Formally-dressed. Self-disciplined. An empowered confident personality with a strong will to serve India. Such degrees of excellence sum up the purpose of an IAS officer. Yes, CSE is used to be the dream of millions of Indian youths. But, achieved by some. Every year millions of aspirants start from zero. But only a few can sit on a DM’s chair & rests are stuck in the labyrinth of the gigantic syllabus. So, a seamless beginning matters.

Guys, there is a saying, “Well begun is half done.” so, don’t start just for being part of the rate race.  Instead, start in such a way that the passage of your UPSC preparation always leads to LBSNAA, the dreamland of every UPSC aspirant.

Civilsdaily doesn’t believe in luck or in hard work without the so-called “work smart”. It’s not all about how you work hard but it’s about how you manage your time, resources, and mind to work together for a better output. Now explore what are the ways UPSC dreams start.

The traditional way to start UPSC preparation from the ‘0’ level:

• Read UPSC syllabus carefully.
• Make time table
• Read newspaper & collect CA magazines
• Start with NCERT books.
• Make notes
• Collect PYQ papers & toppers’ copies
• Attempt test series
• Etc.

Aspirants crowd follow it blindly. And so the ultimate success rate is 0.0053%.

But a would-be topper’s insight doesn’t follow what crowd chase for.

How to start UPSC preparation like a topper & acquire a day ‘0’ advantages:

A topper always..

• devises his/her own strategy & doesn’t follow toppers’ advice blindly.
• Steps in the UPSC world by holding a senior IAS mentor’s hand.
• Focuses on ‘minimum resource but maximum output’ concept.
• Neither reads all NCERTs nor starts with random one.
• Doesn’t learn all PYQs but some selectives.
• Joins the most effective test-series to get his performance evaluated by a personalized mentor
• Doesn’t read every chapters of a text book
• Learn not only making note but also how to update it
• Learns how to write a ‘Rule-of-thumb’ answer
• Spends time & energy judiciously.
• ETC.

The more you think, the more it daunts. let your best foot forward.

The UPSC preparation takes years of hard work, dedication and patience. It’s not only challenging in terms of lengthy syllabus, but it is also highly unpredictable in nature. It can’t be cracked by just being a bookworm. So, only mere act of beginning is not enough. Beginning to a right direction will decide you’re not going to stay where you are. In this case, the two most important warriors are your own mindset & a mentor’s tips that will lead you from ‘Zero’ to ‘Hero’.

Wish you all the best.