Aspirants need to have an open, learning mind: Economics graduate who secured AIR 25

Bhavika says her love for reading comes from her mother. “It is probably because of her that I also have been reading since I was five years old,” she says.

She says her parents were very supportive during her entire preparation even when decided to quit the job in order to sit for the exam. She worked at Ernst & Young for a year.

Self-preparation was her main method of study, Bhavika says. “I did enrol in a couple of institutions for tests. So, test series are not something that I felt I could judge very well on my own because I was competing with a lot of people… having that benchmark set by other people who are writing the same exam is important,” says Chopra.

The loss of a loved one during COVID was the starting point of this journey. “Just realising that I wish there was something more that I could do… sitting there helplessly working a corporate job was not something that I saw myself doing for the rest of my life. It’s sad that it took the death of a family member to push me into it, but at the same time, I think that was the main catalyst. UPSC preparation is often a long and demanding journey. I spent about four years before I got the result that I wanted. I started my preparation properly at the beginning of 2022, and the emotional highs and lows… they’re just very difficult. But I was lucky enough to have a strong social support network and my mentor, Keshni Anand Arora, was extremely, extremely supportive during this entire time. She has seen me at the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, and honestly, I am where I am because of her today. Other than that, my friends, my brother, you know, they would all cheer me up, they would sort of keep me sane in a way to make sure that I wasn’t going to lose my mind during this entire exam.”

“Apart from studies, my hobbies are running and reading. I was fencing for a really long time up until college, and that is a hobby that I’m going to pick up again,” Chopra says.

She says a lot of people write the exam — some make it, some don’t. There are very capable people who have not cleared the exam even today and that doesn’t necessarily make one should compare themself with others. She suggests that those appearing for exams should root themselves in humility and have a curious outlook towards life.

“The success mantra I would give UPSC aspirants is to just go in with a learning mindset… Not being rigid in how one thinks but having an open mind is going to be my message to UPSC aspirants,” she says.