Should I sit back at home and read a lot of books to gather a lot of knowledge? but not looking for a job as I first want to make myself, Doing a job will not give me much time to study?

I did pretty much what you are inquiring about and I have a better life for it. I felt that working too soon before I satisfied much of my intellectual curiosity would hurt me in the long run. So I studied a lot about various topics like emotional intelligence, spirituality, philosophy, technology, attended a lot of workshops, did a lot of online training, watched the mot eclectic videos that I could find, worked on my art, etc. But I also had savings and a fund to support me. And I definitely was not "sitting back at home." I was traveling locally, seeing new places, meeting new people, etc. You will learn more when you change up your locations for study. Also try to make many new friends that enjoy the things you are learning about. Many times we learn better when we hear it from someone else doing the same thing. That different perspective can make us see new things. Just be careful to manage your money properly and it would not hurt if you at least have  part-time job or internship. You should also be learning about your upcoming career. And your next employers will be wondering what you have been doing.

Thanks for A2A. It is true that once you take up a job, the challenges of a new environment will not give you enough time to read all that you want. I was a book worm while growing up. I used to read a lot till the time I was studying. When I started working, it gradually decreased. Now I read only when I am on Holiday with lot of time on hand. Most of my reading today is done on internet. Reading is awesome. If you want to go for Civil Services, then you have to study a lot. You should not only have knowledge of everything for the prelims, but also in depth knowledge of the subjects you have chosen for your mains. Preparation for MBA is completely different from preparation for Civil Services. You don't need History, Civics or similar subject in MBA entrance exams, it will be more logical and quantitative. From your question, I am getting a feeling that though you want to read a lot, you are not actually focused. Just reading is not enough, reading and gaining knowledge from what you have read, is important. If you want to take up a job after MBA and go for Civil Services some time later, then you need to work that way. For that you should focus on preparing for MBA entrance exams. If you keep reading everything and then prepare for MBA entrance after one or two years, it maybe different what you did till then and then you might need additional year or two to crack MBA entrance. Taking up job is not that important if you have set your mind on MBA. However, I would suggest start preparing for it right away. To get in the top colleges, you need a lot of preparation and determination. Working and studying may not give you enough time. But non-focused reading (not studying) may not be a right choice. Keep reading different things, but that should not be your focus. Another thing, if you have a lot of gap in your studies and work, it is pretty difficult to get a job later. At least in India. If you have taken a gap to get your relevant skills updated then it is acceptable, otherwise employers usually aren't convinced with reasons for the gap.

Hi,Dont be a tunnel visioned person.If u want an IAS job, target for it and prepare for it. And at the same time, prepare for banking jobs as they are comparatively higher in number. Also, you can focus on other govt. jobs.U cannot manage focus on both pvt and govt sector jobs at the same time. And by the way, u can throw ur MBA degree in the dustbin, if you want to be an IAS. It is useless incase u end up in an IAS job.Good luck!!!

I am offering my advice as the decision you are about to take wont be reversible, and the way i see it, you are putting the cart before the horse. You are already 23 years old so the long run needs to be well defined. If you are aiming for civil services then you do not have the time for taking a "sabbatical", MBA, Job, and then the IAS. So make up your mind about what you want to be and WHY? Still if you want to do all that, I would suggest a more practical approach, and that is one game at a time. First goal is MBA, so prepare for that. Forget about Civil services at the moment. Spend the time preparing for CAT, and on the side you can pursue other interests. Don't mix CAT, Civil Services and your hobbies. You wont get anywhere. My personal experience is clearing the exams require learning, which comes through reading. You can just read N no of books and be ready for writing the exams. Its a transactional process. Learning and reading are not the same things. Don't plan ahead as Civil Services Exam keeps changing every year. Just count the years so that you have enough attempts left before you cross 28. It takes a minimum of one and a half years to clear the exam in first attempt itself. Remember that wether you join at 21 or 30, civil servants retire at 60. So you wont make it to the higher level if you enter late. Lastly, I do feel that you are quite confused at this stage. Please ensure that you have clear short term goal as you shouldn't be devoting 2 years of your youth for vaguely defined aspirations.