good marks and read gs well enough to get decent marks.as no one can be sure of guessing and preparing gs paper in advance..



-read hindu newspaper editorials as model answer.




-look for the way different point of views are developed , compared and balanced.



-the words used are common ones,no flowery language in these articles.



-sentences are short and well connected. so are paragraphs.



-point to be developed is logically presented,analysed.



-ending is usually very balanced. finding some middle path between the views expressed above.mostly ending is optimistic,though may be word of caution.



-i always look upto these articles for improving my answer writing skills.



- dont worry, if it takes your one- two hour for analysing the main editorial page. this,though may not be done everyday, can be done once a week,for some article u find exceptionally well written.remember, one is investing this time than wasting it.atleast i believe so.

THE FOCUS OF PREPARATION:


-FRIENDS, to have a good total that can help u fetch rank in top 100, one cannot afford to ignore essay and interview.mostly we focus on gs n optionals,and comparatively ignore these areas. a difference of 30 marks in either or each of these can adversely affect the score and thius rank.



-among gs and optional,i feel optional questions are more or less predictable and syllabus limited so should be well prepared. gs being unpredictable is undependable for good score. i made my optional strong and did lots of value addition in it. for gs, i prepared basic material,currents related and general value additions which i can use easily in many topics.this part can never be completely prepared,many questions will be new and have to be managed with whatever we hav already studied.



-good score in gs depends lots on 2 markers,so try preparing them well esp.history,culture,polity,economics,sc and tech,currents etc.



-keep on analysis and interlinking as u study,as this will reflect in the answers too.

making notes?when?how many?

-firstly,if u hav habit of making notes n it helps u,then u may make extensive notes.



-i,personally preferred limited notes,because time is short n not all can be covered through notes.



-i wrote crux of my reading,impt argument or fact on the top of the magzine or on frontpage near index-for handy revision(in exam,we cannot write everything but only gist .so ,writing this much will suffice)



-notes in three notebooks ,each for gs,socio n psycho.wrote impt n new arguments,facts,details which i m liable to forget or which are very impt(eg:sthng about gender or caste,or about developing countries etc)



notes of mine were basically for value addition which i may revise a day before exam n enrich my answer.



-if i included some important basic concept in my notes,i preffered it to b in form of an flowchart for clarity of understanding being maintained at time of revision too.