Geography Optional: Preparation Strategy

 “Geography optional being the scoring optional provide you the leverage of getting extra time to prepare other subjects due to overlapping of topics in GS 1 and GS 3”

• Rishab CA AIR 23

WHAT WAS MY APPROACH TO PREPARE FOR GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL?

• Syllabus: First step is to by heart the key words of the Syllabus
• Integrate Static + Current: Interlink the current related news from different sources (Yojna, kurukshetra, and newspaper) with the topics given in UPSC syllabus.
• Answer Writing: Identify the possible questions which can be asked from the topics given in the syllabus (for references use past year previous UPSC Geo. Optional paper).
• Solve previous year mains question to cover maximum topic in less time.
• Time Management is the key.

WHAT SOURCES DID I FOLLOW?

Paper I

• Geomorphology: NCERTs, G.C LEONG
• Geomorphology: Book by Savinder Singh. (Use one note book to practice diagrams)
• Climatology: Physical geography by Savinder Singh, Physical geography by D.S Lal and use Internet wisely. For the dynamic syllabus: Yojna and Internet (Applied Climatology, Global warming, Urban Heat Island)
• Oceanography: Savinder Singh (Physical geography) & NOAA book (pdf available on Internet).
• Bio & Env Geography: Topic Soil by Rupa made Simple and Internet (Current affairs).
• Perspectives: Book by Majid Husain & Sudipta Adhikari, epgpathshala website (https://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/).
• Economic Geography: Internet, Current affairs & recent events.
• Settlement Geography: Geographical thoughts by Majid Husain.
• Modern Theories and Laws : Book by Siddhartha & Mukherjee.

Paper II

• Fully Current affair based, over lapping with Geo. Of India & Interlinking of different chapters.
• Compile Current affairs related to the topic on Ever note and Revise it several times.
• Fully Dynamic paper, books I have referred was D.R Khullar and Majid Husain.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Stick to Syllabus
• Solve 25 Years Previous Questions and Revise it Several times.
• In Answer Writing : Practise Mapping and include 4 maps in 20 marks Q , 3 maps in 15 marks Q, 2 maps in 10 marks Q.

GS SCORE extends heartiest congratulations to Rishab on his great achievement and we are gratified to have been a part of his journey to Success (Rank 23) in CSE 2018.