The following article, “Five Activities That Can Help CSS and PMS Aspirants Build Their Personality and Study Habits to Qualify”, is written by Tooba Farooq, a student of Sir Syed Kazim Ali. In this article, we discuss five activities for CSS and PMS Aspirants. Moreover, the article is written on the same pattern, taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. Sir Kazim has uploaded his students’ solved past paper questions so other thousands of aspirants can understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
The CSS and PMS examinations are highly competitive and require extensive preparation and dedication. The journey is a roller coaster ride, having ups and downs, scary yet exciting. The journey is entirely of learning. Whether an aspirant qualifies for examinations or not, the journey develops his personality and habits. Achieving success in competitive examinations is challenging, but certain activities such as creating and maintaining a study plan, writing a journal, and group studying can aid an aspirant in excelling. This article explains five activities to help a serious CSS and PMS aspirant build his personality and study habits to qualify for the examinations.
1-To create a study plan and stick to it
First, not having a clear study plan is one of the most prominent mistakes aspirants make when preparing for competitive exams. Without a structured approach, it’s easy to waste time and not make progress. The dream of landing in the civil services of Pakistan is often considered a hard nut to crack, yet proper planning can create ease in the journey. But planning alone isn’t enough; an aspirant should stick to his plan. It is a well-known fact that planning the next day before going to bed has always benefited student greatly in qualifying CSS in his first attempt. So, this activity will not only serve as a helping hand in organizing and completing the syllabus timely but also will bring a significant improvement in the aspirant’s personality, such as traits like self-discipline and self-accountability. Moreover, he will be getting time to manage time for hobbies and other commitments. Breaking the diverse syllabus into manageable blocks helps him avoid procrastination and inculcates a sense of prioritizing things in his life. There is no fixed standard for making a study plan, but monthly and daily plans are highly recommended. Thus, making a study plan and sticking to it will enable him to achieve his goals.
2-To find a study buddy or a study group
Next, two heads are better than one; a study buddy can make learning more accessible and exciting. A study partner will keep his partner motivated. It will allow the sharing of knowledge, thoughts, and ideas, ultimately broadening the learning horizon. Moreover, having shared goals strengthens the sense of commitment. Evaluating and testing each other ensures accountability, which incorporates an understanding of learning from others’ mistakes and broadening perspective. As evident from the experiences of various qualifiers, “A group of fellows, having a habit of debating, always benefit them in qualifying competitive examinations.” A study partner will assist in studies and teach traits, such as empathy, loyalty, care, integrity, and patience, strengthening his personality. In addition, it will improve self-confidence and create a sense of self-worth. Undoubtedly, debating with fellows helps build narratives and imparts the ability to counter the opposite perspective and firmly stand on their point of view. Thus, having a good study buddy will be a source of strength for an aspirant who wants to land in the Civil Services of Pakistan.
3-To exercise regularly
Further, a sound body has a sound mind. Indeed, exercise helps the brain get ready to learn and makes retaining information easier. An aspirant usually has to study for long hours, which can cause anxiety, depression, and muscle stiffness. To cope with these issues, exercising is a good option. It will upgrade an aspirant’s physical health and fitness. Spending just half an hour on his physical fitness will aid in retaining the new information and establishing new connections between brain cells, ultimately helping him to develop concrete study habits and achieve his dream job. Furthermore, it will boost personal development, such as training him to face his inner critic, reducing anxiety, improving self-esteem and body image, encouraging success, and providing a sense of consistent growth.
4-Journalling consistently
Adding more to it, journaling is simply writing down thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. Maintaining a journal benefits a competitive aspirant in many ways, as it will enhance his skills, such as creativity and problem-solving. Moreover, reviewing progress improves his written communication skills and ensures accountability. The benefits of journaling are not only limited to his studies; they will also assist in his grooming through consistent journaling. Commitment fuels the development of self-discipline and strengthens motivation to unlock the doors to personal growth and success. Moreover, it can effectively improve self-awareness about behaviours, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, which ensures his personal growth, making him the best version of himself and a good citizen. All this personal growth and distinguishable abilities will surely aid him in qualifying.
5-Self-reflection
Self-reflection is thinking about, meditating on, evaluating, and considering your behaviours, thoughts, attitudes, motivations, and desires. Reflection is about tapping into every aspect of an experience, clarifying, thinking, and honing in on what matters.A lack of reflection in the aspirant’s life can cause him to keep running, trying to keep up with things even if things aren’t going well. Taking time from a busy study routine will promote learning and understanding. Self-reflection, at least once a month, would help him to see where he is lacking and what changes should be made in the study plan to implement it more effectively. Apart from learning benefits, self-reflection will also benefit personal development as it will induce a greater sense of self-control, better decision-making skills, and greater accountability.
Critically evaluating the journey of the competitive aspirant is a long learning process. An aspirant is never the same as before starting his preparation. His life shifts upside down, and personality, habits, and above all, circle of influence also change. Including the activities mentioned above in one’s routine will help one achieve his dream job, groom his personality, and ultimately, make him an excellent civil servant.
In conclusion, competitive examinations are hard to qualify for but not impossible. The most innovative approach to preparing for CSS and PMS requires regular study, planned routine, group discussions, mental peace, and self-reflection. Indeed, these qualities will make him punctual, disciplined, and motivated as they help him tracking his stamina and capabilities. Thus, aspirants can incorporate these activities to achieve the great land in CSA and enhance their personality.
CSS Solved Past Papers’ Essays
Looking for the last ten years of CSS and PMS Solved Essays and want to know how Sir Kazim’s students write and score the highest marks in the essays’ papers? Then, click on the CSS Solved Essays to start reading them.
CSS Solved Essays
CSS Solved General Science & Ability Past Papers
Want to read the last ten years’ General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers to learn how to attempt them and to score high? Let’s click on the link below to read them all freely. All past papers have been solved by Miss Iqra Ali & Dr Nishat Baloch, Pakistan’s top CSS GSA coach having the highest score of their students. General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers
