The Beginning: A Misfit in the World of Ledgers

Growing up in a traditional household in a small town in Kerala, my life was supposed to follow a very specific, linear path. In my community, if you weren’t aiming for Medicine or Engineering, the only ‘respectable’ backup was Commerce. So, there I was, an average commerce student, surrounded by T-accounts, balance sheets, and the constant pressure of preparing for CA foundation exams. But while my hands were busy balancing debits and credits, my mind was always wandering into the shapes of the clouds outside the window or the intricate patterns on my mother’s sarees. I was a dreamer in a world of calculators. I knew I wanted to be a designer, but coming from a background with zero exposure to the creative industry, the National Institute of Design (NID) felt like a distant planet—one that I didn’t have the coordinates for.

The self-doubt was paralyzing. Every time I looked at NID toppers’ portfolios online, I saw incredible sketches and complex artworks. I felt like an imposter. How could a commerce student from Kerala, who only knew how to draw stick figures and basic landscapes, ever hope to compete with the best creative minds in the country? I didn’t have a portfolio, I didn’t have a mentor, and most importantly, I didn’t have a plan. All I had was a burning desire to create.

The Turning Point: Discovering myentrance.in

I spent months aimlessly sketching, but I was going nowhere. I needed a bridge between my raw ambition and the technical requirements of the NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT). That is when I stumbled upon myentrance.in. I remember the night clearly; the monsoon rain was lashing against my window, and I was about to give up on a particularly difficult perspective drawing. A simple search for ‘NID mock tests’ led me to this platform, and honestly, it changed the trajectory of my life.

What struck me first about myentrance.in wasn’t just the content, but the empathy in their approach. It didn’t feel like a cold, corporate coaching site. It felt like a guide. I started exploring their free resources and eventually signed up for their full course. For the first time, the massive, intimidating wall of the NID syllabus was broken down into manageable bricks. I wasn’t just looking at ‘art’; I was learning about design thinking, visual perception, and spatial awareness—concepts that were explained so simply that even someone who spent their days studying ‘Macroeconomics’ could understand them.

The Game-Changer: Mock Tests and PYQ Breakdowns

If you ask me what the single most important factor in my success was, I would scream ‘MOCK TESTS’ from the rooftops. But not just any mock tests—the ones on myentrance.in. The NID exam is notorious for its unpredictability. You can’t just ‘study’ for it; you have to train your brain to react to the unexpected. The Mock Tests provided by MyEntrance were eerily similar to the actual exam environment. They pushed me to manage my time, which was my biggest weakness. I used to spend forty minutes on a single sketch, but the timed mocks forced me to deliver quality in fifteen.

Furthermore, their breakdown of Previous Year Questions (PYQs) was a goldmine. Instead of just giving the answers, the platform explained the ‘why’ behind each successful design solution. I learned how to approach the 10-mark creative questions by breaking them down into empathy, ideation, and execution. I stopped drawing what looked ‘pretty’ and started drawing what ‘solved the problem.’ This shift in mindset was entirely due to the structured feedback and high-quality solutions provided by the MyEntrance team. I went from scoring 40% in my initial attempts to consistently hitting the 70s in their simulated rankings.

The Emotional Rollercoaster: Dealing with Doubt

Preparation isn’t just about books and pencils; it’s about the war in your head. There were many days in Kerala where the humidity felt as heavy as my heart. My friends were getting into great B.Com colleges, and here I was, practicing how to draw a ‘teapot from the perspective of an ant.’ My relatives would ask, ‘What is the scope of drawing?’ or ‘Why not just do an MBA?’ These comments stung. I had nights where I would sit in front of the myentrance.in dashboard, feeling like I was wasting my time.

But the community and the success stories on the platform kept me anchored. I realized that my background in commerce wasn’t a liability; it was a unique lens. I started using my understanding of economics to inform my design choices—thinking about the cost-effectiveness of materials or the marketability of a product. The resources on MyEntrance didn’t try to turn me into a fine artist; they helped me become a designer who understands the real world. That distinction saved my sanity and fueled my motivation during the darkest months of preparation.

The Studio Test: Beyond the Paper

When I cleared the NID DAT Prelims, I was over the moon, but then the realization hit: The Studio Test was next. This was the stage where you had to work with clay, wire, and cloth to create 3D models. As a commerce student, I hadn’t touched clay since kindergarten! Again, I turned to myentrance.in. Their online tutorials for the Studio Test were a lifesaver. They taught me the basics of material handling and how to articulate my thoughts during the interview.

I remember practicing with a ‘Studio Test Kit’ I assembled based on their recommendations. I turned my kitchen into a mini-workshop, much to my mother’s dismay. I learned that the Studio Test isn’t about building a masterpiece; it’s about showing the jury how you think under pressure. The confidence I gained from the mock interview sessions on the platform allowed me to walk into the NID campus with my head held high, ready to show them that a commerce student from Kerala could hold their own against anyone.

The Result: A Dream Realized

The day the final results came out, I was terrified to check the website. My whole family gathered around the laptop. When the screen loaded and I saw ‘Qualified’ next to my name, the room erupted. We weren’t just celebrating an exam result; we were celebrating the breaking of a barrier. I had proven that your academic stream doesn’t dictate your future. I was going to NID.

Looking back, I realize that hard work was only half the battle. The other half was having the right tools. Without the Mock Tests, the structured guidance, and the constant inspiration from myentrance.in, I would have been lost in the fog of my own uncertainty. To every student in Kerala or anywhere else who feels like an outsider to the design world: please don’t give up. The path is hard, but with the right guidance, it is absolutely achievable. You have a unique story to tell through your design—don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.