Strategy to cover civil engg optional subject for civil services:
General Tips:
1: Syllabus is too wide. There are some niche areas from where questions are being asked. Try to find those grey areas.
2: Fringe elements- I have observed that UPSC asks questions from the fringes of such a vast ocean. Suppose you are reading arches chapter in structural analysis. Till you reach the effect of settlement of support on the stresses within the structure you would have lost all of your energy. They ask questions from these fringes. So be ready for it!!!!!
3- You need not cover all the topics. We can’t actually cover whole of all the topics. We can’t also just leave any topic entirely.
4- So I divided all the topics in three classes – Class A- To cover few topics completely!!! Mean it literally completely!!! I must have good conceptual command as well as fingertips formulae and intensive practice for these topics.
5- Class B- In these topics I would not go for intensive practice rather I will just try to make sure that No easy question, concept, topic, formulae should be left untouched. I will leave and do not touch those chapters which I am not comfortable with. For example In Soil Mechanics I never ever understood the shear stress chapter so I left it at all!!!
6- Class C- In these topics, my strategy were to solve previously asked questions only and do not cover topics reading whole book. In some topics you would be having a fair idea that not much new questions can be generated so even if we solve previous questions it is well and good. For example I was not that good in RCC so I just make sure that all the kinds of questions asked in RCC from beam and retaining wall are being handled and also I tried to cover code-based basic questions in RCC.
7- Element of unpredictability is there even in the way of setting the paper. So never make yourself rigid that I wouldn’t attempt question of this or that topic. Given a situation you need to befriend any topic.
8- Selecting 5 out of 8 questions in the exam is also a great art. Don’t choose all objective or all theoretical ones. A judicious mix of both works better.
9- Formulae fear- The number and the complexity of formulae are also a big headache. For this, a month before the exam, I tried to recall and write on paper different formulae of different topics on daily basis for continuously 30 days.
10- Short handy revision notes- We must have our own hand made short notes of formulae and important concepts to revise in last 10 days. The amount of stress during last 15 days is very much. There is all probability of buckling under that pressure as the syllabus is really huge…huge!!!!
11- Syllabus should also be on your fingertips. Keep in mind whatever topic they are touching it is mentioned in the syllabus. So make sure no such topic is left out of your visibility!!!
12- Make a repository of previously asked questions and categorize them topic wise- chapter wise- even sub heading or sub topic wise. It is really important. I have my repository that I will soon share with you all. But the thing is even before starting a chapter, go through all of the questions asked it will smoothen your approach and will be less time consuming.
13- Do not; do not run for number of books for any topic. Even if you do make sure you are reading one topic from a single book only.
14- Practice not only numerical from the previously asked questions but also theoretical questions. For chapters like building construction and material they really have asked some of the good theoretical ones. Try to answer them in limited words and directly.
15- This is a subjective paper. Bear in your mind that your optional paper evaluation is relative. So be better than others.
16- Use figures, elaborate as optimally as you can. Try to have applicative approach in general.
17- Some favourite topics of UPSC are to be found out. For example UPSC loves to ask from Retaining wall, secant formulae, and septic tank. Do practice them exhaustively.
18- One last yet very important point – always remember while studying that you are utilizing your scarce time resource. So make sure that the topic which you are preparing you would be able to attempt it in given time during the exam time. Even if a hint is there that how so much you study it is difficult or not prudent to attempt this topic in the exam, just DO NOT READ THAT TOPIC. LEAVE IT FOR GOD SAKE.
General Tips:
1: Syllabus is too wide. There are some niche areas from where questions are being asked. Try to find those grey areas.
2: Fringe elements- I have observed that UPSC asks questions from the fringes of such a vast ocean. Suppose you are reading arches chapter in structural analysis. Till you reach the effect of settlement of support on the stresses within the structure you would have lost all of your energy. They ask questions from these fringes. So be ready for it!!!!!
3- You need not cover all the topics. We can’t actually cover whole of all the topics. We can’t also just leave any topic entirely.
4- So I divided all the topics in three classes – Class A- To cover few topics completely!!! Mean it literally completely!!! I must have good conceptual command as well as fingertips formulae and intensive practice for these topics.
5- Class B- In these topics I would not go for intensive practice rather I will just try to make sure that No easy question, concept, topic, formulae should be left untouched. I will leave and do not touch those chapters which I am not comfortable with. For example In Soil Mechanics I never ever understood the shear stress chapter so I left it at all!!!
6- Class C- In these topics, my strategy were to solve previously asked questions only and do not cover topics reading whole book. In some topics you would be having a fair idea that not much new questions can be generated so even if we solve previous questions it is well and good. For example I was not that good in RCC so I just make sure that all the kinds of questions asked in RCC from beam and retaining wall are being handled and also I tried to cover code-based basic questions in RCC.
7- Element of unpredictability is there even in the way of setting the paper. So never make yourself rigid that I wouldn’t attempt question of this or that topic. Given a situation you need to befriend any topic.
8- Selecting 5 out of 8 questions in the exam is also a great art. Don’t choose all objective or all theoretical ones. A judicious mix of both works better.
9- Formulae fear- The number and the complexity of formulae are also a big headache. For this, a month before the exam, I tried to recall and write on paper different formulae of different topics on daily basis for continuously 30 days.
10- Short handy revision notes- We must have our own hand made short notes of formulae and important concepts to revise in last 10 days. The amount of stress during last 15 days is very much. There is all probability of buckling under that pressure as the syllabus is really huge…huge!!!!
11- Syllabus should also be on your fingertips. Keep in mind whatever topic they are touching it is mentioned in the syllabus. So make sure no such topic is left out of your visibility!!!
12- Make a repository of previously asked questions and categorize them topic wise- chapter wise- even sub heading or sub topic wise. It is really important. I have my repository that I will soon share with you all. But the thing is even before starting a chapter, go through all of the questions asked it will smoothen your approach and will be less time consuming.
13- Do not; do not run for number of books for any topic. Even if you do make sure you are reading one topic from a single book only.
14- Practice not only numerical from the previously asked questions but also theoretical questions. For chapters like building construction and material they really have asked some of the good theoretical ones. Try to answer them in limited words and directly.
15- This is a subjective paper. Bear in your mind that your optional paper evaluation is relative. So be better than others.
16- Use figures, elaborate as optimally as you can. Try to have applicative approach in general.
17- Some favourite topics of UPSC are to be found out. For example UPSC loves to ask from Retaining wall, secant formulae, and septic tank. Do practice them exhaustively.
18- One last yet very important point – always remember while studying that you are utilizing your scarce time resource. So make sure that the topic which you are preparing you would be able to attempt it in given time during the exam time. Even if a hint is there that how so much you study it is difficult or not prudent to attempt this topic in the exam, just DO NOT READ THAT TOPIC. LEAVE IT FOR GOD SAKE.