Integrated Learning Program (ILP)- 2017
Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) 2017- Read here
Dear Friends,
We would like to congratulate all of you for your performance in ILP so far.
We are very happy that compared to last year, this year’s participation is a notch above. It’s been over a month since we started ILP 2017.
By now, ILP users have realized the importance of it, through:
- Preparing with a proper plan– a daily plan with clearly defined outcomes.
- Note making of current affairs from Babapedia.
- Learning from the tests- 5 Tests in a month is serious business
- Learning from Value Add notes– We thank you for the amazing response for our VAN.
- Mains Mocks and synopsis– Every fortnight.
We have been getting emails asking for :
- How will I cover left/missed portions of the plan if I join now?
- How to make notes from Babapedia (since it is copy paste disabled)
- Can we have a look at the VALUE ADD NOTES or Mains Mock & Synopsis before joining to get an idea?
- Feedback of ILP
This post will give you clarity on the above issues.
How will I cover left/missed portions of the plan if I join now?
For aspirants who intent to join now:
Backlog: You have to anyway cover them in future. Isn’t it? UPSC syllabus remains the same and the examination will be common to all! Even if you intend to start now, you have to prepare for it completely.
It is a psychological blockade that you are behind the plan. Though we started on 25th August, you can make designate the day you join as Day 1 of your schedule and proceed. Else you can also start with the current schedule and in parallel prepare from the previous schedule so that you pace yourself according to the plan.
Two months before prelims, you will have enough time to revise everything.
We have already given much revision time in between. Initially we had blocking system of tests (i,e., you cannot take the next test, unless and until you clear the previous test), but now we have made it flexible for you to prepare any block and attempt any test of the schedule as per your wish and convenience.
There are aspirants who joined our ILP with just a couple of months left for prelims last year and yet cleared prelims. Hence it is more about commitment and consistency. Our content and planning will organize you more and also let you focus on quality learning.
If you are starting now, then-
Study the Plan carefully- Static portions are clearly given, value add is also there.
You can pick the value add for a particular block; cover it as early as possible. It covers almost all the important and necessary stuff; it will become an easy task for you to understand the relevant concepts.
For current affairs– follow Babapedia (Folder name- AUGUST 2016, SEPTEMBER 2016, OCTOBER 2016). Look inside. Date wise updates are there. You can follow the same and prepare for the test.
Similarly if you start with the ongoing plan, then also you can prepare previous tests in parallel. Go slow but learn in the process.
Can we have a look at the VALUE ADD NOTES or Mains Mock & Synopsis before joining to get an idea?
Polity
Economy
History
MAINS MOCK & SYNOPSIS
How to make notes in general and of current affairs from Babapedia (since it is copy paste disabled)
Current Affairs: Sources for you!
Daily News Analysis from iasbaba.com
- Two Issues per day (Forget about ‘Must Read’ articles in the end for the time being.)
- In a month, around 50 issues – Right!
If you start consolidating and revising only those issues, you will end up internalizing at least 50 issues by heart. How many over the period of 6 months?
Current Affairs evolve over the period of time. You need to understand that any issue when gets completed will be covered sooner or later. But lack of patience puts you off track. And you end up rushing for everything at your disposal.
Remember: The question is not about how hard you are working. But it is about how productive you are in a given time?
You effort needs to be result oriented. All that matters is your output!
Aspirant’s Question: The issues are very long and elaborate. How to make notes from them?
Answer: We cover them in the manner so that you need not spend much time in basic understanding of the same using google. Your notes should be smartly made. They need to be precise and coherent in a way that they are easy to revise and you can make complete sense out of them when you read that topic after some time.
We will explain this with one example!
Cauvery Issue
You might have read so many articles, notes etc for this. How will you revise and keep the bulk of information in the form of notes that can provide you with enough concepts and content for both Prelims and Mains?
Focus should be like this
Prelims
Geography:
Cauvery River—Tributaries??
Origin—-Karnataka
Flows through—-???
Direction of Flow- East or West—Drainage—???
There is a difference between River Flows through and River Basin– Confused aspirants will argue that it flows through Kerala because they read in NCERT that it makes basin in Kerala. But it doesn’t mean it flows through Kerala.
Polity:
Water Dispute- Which article?
Water comes under Union, State or Concurrent List?
Tribunals?
Inter-State Dispute- Article?
Agriculture and Economy
Affects whom?
Water Intensive Crops?
Regions affected economically—why?
Above is just for example: Add accordingly!
Mains
The fodders that you have prepared for Prelims will provide enough information and base to write Mains Answers. You just need to introspect on analytical perspective or opinion based aspects.
- Why is there no concrete solution for this issue till now?
- How does it affect centre-state relations?
- Should water come under Union List?
- Why both the states are not coming to any consensus on resolving this issue?
These are just the examples- there can be many other angles.
The Point is- If your story line is not clear, mere filing of words will only make your notes bulky
So get a clear story of any issue and write in keywords so that it becomes easy to revise from it.
AIR and RSTV
We cover very less number of issues here since we already cover many hot topics in DNA. Can’t you prepare them well?
Yojana/Kurukshetra Magazine
To the point and relevant content for exam is given to ease your burden on monthly basis. Hardly 30 pages of content can be condensed into 5 pages by you. Try to do it.
Current Affairs from Babapedia
Since many aspirants fail to understand the importance of note making through constant revision and relevance of content, we had to come up with Babapedia.
Without Babapedia
- You would have navigated through various newspapers and sources to prepare current affairs.
- Would have spent ‘n’ number of hours preparing the same.
- Finding relevant topics and revision, minimal.
With Babapedia
- No need to worry about current affairs for Prelims
- It covers all important topics of current affairs.
- You just need to follow it regularly and make a note of key words
Note Making from Babapedia
- Reason we disabled copy paste in Babapedia: You would have created your own drive from Babapedia by copying pasting (not exactly the notes for revision). Do not give reasons like “I cannot highlight texts or copy paste relevant points”.
- By forcing you to make notes from there, we actually want you to follow and learn smart method of note making (as explained above)
- When you read from Babapedia, your notes should be in the form of above cited examples as explained through Cauvery Issue.
- Write in Keywords and generate your story for easy revision purpose.
- You will thank us for this before the exam
Importance of Tests after each Block
- We also cover many important concepts in current affairs (not part of Babapedia) in Weekly Tests. Why?
- So that you are not left with any important issues or concepts.
- Your intention should be learning in the process from Babapedia as well as Tests.
For those who are not able to catch up with the Plan
What if you were not a part of ILP?
Then also you had to finish everything according to the syllabus.
So with the same time at your disposal, here you are getting a well chalked out micro plan, quality content and guidance. And according to the plan a well specified source to follow, which can guide you and prevent distractions. You need to remember that proper planning is very important otherwise you will keep on wandering till the end, and then panic before the exam.
- Please do not give yourself a false satisfaction that you are preparing.
Our suggestions
- At least you have quality content at your disposal.
- Prepare from that and revise properly.
- Take up the tests even if it is delayed due to personal issues.
- Do retrospective learning and learn all the concepts from the tests
Some Valuable Suggestions for Smart Preparation
- How are you revising from Tests and Babapedia? What will you do 1 month before prelims?
- Will you sit again and download the test pdfs and start solving them again?
- If you do that, you will only end up doing mechanical work!
We suggest the following:
Make different set of Note Books for Economy, S&T, Environment, History, Geography and Polity- Only for Tests
Suppose you are done with first Block of Polity Tests comprising of 50 Questions from CA and Polity.
50 Questions will expose you to at least 200 related concepts. One Test- 200 Solid Concepts
- Write it down in Polity Note Book
- Do the same for all polity tests
- Revision will become a cakewalk for you
- Since carrying this note book will not be a problem, you can revise from it anywhere and anytime.
By the end of SET 1- 4 Blocks and 1 Full mock: 300 Questions and at least 1000 concepts
(Imagine all those concepts in your respective notebook in revision friendly mode)
Same way make different notebooks for current affairs from babapedia
“Try to understand the importance of smart work”
Feedback on ILP
We thought this program will give enough confidence to aspirants and they will work smartly to pursue the defined plan to the best of their interest. Are we wrong!
Prove us Right by putting in equal effort from your side!!
While designing this program, we thought to revolutionize the learning through our planning, approach and most importantly results. And every initiative of ours is in line with this goal.
Your life’s motto should be
“Wake up with determination and go to bed with satisfaction”
All the very Best 🙂
