The first exercise one has to go through after the decision to take a plunge into the UPSC preparation is deciding on the optional subject. It’s the only thing in the exam which is not the same for all aspirants and one has to compete with a core group of those who opted for the same subject. If chosen carefully it not only helps you beat the cutthroat competition but also can make the preparation a lot more easier and interesting.
Five things one should keep in mind while choosing the optional subject. The list is not random and follows the step-wise methodology one should adopt.
- The subjects are available in the UPSC list.
- The educational background ie. The subject one pursued during graduation and post-graduation.
- The subject one is inclined towards or gives aesthetic pleasure to him.
- The subject for which a good trainer or guide is available.
- The subject trending in the UPSC exam or at least a subject which had not been persecuted recently.
The First thing an aspirant needs is to have a look on the subject list of the ‘UPSC Civil Services Exam’. Not all subjects are included in the UPSC notification and an aspirant have to look for his subject, for eg. Computer Science and Engineering is not included in the subject list of civil services exam and one cannot choose it irrespective of him being a student of Computer Science. Therefore if your subject is not on the list go to point 3.
The Second factor is the educational background of an aspirant. A subject one pursued during higher studies may or may not be his choice. In fact many of the aspirants opt for UPSC preparation due to the fact that they do not feel any inclination towards their graduation subjects and do not see a very steep growth in that career.
If your graduation subject is the one you would like to study for next few years with the confidence of achieving mastery, you should opt for it without a second thought and any apprehension. However just check the point 5 before you go. In case you don’t feel inclined towards the graduation subject you need not to opt that as the UPSC preparation is a long and tedious job and a subject you have already tested for years and cant generate a like towards, must be avoided.The Third step is to look for a subject you feel good about. Maybe some subject you felt interesting during school days but cannot pursue because of the career in