Preparing for the UPSC civil services exam is a journey often fraught with intense uncertainty, a reality that an IIT graduate recently faced after failing their second preliminary attempt. Having quit their job to pursue the civil services dream, the dejected aspirant turned to Reddit, asking a single, heavy question: "What next?"A Reddit user’s post about their UPSC preparations has prompted varied responses. (Representative image). (Pexels)The Reddit user shared that they are an IIT grad who worked for about 9 months before quitting to prepare for UPSC. The individual added, “2nd attempt, prelims failed... what next?”Also Read: Candidate who attempted UPSC 5 times asks 'young intelligent minds' to choose other careersThe person repeated the question, “What should one do?” In the comments section of the post, while responding to others, the aspirant asked if they should give one more year to UPSC or join a job.How did social media react?The viral post has struck a chord online, prompting a wave of practical advice and shared anxieties from fellow engineers and civil service hopefuls grappling with the brutal choice between taking another gap year or re-entering the corporate workforce.An individual wrote, “Bhai agar apne upar bharosa hai to dede ek aur attempt. I, too, am an IIT grad. I dropped out for a year, leaving my job. Could not give it my all (fear of failure, friends doing amazing in their lives, etc) and failed prelims. I took up a job after this, thinking that since my syllabus is complete, I can prepare alongside my side job, but got distracted, new job, new city, new people. I think I should have continued for another year, since I firmly believe that I can clear this exam. If you have that belief, then only continue, the fear of failure will not let you study. I think this confidence is developed after a lot of time, you may already have that confidence. Now my job is relatively chill, working from home, but I feel like I have wasted 2 years due to getting back to my job. Hence I regret taking up the job (not entirely since I do have a handsome chunk of savings now but I think you get my point). Also, if this was your second serious attempt, and you believe that you have failed despite giving it your all, then please do consider getting a job. I don't have a fixed answer but I am just sharing my experience to help you decide better.”Also Read: IIT Delhi student chooses ₹20 LPA pre-placement offer over higher packages to prepare for UPSC, sparks discussionAnother posted, “Take a job and attempt.” A third shared, “Same situation… But 1st attempt after IIT but failed, tried hard but got 17 questions wrong in 50-50. I think I need more preparation, as my history was weak. Moreover, the uncertainty of this year's prelims is really making me think about having something in hand. Hopeful for suggestions.”(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)