UPSC Aspirants and COVID-19
The pandemic, i.e. COVID19, has brought the disaster on this planet, whether human beings or animals, everyone is getting poorly affected. Everyone is trying to get out of it as soon as possible. Students/aspirants, who had their vision to make their goals fulfilled by the end of this year, are waiting desperately to put their hard work into reality. UPSC examination that is considered to be the toughest exam in India is also known for its uniformity, and proper accountability has also postponed its exam until the situation normalizes. UPSC aspirants are also facing challenges these days while doing preparation.
10 Biggest Challenges faced by UPSC aspirants during this Corona-time
1. A proper time table
Throughout the year, serious aspirants follow their time table with appropriate one-year strategy aiming at the scheduled date. But this year has been turned out the challenging year to those who were waiting for the announced exam date. Amid this COVID19, as the examination has been postponed, aspirants are having the feeling of uncertainty i.e.
how long will the exam be postponed? Will the exam be held this year or not? Will the situation be recovered or not?
All these thoughts have broken their study timetable. It has become the most difficult to study as per the timeline.
2. Social Media
In the age of the internet, where people try to share each and everything with the world through social media, there is full of chaos of thoughts, opinions, politics, and adultery. As the examination is getting postponed, aspirants have diverted themselves to the Social Media. And as a result, hours are gone to see the happenings around and messages from friends and time fly day by day. So Social Media has become another challenge for UPSC aspirants to be concentrated well while doing preparation.
3. Consistency
As there is the uncertainty of the UPSC examination to be held on any scheduled time, aspirants have started delaying their studies. And this tendency of delaying and delaying costs a significant amount of their valuable time. Therefore, to maintain consistency in the preparation throughout the year is itself a tough task, and it is becoming a big challenge as per the COVID19 situation in the country these days. Although aspirants try to be consistent, their weakness of being in a comfort zone empowers their strength.
4. Daydreaming
To have a great vision is good, but to do daydreaming for hours without putting that much effort into it becomes dangerous to be successful. Hard work is only key to put your vision into reality. Moreover, it becomes a big challenge when aspirants put little effort and more daydreaming. These days, as aspirants are getting enough time, this time is going in daydreaming of their vision. The reason may be losing hope, being pessimistic and worried about the future, and so on.
5. UPSC as Life
Aspirants see their vision to be IAS/IPS/IFS and put their lot of hard work into it. After getting failures for one or two times, they make more and more efforts to be optimistic. Still, when this type of situation, i.e. health crisis, or financial crisis, comes, they face lots of challenges such as mental pressure, family pressure, and economic pressure, etc. And then they start breaking down mentally and physically as well as they believe UPSC as their life, and not getting into UPSC means their metabolism is about to end. This becomes the toughest challenge when the aspirants don’t see anything in life beyond UPSC. They become more and more pessimistic, lose hope, and don’t enjoy the other moments of their life.
6. Becoming Complacent after some studies
Aspirants face a significant challenge when they become self. satisfied after a couple of hours of studies. Moreover, they think they have completed the syllabus, and they do not need to study more. Here, they lack consistency and determination. And later they get self. demotivated.
7. Counting hours of studies
Some aspirants think that if they study for fixed hours, it well enough for them.
And they study by counting hours of studies, i.e. five, six, or seven depending on their will. But they forget their study target to complete. And it becomes a big challenge that aspirant face in general.
8. Prelims phobia
When the aspirants begin their preparation, they have their strategy to study for mains and prelims together. But as prelims date comes closer, they start focusing on prelims only. This is a good strategy, although because of COVID19, aspirants have got much time for prelims. But even though they have enough time, they are facing prelims phobia and ignoring mains. Later to cover mains in a very little time becomes difficult. So aspirants need to take care of it well while during preparation during this pandemic.
9. Inferiority complex
Commonly, aspirants feel inferiority complex while doing preparation because of being depressed and exhausted after putting lots of hard work with no expected outcomes. And they start feeling isolated and frustrated. To overcome this challenge becomes difficult when they don’t find mental support and positivity around them.
10-planning all the time but not executing
Most of the aspirants complain of getting less time for preparation, and later they make excuses for not getting any positive outcome. Here, the main challenge for them is not to get more time but to execute their plans of study effectively. As they spend most of their time planning the strategy for studying, but they do not execute it properly. Therefore, they need to execute their plans properly.
These above-mentioned challenges are very common to the UPSC aspirants. Although there are also some other challenges they face, such as-
- Revision,
- Self-Assessment
- Not focusing on Weaknesses,
- Mains Preparation, and
- Isolation etc.
Therefore, it is seen that some aspirants face these challenges and overcome them patiently, and some are caught into the trap of time, frustration, and impatience.
Well, challenges come and go, but aspirants should be like a rock that does not get affected by storms passing through it.
All the best!
