If you wish to make notes of the newspaper you can do that, but do not do more than 1 A4 sheet. Even when making notes do make notes only for issues, not every fact from the newspaper.
For example- you can make a few points about Air India disinvestment. What is this? Why govt. is doing disinvestment? Advantages? Issues? If any suggestions from editorial etc..? you can make notes of these content. But don’t write down the facts related to this. Try to present different opinions from several articles. Over time you will be able to frame your own opinion in the issue.
Again pick any monthly current affairs compilation of any institute like Vision IAS or Next IAS or Insights and do them 2 times in a month. This will help you keep updated with currents.
One more thing you can do is to watch RAJYA SABHA TV BIG PICTURE AND INDIAS WORLD debates regularly. You are not required to put any time for this but can watch while you having your lunch or dinner, or while you are bored etc… do this, these shows are good.
Other important this is about optional. You should have selected optional in first 15–20 days of the preparation. Once selected either join in some classes or do self-preparation for the subject. I would suggest you can go for coaching for the optional part. It will make things relatively easier if you are confused regarding this.
Your target for the optional should be to complete it by November ( Start by July — End by October or November). I would suggest preparing your own notes, or micro notes, for the entire syllabus. In this preparation, you should also have a look at the previous year’s questions and some basic idea of how the questions are being asked. You can spend about roughly 4–5 hrs on the optional in this time (including 2 hrs of coaching)
By the end of Oct- Nov you should have done one reading of the optional, you should be clear with the material and books to be read.
Then you see that year’s mains optional paper and try to solve the questions. Even if you don’t know the exact answer, you should be able to identify which question is from which topic in the syllabus and basic idea of how you should answer the questions.
Once you do this you should wrap up all optional things by November. This you will be touching only after prelims.
Next comes- How to do GS preparation? After spending about 2–3 hrs. on newspaper and 4–5 hrs. on optional you will be left with about 5–6 hrs for GS. Again most of you might have a class for 2.5 hrs daily ( If you plan to join coaching). So that leaves only 3–3.5 hrs for GS daily. If you don't join coaching then you can use that add up that time.
I would suggest you spend 30–45 min. on preparing for class, like what was told in last class, what is the plan for the next class, and some reading related to that.
Post that you should put some target on a weekly basis. Like I will do history in next 10 days, geography in next 15 days, polity in next one month etc… based on this you can spend the time of like 2 hrs daily on history, 1 hr on polity etc.. Because subjects like history, geography doesn’t need any coaching or teaching. You can do on your own. Likewise, you can pick Polity from Laxmikanth and read the book in 1–2 months.
Like this, you can have one basic reading of History, Geography, Polity, Economics even before the actual classes. During classes, you will have further clarity of concepts and you will gain confidence in the subject. I would say this should take till Nov- December.
In case you wish to put the material in an orderly way, you can make notes. Again you don’t need to make notes for everything. Like spectrum and Laxmikanth, no notes making is needed.
Post-November, you will have some level of understanding of the exam and your maturity will grow. You should use these months in doing the static part — like World History, India post-independence, Disaster Management, Security Issues, and Ethics. You can spend the time left from the optional preparation. Spend daily 2–3 hrs. on these topics and finish them in November and Mid -January.
If you wish to Practice Answer Writing, you can start in December and do it for the next couple of months. ( as such I didn’t do any answer writing before prelims, I prepared notes of issues in an answer format, I saw previous years toppers papers to get a feel of answer writing)
Post-January you will be bombarded with Budget, economic survey, Yearbook, prelims test series and all. You can plan prelims oriented preparation from Feb. you will have about 4 months for prelims, which is more than sufficient for the preparation.
In this next 4 month, you should have come to mission mode in reading the standard books several times, solving lots of tests papers, and analysing them and also doing the current affairs magazines repeatedly. This would prepare you for the prelims
GIST OF Above Post
Monthly Current Affairs Compilation- 2 times in a month
Your target for the optional should be to complete it by November ( Start by July — End by October or November)
Look at the previous year’s questions and some basic idea of how the questions are being asked.
4–5 hrs on the optional- End of Oct- Nov one reading of the optional,
That year’s mains optional paper and try to solve the questions.
Wrap up all optional things by November touching only after prelims.
how to do GS preparation?
2–3 hrs. on newspaper and 4–5 hrs. on optional, left with about 5–6 hrs for GS.
Put some target on a weekly basis.
History, Geography, Polity, Economics should take till Nov- December.
Post-November Static part — like World History, India post-independence, disaster management, security issues, and ethics.
Spend Daily 2–3 hrs. on these topics and finish them in November and Mid -January.
Practice Answer Writing Start in December
Post-January plan prelims oriented preparation from Feb
Reading the standard books several times, solving lots of tests papers, and analysing them and also doing the current affairs magazines repeatedly.
