2019-batch Indian Foreign Service officer Muskan Jindal learnt to use the phone wisely during her CSE preparation days. A bright student since her childhood days, Ms. Jindal kept her phone by her side all the time to use it to google for information related to her studies, whenever she required it. But she never ever indulged in social media scrolling, so as not to get distracted from her preparation.
Born and brought up in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, she cracked the prestigious and difficult Civil Services Examination at the age of 22 in her very first attempt, bagging AIR 87. Ms. Jindal did her schooling from Baddi and completed her graduation in B.com (Hons.) from GGDSD College, Punjab University and secured 5th rank in her graduation.
She says that clearing CSE was her childhood dream. She even tried to appear in 2018 but was not allowed due to being underage. However, in 2019, after much hard work, she successfully cleared CSE.
“Being from a business family, I initially struggled a lot understanding the nitty-gritties of this examination. But at the same time, now when I look back, I can proudly say that had it not been for my parents and family, it wouldn’t have been possible for me to clear this examination,” Ms. Jindal said.
SUCCESS MANTRAS
While sharing about her success mantra, she says that one should have a clear goal in mind and should focus all energies on it. “Believe in the law of attraction, it can do wonders!” she says.
During her preparation, she never compared herself with others. “While preparing, you will come across many aspirants and each of them will have a different style of studying. But you just have to keep faith in yourself and compete only with yourself.”
Further, she kept her resources limited and asks the aspirants to do the same while preparing for competitive exams. “Don’t make it complicated. Focus on revisions and mock tests. Analyze your weakness and strengths and work on them accordingly.”
According to Ms. Jindal, maintaining consistency should be the utmost priority of any competitive exam aspirant. One should strike a balance between their studies and social life. She used to take a day off on Sundays so that she could start afresh with 100% dedication on Monday. “These breaks will not only help to start with a fresh mind but will also motivate you to prepare in much better way,” she says.
RELIED ON NCERT
Ms. Jindal mostly relied on NCERT books. After the first reading of NCERTs, she referred to previous years’ question papers of the particular subjects. “It is very important to refer to previous years question paper in order to understand the demand of the examination and to identify the important topics of the UPSC syllabus,” she says.
She further advises the aspirants to jump to standard books once they are through with the basics.
TIPS FOR ANSWER WRITING
Giving tips for answer writing, she asks the aspirants to read the questions carefully before starting to write the answers. Secondly, “always write the answers in a structured manner. Try to give a proper introduction and conclusion in your answers. Be mindful of the word limits, try not to exceed the word limits. And write answers in a legible handwriting, using charts, diagrams wherever required, as presentation of your answers matters.”
She asks the aspirants to plan their three hours, so that they will be able to complete the paper on time and skip questions where they have absolutely no clue about the answer.
USE PHONE WISELY
Lastly, Ms. Jindal asks aspirants to use their mobile phones wisely, like she did during her UPSC CSE preparation. She had her phone by her side, which helped her to google any information needed. However, she never indulged in social media while studying and advises the aspirants to do likewise.
