Buying every book and newspaper.
Usually toppers from other fields treat UPSC like any Other Exam.
Not following the routine.
Piling up too much sources and notes.
Skipping the past year questions.
Not taking NCERT seriously.
Not having a study plan.
Loosing out of patience.
Thinking that studying 24/7 will clear the exam.
Each major point is explained in comments below.
Meditate daily. Give yourself time if you are feeling low. Don't get too hard on yourself. Unhealthy mind won't help you in clearing the Exam.
The UPSC exam won't get clear if you study 24/7. That is true. You have to study daily but not 24/7 because you are a human and not a machine.
You have to follow a schedule and finish syllabus diligently. Give yourself good number of breaks in between.
Don't isolate yourself, it's a long journey.
You need not to buy every source you get to know about from someone at your coaching or friends. Stick to minimal sources but get a thorough understanding of whatever books you read. This would come only by repeated reading the same book multiple times. The exam is about clarity of some issues properly and not knowing 1000 of things but that too inaccurately.
You need not to buy every source you get to know about from someone at your coaching or friends. Stick to minimal sources but get a thorough understanding of whatever books you read. This would come only by repeated reading the same book multiple times. The exam is about clarity of some issues properly and not knowing 1000 of things but that too inaccurately.