Mystory@Paulami Sane: How I chose my course and college

Even before I appeared for my 10^th boards I had to choose which classes (coaching centre) I will be attending for CET as well as Class 11^th and 12^th. Everyone in my family is an engineer. All through school everyone knew that I did not want to do engineering.  When I couldn't figure out what I really wanted to do, my parents enrolled me for PCM+ CET classes. 

Once classes started I struggled to convince myself that this is what I wanted to do. But my heart wasn't in it. I was always good at everything I did and studying something I never wanted to do in the first place turned everything upside down.

I knew I wanted to do something in the creative field. After a few unsuccessful and traumatic trips to the career counselor, I told my parents upfront that I want to pursue a design course.

Everyone used to say that it is scary not knowing where your life is heading and trust me, I was scared at that time. There were many questions in my head – Should I join some classes to crack the entrance exam? What if I don't get in? What if I don't focus on my JEE classes? What if I fail at both because of this uncertainty?

My parents knew nothing about this field. One day my parents told me that if I feel like doing something else, I should go with my gut and that “they know that I'll work hard and do well”. I still remember the confidence boost I got from this one sentence. I understood the importance of – surrounding yourself with positivity and people who believe in you.

How I cracked college admission

There are very few good design colleges in India. With only two government colleges, the fee of other colleges is nothing less than Rs 4-5 lakhs per year. So, I had to get in to a good government college. I joined 'graphiques' an institute in Juhu, Bombay. The teacher was experienced and knew exactly what she was doing. With only 4 months to prepare I knew I had to work hard. To crack entrance exams for Design college admissions one needs to have drawing skills, general knowledge aptitude and tons of creativity. My teacher guided me so that I could make the most of the time I had at hand.

 Apart from NIFT, I also applied for NID, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology and MIT Institute of Design. You get two chances to give NIFT Entrance Exam. The paper has two parts. CAT (Creative Ability Test) and GAT (General Ability Test). My CAT exam had three questions which required a mix of creative thinking and drawing skills. For NIFT admissions, if you pass the first round you need to appear for a situation test which tests your material handling skills. My AIR rank was 99 in NIFT entrance exam.

Fashion Design is the most sought after course at National Institutes of Fashion Technology (NIFTs). NIFT Delhi and Mumbai are the best centers for this course and they have 15 seats in each category and so their seats fill up first.

In NIFT counselling session they put up the number of seats available for admission and call students according to their ranks. This process takes place simultaneously all over the country at NIFT centers. It is a test of your courage as you watch the seats being taken by higher rankers. I was the 2^nd last person to get in to the fashion design department at NIFT. 

My college life: classes, extra-curricular activities and more

Starting college, a new phase in your life, is exciting. Starting college life in a design school like NIFT Mumbai is even more exciting.

Assignments given to us here are so interesting that it doesn’t feel like we are working. Every Wednesday after 4:30 pm we have ‘zero hour’. During this time, a lot of activities are held at the college. We’ve had fashion shows, printing and dyeing workshops, competitions, lectures etc.

The college fest is a two day programme filled with competitions and performances. The highlight of this fest is a fashion show featuring garments made by the students of different departments as a part of their curriculum. The college has state-of-the-art facilities and labs.

Along with practical work we also have a few theory subjects. Most of the faculty members are alumni of the college and are well known within the industry. They are passionate and disciplined.  The students are treated like professionals and are allowed to experiment a lot.

The course is planned in such a way that at the end of the year, we have to make a project, a craft cluster or undergo an internship so as to implement everything that we have learnt throughout the year. These internships are offered by the college at well-known brands as the faculty members have contacts all across the country. The institute offers a dual degree opportunity to study at FIT, New York and take part in exchange programmes at colleges in Melbourne, Milan, Tokyo, London, etc.

The faculty members are very supportive and try their best to encourage the students to get out of their comfort zone.

About the Author:

I am Paulami Sane, a 2^nd year Fashion Design student at National Institute of Fashion Design, Mumbai. I have been a part of Shiksha since the last 4 months. I enjoy watching movies which have a historic theme. I would describe myself as a coffee enthusiast and cake connoisseur.