Niki’s answer copies from week 1 of Samachar Manthan to week 10

Prelims is around the corner and we are going to begin our new courses for Mentorship for next year. It is the right time to take a look at the progress of the students who joined us last year.

Today we will tell you 2 stories. Stories of Jia and Niki(names changed).  Both of them joined us in May 2020 for Mentorship.

Similar Beginnings

Jia and Niki have appeared in UPSC multiple times but failed to clear even Prelims. Both of them were working professionals and had their last attempt in 2021 and as a last resort approached us for mentorship guidance.

Motivation in the initial days was high for both as seen in regularly completing the assigned targets and attempting the tests.

Jia’s Progress Graph:

Jia identified that the biggest issue in her preparation was consistency. So, she asked the mentor to give her an oral test over the call every day to set up accountability. The mentor understood the students’ requirements and obliged. For the next one month, daily oral tests happened to ensure Jia developed the needed discipline.

Things went well, the Mentor had regular test discussions that helped Jia to improve her scores and cover the syllabus.

But from the 3rd month, something changed. Jia started missing tests and her score also dropped. Our Mentor tried to reach out to her but she started missing mentor calls. When she did pick up the phone, excuses such as health issues, family functions, etc were the usual replies. Mentor tried to motivate the student over the calls but there is little a mentor can do if the student refuses to pick up the call.

Within 6 months’ time, the student realized that UPSC is not her cup of tea and finally left the preparation.

Niki’s Progress Graph:

The story again starts with a motivated student aiming to crack UPSC. Along with the job, Niki managed her time well under our guidance and was able to complete the assigned targets on time. Niki identifies her issues lie in her approach to Prelims Tests and Answer writing. With the right guidance, her test scores improved which gave her confidence to put in more effort.

After 6 months of mentorship, Niki was able to complete the majority of her syllabus – both GS and Optional. She completed standard books which in the past 5 years she was never able to. In February 2021, Niki surprised us all.  She left her well-paying corporate job to dedicate time to UPSC preparation.

Right now Niki is among the top percentile of our batch and has the highest test completion rates.

What did we learn from them?

• There is no magic potion that will help you qualify for this exam. Eventually, it is your hard work that pays off.
• Mentors can only provide directions to smart work and help you to remain motivated. It is you who have to stick to the assigned targets, complete tests, and raise doubts with the mentor.
• Mentorship is a two-way street. You’ll gain more from it by active participation. You have to give your 100% as well. If you start avoiding your mentor then there is little a mentor can do to help you.

If you are the type of student who is ready to put in the hard work we are here to provide you with the necessary guidance. Our experienced mentors are always here to listen to your issues and suggest timely interventions.

To experience the personalized mentorship provided by Civilsdaily please fill the Samanvaya form linked below.