How to Remember so many dates / facts / names ..........??

India has 28 states - each state has a capital, a Chief Minister, a Governor, several rivers, dams, power plants, industries, art forms, historic places, power plants, minerals, flora, fauna .........and an infinite number of points to remember. It seems every thing is important for Civil Services. This leads to the focus of this article:

How to remember so many things?

Lets understand two important points first:

• It is very difficult to remember things in isolation. If you read list after list of facts, there is very little that you can retain.
• UPSC will not ask you facts but would test how you can apply those facts. You need to know more than just a fact to answer questions.

Now here is one way you can organize and retain more information than a list or a big write-up. I call it the web-of-knowledge. I recommend a three step process and explain it with an example.

Step 1. Go over the basics fast
Say, you just started studying history and you picked up the NCERT books. Go over them fast. Understand the most important things and do not waste time in cramming up the details. For example: Mughal empire - administration - art and architecture - key adversaries
Chola Empire -  art and architecture - key adversaries - note about their navy

Step 2. Link up the topics
You need to go over the same subject again. Pick a more detailed book and start laying out the subjects. Make connections between topics.
Administration in Mughal Empire - Vijaynagar - Mauryan - Vedic ................
Religion under Mauryas, Shungas, Mughals, Bahmani .................

Step 3. Mark the unusual highlights
Ashoka renouncing war, Chola navy, North and South Indian temple architecture, Tuglaq moving to Daulatabad, Akbar moving to Fatehpur Sikri

 Is it easy. Well, I must say 'no'. Its much easier to study one thing at a time and go over lists and lists. I believe nothing is easy when you talk about Civil Services. But, what I can say is that it will be effective.

Adaptive Learning and UPSC

Students today face an unprecedented challenge with regards to learning. There is a huge amount of information being created every moment. The students today are expected to know more and more about more and more and more subjects. That’s too many “mores”!

Let’s take the case of UPSC Civil Services. A candidate is expected to have an expertise in English, at least one Indian language, General Studies, and problem solving skills. The last two include History, Geography, Sports, Economics, Polity, Law, Mathematics, Reasoning……………… and so much more. There are some major questions that a student faces:

1.       How to plan their studies across such diverse subjects?

2.       What to study and what to leave?

Competitive exams like UPSC civil services are open to aspirants from all domains be it social sciences, technical, or professional. Unfortunately, the current modes of learning are uniform and static.

Does a History student need the same books to study for UPSC as a Math student?

Does a fast learner need the same course as a consistent learner?

The answer is no and to some extent students try and make arrangements for it on an ad hoc basis. What is needed is a system that:

1.       Adapts to the students background preparation

2.       Adapts to his learning speed

3.       Adapts to his learning style and time remaining for the exam

In short students today need an: ADAPTIVE LEARNING SYSTEM

There has been a tremendous amount of research in adaptive assessments and adaptive learning systems. Researchers have explored the learning needs, and learning behaviors of students to come up with intelligent systems that can adapt to students and help them Maximize their potential. Such systems are not just an electronic replication of books on the computer. They incorporate analytical intelligence engines that lay down the development path ahead.

Very soon adaptive learning systems would be available in India and that too for UPSC Civil Services exam preparation.

If you would like to know more about adaptive learning system for UPSC Civil Services you can email me at upscguide2011@gmail.com