Shena Agarwal = UPSC Civil Services Topper (was on LIVE CHAT on IBN LIVE) Today. ......

this is for those who missed this opportunity to chatt wid her..... :) hi, shena... i am a 2nd mbbs student from gmc miraj, maharahtra....and am keen on pursuing the upsc...... even the previous topper was a doctor.... do u think we have some sort of added advantage as medicos......or is this just by chance?? Asked by: Pranav Merchant I think as medicos the advantage we have is that we have a knack of interacting with patients & understanding the problems of a common man so probably we can empathise better. As for academics everyone is equal & its a matter of co-incidence but people from all the backgrounds have done well. Congratulations, Shena! How come it happens that Science students often do better than the Humanities ones when it comes to topping the UPSC exam? I intend to take up Humanities this year in Higher Secondary . Should it be a cause for concern? Asked by: Rittwik Bhattacharyya No, its your personal abilities that will determine your success. Science or humanities that is a matter of chance & you should not be worried about it. Stay focussed & work well in your field. how you dive time schedule for each subject,is there any strategy you follow? Asked by: kamlesh You should first analyse your strength & weaknesses. I use to first consolidate my strong subjects so that I would be prepared with them & then I would divide the rest of my time in the subjects I am weak in so that overall there is a balance among all the subjects. Hi Shena!!!Hearty Congratulations. I am currently targeting UPSC for the next year(2013). Is it possible to crack UPSC together with my job? Or will it be better to study full-time for UPSC? One more question: Is Statistics a good-option for the mains examination.Should I go ahead with it or think of any different subject? Asked by: Ankush Agrawal It depends on your personal aptitude if you think that you can manage your preparation along with your job then its your choice. You have to really work hard & manage time well. It is very much possible. As for the subject, you should go for a subject according to your interest & abilities. If you are comfortable in statistics then you should go ahead with it. Hi shena, hearty congrates. i hv given my two attempts but not cleared in prelims also.To be frank i hv not prepared seriously but in that mean time i lost 3 years. My question is does UPSC will have -Ve impact on that ? i am not working as well, previously i was working.My age is 26 now. i hv serious questions ???? please suggest me Asked by: Reddy Thanks a lot...I would like to say that you should not get disheartened by the past but work better for the future. UPSC will not penalize you for your past mistakes. They would judge you as what you are today so you can still work hard & succeed in the next attempt. Firstly congratulations. Is there a specific routine which you followed over a period of time? now, that you have qualified what are your short term and long term goals in your endeavour to make a difference to our society? Asked by: Utsav Datta Thanks a lot...I always tried to be regular & use to make short term goals for every day or week, that was my basic approach for study. As of now I would like to work on whatever capacity I'm posted in & contribute to the best of my abilities. Which books did you refer to to prepare for the prelims and mains? Asked by: Sid For the GS, for the history-NCERT 11th, bipin chandra, spectrum. For polity-dd basu & class notes, for geography-11th, 12th NCERT, for eco-11th ncert, class notes, eco survey, for science & tech-newspaper, class notes. Other than that Hindu, civil services chronicle, India year book(selected topics)& yojana. actually what amount of time is needed for preparation Asked by: shubham kumar If you study regularly for one year then you should be able to do it. Quality is more important then quantity. So focus more on the output rather than number of hours. HI SNEHA..CONGRTS!! I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF STRATEGY SHOULD BE FOLLOWED WHILE PREPARING FOR CIVILS(PRELIMS,MAINS AND INTERVIEW)? Asked by: TRINESH Thanks...You should follow a selective mode of study. Rather than being drowned in ths pool of information. For prelims the pattern is now more focussed on current affairs & aptitude test. These can be developed over aperiod of time. It is important to read a regular newspaper & focus more on the general issues around. For mains, you need an indepth knowledge of the optional & the general awareness for the GS Part. As for interview, it is actually a test of your personality, so be calm & confident. When we should start preparing for the main subjects,if we haven't do not have them in our graduation course.? Asked by: Pankaj ganeshgarhia I'll say u need about one year of preparation. One year before prelims will be the ideal time. I'd like to ask you your "Why" for choosing the Civil Services in comparison to other lucrative careers, perhaps even active politics? Asked by: Rahul Kayala Civil services is probably the only option which gives you enough of resources & provide ample opportuinty to work at the grass root level & contribute productively to the society. Even if someone wants to enter politics one first needs to work for the society & establish oneself so that people will actually recognise you. Maam have you taken any coaching for this exam and if yes then coaching is with or without job for the very first time Asked by: charu Coaching is not a pre-requisite, its only a mode of guidance. I focussed more on self study & I had joined test & discussion classes to have a regular check. I was also doing job all ths time, I was working as Jr Doctor at AIIMS. congrats........in wt way u have got this achievmant Asked by: vinnu reddy Thank u...I would attribute this to a number of factors. First & foremost you have to be persistent in ur efforts & be determined to achieve what u aim for then u should follow a selective & intelligent mode of study focussing on the relevant material & most importantly maintained a balance between ur studies & other aspects of life. Congratulations for your achievement!!! ... what do you think is key for your success?? Asked by: kakarulz Thank u...the key to success is regular & diligent study with a selective study of relevant material. It is important to know what to focus on & what to leave. Hi Shena!!!First and foremost,congratulation on your success.Hope you guys can make some difference to our country.I want to know one thing,what made you try for Indian Civil Service as you are a doctor. Asked by: Bikram Das Thnks a lot, civil services provide a very wide platform where we can work in different fields and directly impact the lives of many so I wanted to work with people and help relieve thr sufferings. Hi Shena, Is this possible to give mains examination in English and opt for Interview/Personality test in Hindi? Asked by: Arvind Agarwal Yes, u can do that. You have the option of choosing the medium of answers. Congratulations mam on the stupendous success,your incredible feat has inspired many females to give civil services a serious thought. How can one

gauge if she has the aptitude to cut the mark in toughest exam of India? Asked by: sandy Thank u so much... I would like to thank my family & all my teachers for thr constant guidance & motivation and it was almighty's blessings that made it possible.