TIMEMANAGEMENTTipsForIASPreparationByIAS2011

AIR49
xaam.in/2016/08/timemanagementtipsforias.html

TIMEMANAGEMENT
**DiffusingtheTimeBomb:ABluePrintForTimeManagement**
Itissaidthatthesuccessisthebesteffortwithintheconstraintsofspace,timeandresources.
Similarly,TimeManagementforCivilServicespreparationisavasttopic.Itcantbedealtinonepage.
HereTimeManagementisoftwotypes
1.Duringpreparationand
2.During3hoursinexaminationhall.
Thescopeofthisarticleislimitedtothefirstonei.e.Timemanagementduringpreparation.
LetusstartbyacknowledgingthefactthatwehavetogoforMultilayeredPlanningApproachtomanage
thetimetooptimizetheoutputas
1.SubjectWisePlanning(Indicative/Broad/FlexibilityAllowed)
2.MonthlyPlanning(Detailed/Rigid)And
3.DailyPlanning(TailorMade/Instantaneous).
Letusdiscusseachonebyone.
I.SubjectWisePlanning
AssumptionsIammakinghereare,
ThereaderisabeginnerwhoisgoingtoappearinCSE2013.Sohehasatleast8monthstoprepare
formainsbeforehestartstheengineforPT(tillfeb).
Heisafulltimeriehehasatleast1012hourstodevoteroundtheyear.
ThisisanintegratedplanforGSincludingPTandMains.
Sowehave8months,letsdivideitas,
Optional13months
Optional23months
GS2months
NowprepareanIndicativePlanforeachtocompleteeachoneinstipulatedtime.Giveequalweightageto
boththepapers,i.e.1.5monthsforeach.Herethebalanceisveryimportantasgenerallywetendto
emphasizeonpaperonebeitOptional1,Optional2orGS.
Letstakeanexampletoelucidate.
Example
ForGSwehave2months=60days.Soabroaddivisiontostudyit,canbeasfollowing
History15days
Geography15days
Polity15days
Economy15days
Nowyouhaveabroadideaofthefacthowlesstimeyouactuallyhave!Wewillpickthethreadofthis
examplelateralsobutleaveitforsometime.
ThatwasaMacroPlannowletsdiscusstheMicroone.

II.MonthlyPlanning(Detailed/Rigid)
Thisoneisthemostimportantofall.Herewewillpreparethedetailedstudyplanofforthcomingfour
weeks.Ihavefounditveryveryusefultocompletethehumongouscoursewithoutmissing/over
emphasizinganytopic.ThisiswellapplicabletoRevisionsaswell.
AssumptionsImadehereare,
Thereaderisstudying2subjectsoutof3inperdayi.e.anytwooutofOptional1,Optional2andGS.
Letspickthethreadofourexampletoelucidatefurther.
Weallotted2monthsforGSmeaningtherebyHistoryinjust15days!!!Soless!Howtocoverwholeof
theModernHistoryinjust2weeks!Afraid!Haina??
Dontbe.Ihaveamagic.Letsdoublethenumberofdaysusingmyjadooofsimplemaths.
Wehavedevoted2monthstoGS,ifyourecall,leavingother6monthsforO1andO2.Soweassumed
therethatwhilestudyingGSyouwouldbereadingGSonly,whichisnotthecasehere.
Thatexercisewasjusttomakeyourealizehowlesstimehasleftandhowtodividethesyllabustorule!
Here,thismonth,wewillstudyGSplusoneoptional.Soforallpracticalpurposesyournumberofdays
aredoubledasyouhaveonlyhalfofthedayforGSandrestisforOptional.Tobeveryclearoneofyour
optionalisalsopreparedsimultaneouslySonowyouhave4monthsforGS.Yipeee!whatamagic.
NowbreakupforGSmaybeas
History30days
Geography30days
Polity30days
Economy30days
Nowthatsgoodna!
Movefurther,toactualthing,
DetailedMonthlyPlan(DMP)
Day11857Struggle
Day2SocioReligiousReforms
Day3SocioReligiousReforms
Day4SocioReligiousReforms
Day5SocioReligiousReforms
Day6ModeratesPhasetillpartitionofBengal
Day7ModeratesPhasetillpartitionofBengal
Day8ModeratesPhasetillpartitionofBengal
Day9AdventofGandhitillNonCooperationmovement1921
Day10RESERVEDAY
Day11AdventofGandhitillNonCooperationmovement1921
Day12AdventofGandhitillNonCooperationmovement1921
Day13Communists/Swarajists/CivilDisobedienceMovement(1921to1937)
Day14Communists/Swarajists/CivilDisobedienceMovement(1921to1937)
Day15Communists/Swarajists/CivilDisobedienceMovement(1921to1937)
Day16Communists/Swarajists/CivilDisobedienceMovement(1921to1937)
Day17Communists/Swarajists/CivilDisobedienceMovement(1921to1937)
Day18Communists/Swarajists/CivilDisobedienceMovement(1921to1937)
Day19TowardsFreedom(193747)
Day20RESERVEDAY
Day21TowardsFreedom(193747)
Day22TowardsFreedom(193747)
Day23TowardsFreedom(193747)
Day24TowardsFreedom(193747)
Day25TowardsFreedom(193747)

Day26MiscTopics(Kisan/TribalMovement,DevelopmentOfEducation/Press)
Day27MiscTopics(Kisan/TribalMovement,DevelopmentOfEducation/Press)
Day28MiscTopics(Kisan/TribalMovement,DevelopmentOfEducation/Press)
Day29MiscTopics(Kisan/TribalMovement,DevelopmentOfEducation/Press)
Day30RESERVEDAY.
ReserveDaysarecushionstoaccommodateunforeseenevents.Anautomaticslackisprovidedto
ensurethereligiousadherencetotherigidplan.Ifyouarenotabletofollowyourplanthatstheindication
ofdangerwhichistimelysensed.Makecorrectionsinyourhabitsandtryagain.
Hereitsalsoworthmentioning,ifyoumissatopictocompleteuptoyoursatisfactionleveldontspoilyour
wholeplanbymakingadjustmentsintheplanitself.Justmoveon.Markthetopictoidentifyitlater.And
preservethesheettoremindyoulateraboutthetopicsyouareweakin.
SimilarDMPistobepreparedfortheoptionalwhichwillgohandinhandwiththeGS.
PreparethemandPASTETHEMONYOURWALL.FBwallnahirelallu!Thewallagainstyourstudy
tableelseyourcozybedwhichismostlyusedbyusforstudypurposes.Hopeyouhaveastudytableand
youactuallyuseitseldom.SometimesIamsooptimisticbeitPakistanorstudies
Nowmoveontonextandlastlayerofourplanning.
III.DailyPlanning(TailorMade/Instantaneous)
Assumptionhereisoneisabletoread1012hours.2hoursfornewspaper/magazine.Rest10hours
forGSandoneoptional.Soitcomesouttobe5hourforeach.
So,thatisallforplanning.HerewehaveunderstoodhowdifficultworkourPlanningCommissionis
doing!ApartfromplanningonemoreimportantthingisSelfFeedbackMechanismtoensurethegood
implementation.
ForthisIusedtopasteaseparatechartHOURCOUNTCHART(HCC)indicatingnumberofhoursI
usedtostudyperday.IfyouhavearoompartneritsadvisedtopasteboththeHCCssidebysidefor
bettercomparison.
ThiswasamirrortoprovemeLAZYwhichmymummyusedtocallmesincechildhoodandInever
acceptedtheestablishedfacttillthen.
Letssumitup,
AfterreadingthewholeMahabharatyoushouldbeconvincedenoughtohave3chartsonyourwalltwo
DMPsandoneHCC.
InevernamedthemwhenIusedthemlikeDMP/HCCetc.Justcoinedthetermstobetterdifferentiate
andunderstand.Itsalsoeasytoaskquestionsregardingthemafternamingthem.Sopardonme
jargonizingthewriteupconsideringitanecessaryevil.Ijusthateit.
Itwasagreattimetopreparethisway.FeelingnostalgictoremembermyroompartnerMrRajPrakash
Singhwhowasveryfondofdoingthisexercise.HewasverysupportiveandwestudiedwholeoftheGS
togetherlikethisonly.
NBitsanhumblerequesttoallthosehandfulofreaderswhohavereachedtillthelastlinetoSHARE
THISSTATUSsoastobenefitthemaximumasIhaveinvestedalotoftimetoconceptualizeandtype
thiswriteup.
Withbestwishes,
SwarochishSomvanshi,
AIR49(CSE2011)
AIR575(CSE2009)

OptionalSuccessRatesinUPSCIAS