Civil dreams in COVID nightmare: UPSC aspirants in Chennai rue over online classes
CHENNAI: “Exam anxiety, peer pressure, study-life imbalance, online classes, and the fear of missing out...I’ve been having sleepless nights for the past few months. My routine has gone for a toss after I moved from my hostel to my house in Perungalathur, once the lockdown was announced,” frets Sandhiya M, who will be appearing for the Union Public Service Commission exam this year, in her first attempt.
With the pandemic-induced lockdown forcing universities to either postpone or cancel examinations, Sandhiya and lakhs of other aspirants are trying to piece back their shattered focus. Coping with derailed preparations, they hope that their civil dreams are not turned into nightmares in the fog of COVID-19. In the backdrop of this, while the Union Public Service Commission has postponed the Civil Services Preliminary Exam to October 4, 2020, the transition to online classes has stirred many a nerve.
An uncomfortable shift
Accepting change is not particularly easy, especially when the stakes are high. With academies shut, several UPSC aspirants have returned to their hometowns lugging along their hope to become the ‘steel frame of India’s government machinery.’ Uncertainty and panic have now become part of the syllabus that they didn’t prepare for. From being packed like sardines in cramped classrooms, swotting timetables to poring over thousands of reference materials, most aspirants are now forced to adapt to the new normal of taking online tests and attending webinars.
Have they been able to embrace it? “I enrolled into Officers IAS Academy and stayed with my friends at a hostel in Anna Nagar. We are used to rigorous training, back-to-back test series, and revisions. Staying and studying in groups helps us be motivated, induces a competitive spirit, and keeps us energised. Moving back home has disrupted the cycle because my parents cannot adapt to my lifestyle and I end up getting too comfortable. Online classes have made me lethargic and indisciplined. There’s no one to monitor or prod every day. I can even postpone and listen to the videos later. Students who’ve given multiple attempts have an edge over us with preparation techniques and that makes freshers more insecure. This is my first experience and I feel like everything is jinxed already,” opens up Sandhiya. All is not well even with students who’ve made multiple attempts. Rescheduling of dates has made them paranoid; like Nivetha Raman, who started preparing for the UPSC in 2016.
This will be her third attempt. The engineering graduate, who has attended classes at Shankar IAS Academy, Ganesh IAS Academy, and Smart Leaders Academy, is currently preparing on her own from home. “By now, we should’ve given the last three series of tests. It’s a mock experience for students. We are given hall tickets, and seating arrangements are made in different schools based on that to give us a feel of the examination ambience. That’s crucial. This time, reading material has been made available online in the format of soft copies. Downloading PDFs, highlighting, and line-reading them hurts the eyes. I miss holding a newspaper in hand and studying. Usually, my friends and I gather near Anna Nagar Tower Park in the evenings to revise our coursework. Besides, the fresh air also fills in some positivity. Also, teachers would be available 24X7 to clarify our queries. The new experience is frustrating,” rues Nivetha.
Small changes, big jolt
Pre-corona preparations for the coveted UPSC exams often entailed the company of like-minded people, round-the-clock guidance from experienced teachers, direct access to updated study material, regular reviews of exam performances. Coaching centres had most of these aspects covered. But the new format has thrust students in the lurch, with many struggling to even find Internet connectivity in their homes, as evident from the experience of Dhinakar V from Dindigul, who was forced to go back home. This MCA graduate, who came to Chennai in 2016, will be appearing for the third time this year. For the past four years, he has been staying with friends in a hostel, and signed up with an academy for preparations. “It’s been a month since I came to my hometown.
My parents were apprehensive about my health so I had to take a sudden call. The network connectivity in my area is poor. I can neither make calls nor attend webinars regularly. My cousins are here and that’s an unavoidable distraction. Secondly, we’re so used to pen and paper format that anything else seems like a foreign concept. Approaching the faculty eye-to-eye is something that I miss the most. The future seems bleak. We’ve sacrificed three years of our career for this exam. It can get embarrassing when you don’t earn after an age. I’ve seen so many quitters in my journey. You need utmost sincerity, commitment and perseverance for this. ‘What next’ is something that most of us don’t have an answer for,” says Dhinakar.
What next?
A few aspirants like Mani R chose to stay in the city all through the lockdown. An engineering graduate, Mani moved to Chennai in 2018. He’s currently staying with his friends in a rented house in Anna Nagar. “My hometown is Dharmapuri but I haven’t gone there, since my grandmother is very old and prone to getting infected. I was giving part-time Maths tuition for a few children in my neighbourhood and also worked as an outsourced exam faculty at Career Guidance Centre before the lockdown. I’ve exhausted all my savings now and there’s no money to pay for rent or food. Even a small tiff among roommates is getting out of control since all of us are vexed with the circumstances,” shares Mani, who enrolled into Officers IAS Academy for a year. He’s been preparing on his own since last year, staying with his friends in a hostel.
“Usually there’s a gap between preliminary exam, main exam and interview. What scares me the most is if they will be conducted one after another with less or no time for preparation. When you are constantly in touch with teachers in the academy, you feel more secure. Even last-minute doubts get cleared then and there. But now, with study material available online, I’m not sure as to which one to pick and learn,” worries Mani. Noticing this anxiety among many of her students, educational counsellor and UPSC trainer Nellai Ulagammal S says, “Online psychological counselling, video tutorials, and calls from students...I’ve been busier than ever during the lockdown.
Students appearing for the UPSC exams need comforting words and reassurance. They’ve been battling financial and mental health issues because of the exam. Some were concerned about the news on the privatisation of PSUs and job opportunities. Many are struggling with the academies being closed. On the brighter side, online coaching, YouTube tutorials and live streaming sessions make it possible for students to stay abreast with current affairs. There are also a plethora of social media groups sharing updates even in regional languages. This is the time for them to revise, compile, and consolidate. Many students have a tough time adapting to online classes but ultimately it’s survival of the fittest in this race.” In these extraordinary times, the learning curve is steep, and we hope the aspirants bookmark lessons that sustain and add sunshine to their survival.
Feeling disconnected
Pre-corona preparations for the coveted UPSC exams often entailed the company of like-minded people, round-the-clock guidance from experienced teachers, direct access to updated study material, regular reviews of exam performances. Coaching centres had most of these aspects covered. But in the new format many who moved back home are struggling to find Internet connectivity
Expert speak
— Ganesa Subramanian, founder and director of Ganesh IAS Academy
Dos
Use this time to prepare for the main exam and personality tests as well.
Look at the exam
comprehensively. Cover the facts portion for prelims, concepts and analytical for mains, and opinions for personal interviews.
Treat it as a blessing in disguise. You have extra time to prepare. The gap between prelims, mains, and interview are going to remain the same. Maintain your cool.
Do not forget to take mock tests at home continuously. Create an atmosphere. It is crucial for preparation.
Stick to what your institution advises. Choose your sources wisely. Do not get carried away with plenty of information available on social media.
Don’ts
Do not get lethargic because the exam dates have been postponed or lose hope.
Do not fall prey to peer pressure. Parents and students need to be supportive of each other.
Do not take additional coaching classes last-minute. Stick to your format and keep revising.
Make use of online classes that your institutes are offering. Spend wisely on online classes.
Adapt to the trend.
Tips to remember
1 Don’t get obsessed with COVID-related information. Focus on other aspects happening globally. For instance, regarding COVID, focus on ministries involved in COVID control, main provisions of disaster management act, what’s an epidemic and packages given by the government for COVID-19; global affairs such as international relations with other countries, oil crises and forward trading, American elections and more.
2 Question papers are accessible on the Internet and can also be mailed to students by institutions. It can be completed, scanned, and sent back for corrections. This option can be used to the fullest to stay in touch with the tutors.
3 This is the best time to develop and work on your personal qualities such as endurance capability, patience, handling situations, decision-making and questioning abilities. These are essential for an administrator in testing times.
4 UPSC exams will predominantly be a pen and paper test. There has been no confirmation about online format. Going by the history, online format cannot be easily implemented without experimenting it through pilot tests in different parts of the country.