(Getting Started) Preparing for UPSC Civil Services Exam without Full-time Coaching

UPSC Civil Services Exam without Full-time Coaching

Why does the Coaching Matter?

Given the craze for the civil services, the market for civil services examination has grown out of bounds. We see different coaching institutes spread in clusters, in different cities. However, before joining a coaching institute, it is important to analyze the significance of the coaching institutes, in the preparations for civil services examination.

Most of the IAS coaching institutes attract the aspirants by claiming their success records and comprehensiveness of the study materials. However, what a new aspirant fails to notice is the true nature of these institutes. It is an error to join any coaching institute by observing the success statistics presented by them. Generally, the proportion of the successful candidates, to the total number of students enrolled under the coaching institutes, is microscopic.

Secondly, the success in the IAS exam is not defined by the popularity or fee structure of an institute, but by the effort and hard work of the aspirant. Thus, while many of the candidates clear the civil services exam through various coachings, many others crack it without any regular coaching classes. See how to study.

Thus, IASEXAMPORTAL tries to clear the confusion about the significance of the coaching institute, and whether an aspirant should join the regular coaching classes or not.

GS Foundation Course (PT+ MAINS) for IAS EXAM

सामान्य अध्ययन (GS) फ़ाउनडेशन कोर्स (Foundation Course) PT + Mains, HINDI Medium

What does the Coaching Institutes Do?

Every coaching institute claims to provide a comprehensive coverage of the syllabus covered under the civil services examination. However, only a few actually provide a foundational base to the civil services aspirants. Generally, most of the institutes quickly go through the main topics asked under the civil services examination, without attempting to lay a foundational understanding of the different concepts. This leads to a fractured development of the knowledge base of an aspirant. This seriously affects the candidate, by creating confusions and misunderstandings in the Mains examination.

Generally, the coaching institutes bombard the students with huge collection of notes and articles and expect them to go through each of them carefully. However, this does not help the student community. Any aspirant can prepare by himself, if he is to read everything available in the market. The task of a coaching is to guide and direct the aspirants through the ocean of resources available in the market.

Thus, we would highly recommend, for the serious candidates, to judge a coaching and its course structure, before joining such classes. A poor coaching can lead to the wastage of your priceless time, by indulging you in useless mind-boggling exercise for irrelevant papers and material.

Choose your coaching option judiciously. Do not let the market rumors come over your mind. Most of the coaching institutes use massive marketing strategies to attract the budding aspirants. However, a poor coaching institute could ruin the opportunity for an aspirant by furthering him on a wrong path.

Coaching Institute Marketing Propaganda:

Claim 1: We Provide a Comprehensive Coverage of the UPSC syllabus.
Fact: The Coverage comprise of Tonnes of study material, that they expect you to read, with understanding!!

Claim 2: Most of the Questions were asked directly from our Sample Papers.
Fact: Providing Thousands of questions would give you these questions, even if the percentage of questions asked is as low as <0.5%

Claim 3: We Give comprehensive Coaching for all the subjects.
Fact 1: The course is crafted for a particular section of student community, which might not be suitable for all.
Fact 2: The syllabus cover the latest facts and brief notes, while giving nothing to clear the basics. This leaves you without any foundation.

Claim 4: We provide Books, Bags, Tablets, etc, etc, etc...
Fact: Are you here for coaching or is it a Supermarket!! Do not come under such Hoax assertions.

JAGOO GRAHAK JAGOO!!

What to do then?? The Right Strategy

Understand a simple fact, that you are the best teacher of yourself. No external coaching can be better than a devoted self-study. However, you might consult some experts, when faced with confusion and complexity. IASEXAMPORTAL presents a rational approach for deciding on the questions of the right coaching.

A Coaching expects you to study the course, being taught everyday, regularly. Because of the limitations of time, the coaching institutes are forced to rush through the syllabus of the civil services examination. Therefore, you might find yourself lagging behind the coaching's speed of tackling with the syllabus.

A analysis of various civil services aspirants, by the IASEXAMPORTAL, showed that most of the candidates are unable to keep up with the pace of the coachings. Thus, by the end of their coaching classes, most of the students are unable to link with the different courses, that have been taught to them. This results in great confusion and misunderstanding.

Also, it is not guaranteed that one would be able to clear all the concepts and facts, through the coaching classes. In a class-hall of 150-300 students, it becomes difficult to establish a communicative environment. Thus, most of the student, in the coaching classes, are often, unable to absorb the lectures, thus, failing the whole purpose itself.

Thus, a more rational strategy is to opt for the correspondence courses of the coaching institutes. A Correspondence course allows you to go with the syllabus, at your own pace and comfort level. Also, make sure that the correspondence course offers you the opportunity to contact the reliable experts, to help you in clearing the concepts and confusions. Remember, it is important to plan your strategy before going for the preparations.
A wisely planned correspondence course material can help you in covering the syllabus for the exam with minimal stress. Whereas, it is highly irrational to dig deep into the available resources on the subject, without considering their relevance for the exam.

Secondly, if you have all the concepts and basic knowledge of the course, you would not like to spend your precious time going around the coaching institutes. Instead, you must get some quality notes, that are updated, and embellish your foundations. Going to the coaching classes would not be a rational strategy for such candidates, as these classes are crafted from the perspective of a fresh aspirant, who needs to be told about the 'ABC' of the subject. Since you have attained a basic knowledge of the various concepts, you would want to reinforce your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

One must understand that all coachings have a perspective, that might not suit to the needs of someone, who has a grasp of different concepts and disciplines. Thus, it is highly recommended that you must fabricate you own study plan, and merely get the resources from a reliable source.

Express Points:

1. For Beginners- before joining any coaching look carefully at the course structure and other details. Join only if it suits your needs. Otherwise, you might choose to go for correspondence notes from a good source,and prepare by your own.

2. For Those with some knowledge and Experience- joining the coaching institutes might not be useful for you. Since you have already gone through the coaching experience, you should now devote your time in self-studies. However, you might choose to take help from the experts from time to time.

3. For the Senior Players- Coaching would be a waste of time for you. Since you have enough experience with the UPSC, you can create a strategy for your own. Coaching classes would only waste your time in going through the same process over again.

4. Certain coaching institutes teach for a certain section of the aspirant community. For instance, some coachings excel in guiding the aspirant with science background, while some deal with the aspirants coming from social sciences background. Thus, before Joining a coaching, because of its Brand-name, do some research about it. Your decision can make a lot of difference.
 

IASEXAMPORTAL has come up with a series of study material for the IAS aspirants. We also provide support and assistance for the aspirants, to help them in moments of confusion and difficulty. You may freely contact us, to help you in choosing a right strategy, specially suited to your needs and requirements. See how to study

We wish you All the Best for the Preparations.

Team IASEXAMPORTAL

© IASEXAMPORTAL.COM
 

GS Foundation Course (PT+ MAINS) for IAS EXAM

सामान्य अध्ययन (GS) फ़ाउनडेशन कोर्स (Foundation Course) PT + Mains, HINDI Medium

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