Preparing for competitive exams while still in college felt impossible at first. Classes, assignments, and a packed syllabus for SSC CHSL all competing for the same hours in a day.
What helped was accepting that I couldn't study for six uninterrupted hours like some toppers describe online. Instead, I broke preparation into 45-minute blocks between classes, using college library gaps and commute time for topics that didn't need deep focus, like vocabulary revision.
I also learned to say no to some social commitments during peak preparation months, without disappearing entirely. Preparation doesn't have to mean isolation, just prioritisation.
Burnout crept in once, around month four, when I tried to do everything at full intensity every single day. Building in one genuinely restful day per week is what got me back on track, and I've kept that habit ever since.