IAS Exam: A Smarter Strategy vs. Studying for Longer Hours

The goal to clear the IAS Exam is sufficient in itself to pour a number of the queries in the minds of the IAS aspirants. The seemingly unending UPSC Syllabus for the Civil Services Exam, apart from the unusually hard competition make the preparation somewhat complex. And to make the matters worse, the candidates allow themselves to fall a prey to a number of the queries. However, joining a competent IAS Coaching Institution in Delhi or Online IAS Coaching usually helps simplify a number of the complexities faced by the IAS aspirants.

A Smarter Strategy vs. Studying for Longer Hours

There is no dearth of the candidates who believe that if you study longer than usual, you will automatically gain an edge over the competition. But how far is the belief going to take you when we talk of the IAS Exam preparation?

Myth vs. Truth

Most of the IAS aspirants are usually of the opinion that studying harder would result into a much higher score. As a result, they pour in 10-12 hours studying every day. Some of the candidates even go to the extent of tormenting themselves neglecting their health. They ignore their meals and even do not rest and sleep on time. They feel that it will spare greater number of hours to study.

It is a great and most commonly prevailing myth concerning the preparation for the IAS Exam that the greater the number of hours that you study, the better is the probability to score higher than the competition when it comes to facing the Civil Services Exam. However, the truth is described below:

Loss of vigor

Well, feeling enthusiastic to prepare well for the CSE, you may begin with a study schedule that comprises 10-12 hours every day. Many of the candidates even go to extremes putting in even 15 hours to study almost daily.

But think of the results. It will be far from yielding anything positive at all. After, say 3-4 days, or a week, you will feel quite tired with no vigor left to go ahead with the strenuous routine any more.

Loss of morale

A prolonged study schedule continuing for 10-12 hours as a daily routine is not likely to allow you with any time to rest and relax. And with a continuously fatigued mind, a candidate is not very likely to enjoy a high morale which is almost indispensable when you aim at clearing none other than the IAS Exam.

Failing health

No logical minded individual would deny that a good health is of paramount importance to undertake any activity specifically when it comes to prepare for the IAS Exam. And with a daily study schedule that continues for 10-12 or even longer hours, and depleted energy, you are not very likely to get sufficient time to eat well and sleep well, let alone exercise well.

As a result, you are not very likely to enjoy a good health. And playing havoc with the health is not going to help you prepare competently for any Exam at all! And as you aim at clearing the Civil Services Exam that is considered to be the toughest of the tough of all the competitive Exams, it is only advisable that you do stay fit and fine in order to study well.

Loss of interest

When you study continuously for almost 12 hours, or even more for every day, it is not going to leave any time for any rejuvenation activities. As a result, boredom is likely to set in. Gradually you would begin to lose interest in the preparation for the IAS Exam. And do you think that it would be feasible to go ahead with the preparation if you do not feel like studying for the same anymore?  No wonder, many of the candidates who begin with the Exam preparation with excessive enthusiasm end up as IAS Exam preparation drop outs? And what can be sadder than giving up your goal?

A Smarter Strategy Yields Qualitative Results

Opt for a smarter strategy if you want your preparation for the IAS Exam yield qualitative results. Simply studying for 12 hours every day is not going to serve any purpose if you feel tired. Besides, feeling fatigued all the time after having studied for unusually long schedules for say a week or so, you would simply not be able to sit through long study sessions.

With a poor energy level to study, feeling like falling asleep and yawning after reading every sentence only implies that your 12 hours study schedule is going to be simply futile! It’s quality that always scores over quantity. If you keep that in mind, and prepare accordingly, your IAS Exam preparation is going to be successful to a far greater extent than your own expectations.

Conclusion

Quality always has an Upper Hand over quantity. Thus, if you study well for a fewer number of hours with great concentration and focus, you are more likely to prepare better than the remaining of the competition. And a relaxed and rejuvenated mind always scores over a tired one. Almost nobody can deny that. When you feel good about yourself after 8 hours of sleep and little 10-15 minutes of breaks after the meals, you will find your concentration improving.

No wonder you would be able to learn even the most complex of the concepts and prepare them well within 3-4 hours. However, the same kinds of qualitative results are far from being within the reach of those who study continuously even at a long stretch of 12 hours yawning after every sentence they read!

A word of Caution

Studying with absolute concentration keeping all the distractions at bay even for a fewer hours definitely yield better results than unusually long spans of study time. However, care should be taken that no other factors related to a successful preparation for the IAS Exam are ignored if you are ambitious enough to crack the CSE at the very first attempt.