Archive · 7 Nov 2025
UPSC Aspirant's Viral Video Highlights Isolation and Identity Crisis
Imagine you want to be a superhero, and you train for years, only focusing on fighting bad guys.
You miss parties, forget your hobbies, and don't see your friends.
When you finally become a superhero, you realize you don't know how to play with others or even what makes you happy besides fighting.
That's what a young woman felt after studying super hard for a really tough exam in India called UPSC.
She studied so much that she forgot who she was outside of being a student.
She made a video saying it's important to still have fun and be yourself, even when chasing a big dream.
Lots of people watching agreed and said they felt the same way.
A UPSC aspirant's video about the isolation and identity loss during intense exam preparation has gone viral on Instagram.
The aspirant, Manvi Srivastava, shared that she 'gave her 20s' to the exam, missing personal milestones and relationships.
She expressed feeling like a stranger to herself after the preparation ended, struggling to reconcile her identity with her experiences.
Srivastava appealed to fellow aspirants to prioritize mental health and not lose their sense of self while pursuing dreams.
Many social media users related to her experience, calling it a common story among UPSC aspirants.
- Who
- UPSC aspirant Manvi Srivastava
- What
- Shared a viral video about the isolation and identity crisis faced during and after intense UPSC exam preparation.
- When
- Recently (implied by viral video)
- Where
- Instagram (platform for the video)
- Why
- To highlight the emotional cost of rigorous exam preparation and urge others to prioritize mental health.
Common Experience
Advice for Aspirants
Relatability of Isolation
Common Experience
Many social media users expressed that the aspirant's experience of isolation and feeling lost after the exam preparation resonated deeply with their own journeys, with some noting that even a few months of preparation made them realize the difficulty.
Advice for Aspirants
Fellow aspirants and users relate to the intense personal sacrifices and the feeling of losing oneself during the rigorous UPSC preparation, acknowledging it as a shared story.
Mental Health and Self-Identity
Common Experience
The aspirant's struggle highlights the profound emotional toll of dedicating one's twenties to UPSC preparation, leading to a sense of lost identity and difficulty in reconciling with one's changed self.
Advice for Aspirants
The aspirant advises others not to forget themselves in the pursuit of dreams and to prioritize mental health, recognizing that the drive for success can come at the cost of personal well-being and self-discovery.
- Aspirant's Name
- Manvi Srivastava
- Exam
- UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)
- Platform
- Key Message
- Prioritize mental health and don't lose yourself during intense dream pursuit.