Talk to any mentor or teacher at any IAS Academy in Chennai and the one thing they will say is common in aspirants is mental fatigue. They say that the constant sitting in place and cramming the syllabus leads to mental exhaustion. It creates a monotonous environment that instead of speeding up learning further delays it. This leads to discouragement in the student which in turn gives rise to the worry of not being able to complete the coursework within the targeted time.
To overcome this exhaustion, the top IAS institutes say one should add breaks to the study time. Learning the same topic or subject for a long time gets uninteresting. To develop mental capacity, an IAS aspirant should do two things:
- Take a short break after a set interval. The break could be something as simple as making a cup of tea or coffee. It could be a more extended break where they spend some time with their family or friends chatting. Or the candidate could perform any activity they like.
- Change the topic of study. If they are studying geography, then they can switch to history of vice versa. The aim is to revive the mind by altering the subject of learning. To have a deeper involvement in studying the topics should rotate every few hours.
Both these methods will make the student more enthusiastic, more serious and better prepared to grasp concepts.
Another method that makes the mental capacity of an IAS aspirant better than before is clear concept and details. When you know the core concepts of a subject, then no matter how twisted the question is, you will be able to answer it. So how does a civil servant aspirant gain this mental capacity? The answer to this is one that you already know:
- Create a timetable
- Read the recommended material on all subjects and topic
- Practice as many tests as possible
The first two steps are the obvious solution to learning. It is the third test that actually expands mental capacity. Every time a candidate solves a mock test and then analyses it, he or she gains a better understanding of their weak points. By knowing where they answered a question incorrectly, they get to understand the topics they need to study further. An IAS aspirant will also get a feel of the areas where he or she faced a problem and then work on them.
A more methodical approach is to create a list of areas where they have fallen short and then find a solution for each. This method is only practical if the civil service aspirant is honest with their ranking. The last trick to increasing mental capacity is to build your confidence. When a candidate sits for the IAS exam with the attitude of “I will crack this exam,” there are able to concentrate on the question paper more. The mind works faster to find the correct angle to solve the questions. Thus, be confident and full of optimism.