Originally Posted by daniyalahmed

It was in 2013, I had failed in my first attempt. That failure inspired me to work harder. I locked myself in a room and tried to figure out the reasons. I realized that I needed to have a proper strategy. To chalk out a strategy, I meditated for 3 days. In the end, I got illumination. CSS was not about reading books, it was not about preparing notes, rather it was about three major skills. One was the ability to write, the second was the ability to think and the third was the ability to speak. With these broader goals, I set out to read quality books and magazines that improved my expression. Moreover, I saw movies, painting, listened to music, solved puzzles, undertook GRE to increase analytical skills. I knew that achieving success in competitive exams was to be closer to perfection.

My four pronged strategy worked as in a single year, I managed to secure Fulbright scholarship, got allocated to PSP in CSS, cleared PMS and also managed to secure BS - 17 job as instructor in MPDD, the apex training body of Punjab Government.

My only advise is don't cram stuff, don't prepare notes, get the skills and you'll sail through. This piece of advise is not relevant to CSS but applicable to all aspects of life. Also, try to interact with all hues and shades of people, try to have novel experiences, test the boundaries of your sleep, patience, pain etc. All these things enhance our threshold level and broaden horizon. As mentioned, I had a totally different approach to CSS and it did work!!!