N.S.Anusha (CSE-23 AIR-818) Comprehensive Strategy

N.S. Anusha's Journey to Success: CSE 2023 Rank 818

N.S. Anusha, a civil servant from Andhra Pradesh, has had a unique journey from her early days in Visakhapatnam to her current position as a deputy collector in the Andhra state PCS 2022. Her path to success has been marked by resilience, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of her goals despite numerous challenges. Anusha shares her story and insights, offering valuable advice for aspirants aiming to achieve similar success.

Background and Journey

N.S. Anusha grew up in Visakhapatnam, a city known for its strategic importance and aspirational residents. Her aspirations to become a civil servant were fueled by her upbringing in this city and her family's struggle for access to public services. This struggle ignited her desire to excel in the UPSC examination, which she has attempted five times, with the most recent attempt earning her the rank of 818 in CSE 2023.

Her journey has been filled with personal challenges, including her father's health crises and the time constraints of full-time jobs. She has also faced the fear of failure and anxiety, typical for any aspirant. Despite these challenges, Anusha has maintained her focus and determination, ensuring she is well-prepared for each attempt at the UPSC.

How and When to Start Preparation

Anusha's preparation journey began in 2017, driven by her parents' struggles with public service delivery and her own personality traits. She initially stayed in Delhi for her initial days of preparation before returning to Visakhapatnam. Her consistent efforts, even during challenging times, have been the cornerstone of her success.

Timetable

Before securing a job, Anusha was a full-time aspirant, dedicating her day from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with sufficient breaks in between. Her timetable was mixed, including subjects like Polity, Geo-mapping, and CSAT to keep the monotony at bay. Despite the rigors of this schedule, she remained committed to her goal.

Preparation with a Job

Once employed, Anusha adjusted her preparation schedule to fit her work hours. She utilized the early morning slot from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM, the lunch break, and the evening slot from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. This was a time-targeted approach, and she would sleep during her commute to and from work.

Subject-Specific Preparation

Prelims

Anusha's preparation for the Prelims was meticulous, focusing on key subjects such as Polity, Economy, Geography, Environment and Science & Technology, Current Affairs, Art and Culture, and CSAT. She relied on reputable sources such as Laxmikant for Polity, Vivek Singh for Economy, NCERT and mapping by Garg for Geography, and Shivin lectures for Environment and Science & Technology. For Current Affairs, she used Sunya and PT 365, and for Art and Culture, she referred to NCERT and Nitin Singhania. Her CSAT strategy involved focusing on PYQs, starting with the basic ones and then opting for crash course classes available on Telegram.

Optional Subjects

For her optional subject, Geology, Anusha opted for self-preparation, supplementing her studies with Planet Geology classes, IGNOU, and additional books for value addition.

Mains

For the Mains, Anusha relied on her meticulously prepared static notes from her four years of preparation. She also supplemented her preparation with newspapers and other compilations. Her peer group's collaborative efforts saved significant time by exchanging notes and probable questions, allowing for more efficient revision and answering techniques.

Note Making and Revision Strategy

Anusha's method of note-making involved handwritten notes for various subjects, including monthly magazines and online websites. She emphasized making her notes shorter with multiple revisions, including key elements like definitions, stats, committee details, conclusions, and diagrams. Her revision strategy was three-fold, involving an initial reading, a second reading with different highlighters, and a third reading focused on memorization due to her aptitude for pictorial memory.

How to Attempt Prelims

Anusha attempted Prelims in a 20-20 slot, focusing on her areas of strength such as Environment, Geography, Economy, and Mapping. She marked the OMR sheet after every 20 questions, and categorized questions into three types: A (two options), B (three options), and C (questions not to be answered). This approach helped her manage the pressure and attempt more questions.

Practice Tests and Strategy

Anusha emphasized the importance of practice tests, noting that 2 hours of mindset matters more than a year of rigorous preparation. For Prelims, she found one institute slot of tests sufficient with strong static revision. For Mains, she chose sectional tests to cover more topics and started with essay and ethics for identifying weak areas.

Answer Writing Strategy

Anusha's approach to answer writing prioritized completing the paper within the time limit and structuring ideas well before attempting 10 and 15 markers. Due to her full-time job during her 2023 attempt, she relied on content enrichment from mains monthly magazines for Ethics and Geography, focusing on diagrams from the internet.

Essay Strategy

Anusha's essay strategy involved breaking down the topic, creating a blueprint with examples, and ordering themes numerically. She read topper copies rigorously and used the Essay MGP test series for practice. For philosophical themes, she created templates with detailed brainstorming sessions.

CSE-23 Topper Strategies

Anusha shares insights from various CSE-23 toppers, including:

• Romel Bijalwan: AIR-353, Anthropology and Comprehensive
• Samiksha Mhetre: AIR-302, Comprehensive
• Aditya Hriday Upadhyay: AIR-416, Maths and Comprehensive
• Prerna Singh: AIR-271, Journey and Comprehensive
• KN Chandana Jahnavi: AIR-50, 3/3 Selections, Socio, and Comprehensive

Each topper offers unique strategies and insights, from preparation techniques to time management and answering strategies.

Through her dedication, resilience, and strategic preparation, N.S. Anusha has achieved remarkable success in the UPSC examination, inspiring other aspirants to strive for excellence and overcome challenges. Her story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and well-structured preparation.