Dear Mains'26 Students, I very rarely share my personal story - but… — Pulse IAS — TG.ME

Dear Mains'26 Students,

I very rarely share my personal story - but let me share this one !!

I wrote 2 Mains in my 3 attempts before I left the preparation and moved into innovating in this industry. And in both my attempts, I used to vomit right before walking into the exam hall. Pure anxiety.

It came from pressure I had quietly carried for years - always the topper, the first from my place to crack IIT and that too in the first attempt. That expectation had blocked my mind. Somewhere, I had stopped seeing Mains as an exam. It had become a test of who I was.

Here's what I understand now: the anxiety was never about the syllabus. It was about identity. When your entire self-worth rides on the result, your body panics before your pen even moves.

But you are not your Rank. You are a person who has prepared, who knows things and who is about to spend three hours writing them down. That's all Mains is - not a verdict on your worth.

Breathe. Separate the result from the you. Walk in not to prove yourself, but to express yourself.

Give your Mains'26 not from fear, but from freedom 🔥🔥
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August 20, 2026 3.1K 5