u/Smart-Button1428 — SlopFront

This is the kind of post that actually helps. Thanks for writing it, especially given what you went through with results.

Few things from my own attempts that line up with what you've said.

The 45 day thing, the biggest shift for me was deciding that those last 45 days aren't preparation. It's a different phase with different rules. I stopped picking up new material completely. If I hadn't read it by then, I wasn't going to read it. Sounds obvious but actually committing to that decision took away so much unnecessary stress. You stop feeling guilty about the pile of untouched PDFs sitting in your folder.

Paper day strategy. Nobody talks about the first 10-15 minutes. Most people start Q1 and go in order. I'd scan the whole paper first, sort questions mentally, I know this, I can figure this out, no idea. You calm down because you realize it's not as bad as you feared, and you don't waste time stuck on some hard question on page 2 while easy marks are sitting on page 7 waiting.

Revision wise I did something like 3-2-1. Three passes of core notes, two rounds of PYQs (2015 onwards, going further back wasn't worth it), one full timed mock a week. Not more. I tried doing 2-3 mocks a week at one point and it just led to burnout. Plus you start recognizing answers instead of actually practising elimination, which defeats the purpose.

Also, don't study the day before. I know everyone says this but I actually mean it. Go for a walk, eat well, sleep by 10. Whatever you'd cram at midnight won't help you more than being rested will.

You nailed it about most people failing not because of knowledge but because they panic or keep second guessing eliminations in the hall. That's really what these 45 days should fix.

All the best to everyone writing this year.