The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) CSE Prelims 2024 result was announced on 1 July. Candidates who qualified will be busy preparing for the UPSC Mains now.

One of the most important aspects of the preparation is time management, especially for those who are attempting the exam while working full-time.

Saurabh Jassal, an IAS officer, cleared the CSE in 2017 on his third attempt while working a full-time job.

“What kept me going with each attempt was the incremental success which I got with each exam I attempted. With that conviction, I kept preparing,” he says.

Here are some time management tips for working professionals:

1. Reduce your commuting time

This can greatly save your time and is well within your control. For example, he says that the distance between his home and workplace was about 8 kilometres, and that helped a great deal.

Find a house near your workplace or even better if you could work from home.

2. Stay with parents/family

Living with family can be beneficial as many chores are taken care of. Use that time to study.

Saurabh says, “For example, cooking food and doing laundry could have taken up a lot of my time had I lived alone. Since I lived with my parents, I spent that time studying instead.”

3. Calculate time on-hand

Be very strategic about the time you have on hand, without compromising on your sleep. You must rest for at least seven to eight hours each night.

Ensure that you do not bring home any work. Saurabh also spent time post lunch going through online resource material. Keep giving yourself small tasks that you must finish each day.

4. The importance of power-naps

The IAS officer optimised each hour of his day—he slept during his commute instead of spending time on social media.

His breakfast would also happen on the way to work. “I found that by doing these things, I managed to ‘steal’ almost three to four hours each day for myself,” he says.

5. Make informed compromises

“There were so many times when I would politely decline attending a family function or even a night out with friends, only so that I could spend that time preparing,” he says.