Anmol Satankar’s NID journey did not begin with a perfect plan. He first spent a year preparing for JEE in Kota before realising that the path did not suit him. Design gave him a new direction, but even there, his first strong NID performance came with an unexpected setback.
After missing out on admission because of his Class 12 result, Anmol returned for another attempt. This time, he secured AIR 49 in NID Prelims, backed by intensive sketching practice, lessons from his previous attempt, and the determination to make his second opportunity count.
From JEE in Kota to Finding Design
After scoring around 89% in Class 10, Anmol believed Mathematics could be one of his strengths and went to Kota for JEE preparation. A year later, he realised engineering preparation was not working for him.
“Mujhe lag raha tha ki JEE mujhse nahi hoga.”
He returned home and shifted his attention towards design, eventually dedicating a full year to NID preparation.
“Maine saal bhar sirf NID ki taiyari kari.”
Changing direction gave Anmol a chance to put his effort into something that suited his creative interests better.
Movies Became Anmol’s Sketching Practice
Drawing was not always Anmol’s strength. To improve it, he developed an unusual practice method: he would watch films, pause visually interesting frames, and sketch what he saw.
“Koi bhi ek frame jo achha lagta tha, main usko pause kar leta tha aur main usko sketch karta tha.”
This exposed him to different people, objects, environments and compositions while helping him build a stronger visual library.
“Din ke andar main 18 to 20 sketches at least karta tha.”
During his drop year, he sometimes pushed that number as high as 35 sketches in a day. What started as a weakness gradually became one of the strongest areas of his NID preparation.
His First NID Success Came With a Difficult Setback
Anmol had already performed strongly in NID once, securing SC Category AIR 29 in Prelims and AIR 16 in Mains. However, his intense focus on NID had come at the cost of his Class 12 preparation.
“Maine mere boards ki taiyari bilkul bhi nahi kari.”
A compartment in Mathematics meant that despite his NID performance, he could not proceed with admission.
“Mujhe 12th mein Maths ke subject ke andar compartment aa gaya.”
It became one of the biggest lessons of his journey: entrance preparation and board eligibility cannot be treated separately.
How Anmol Made Drawing His Biggest Strength
In his latest attempt, Anmol’s Part A performance was not as strong as he wanted. He scored only five marks in that section, making his creative performance even more important.
“Part A mein mere 25 mein se five aaye hain.”
That result was especially striking because drawing had once been an area where he struggled.
“Mera pehle drawing bahut kharab tha.”
Repeated sketching helped him improve his speed, observation and visual memory. Instead of looking for a shortcut, Anmol built his drawing ability through volume and consistency.
Practice Turned Into Anmol’s Biggest Preparation Tool
Anmol does not expect students to begin by completing 20 or 30 sketches every day. For school-going aspirants, even a smaller but consistent target can help.
“Agar aap 12th mein ho... kam se kam five sketches karo.”
The improvement, according to him, becomes visible with repetition. A sketch that initially takes a long time can gradually become much quicker.
“Day one pe aapko 30 minute lage honge... Day 100 pe aapko insaan banane ke liye five minute lagenge.”
Films, everyday objects, people and different materials can all become practice references. The important part is starting and continuing long enough to see the difference.
Finding a Preparation Method That Works for You
One of the useful takeaways from Anmol’s interaction with PW Design & Architecture was that students do not necessarily need to copy another topper’s preparation method exactly.
For Anmol, films became an effective way to practise. Another aspirant may find parks, streets, objects or everyday surroundings more useful.
“Aap kuch aur bhi soch sakte ho jo aapko hit karta ho.”
What matters is identifying something that helps you practise consistently and gradually build your creative ability.
“Uske liye zaroori ye hai ki aap apna Day One chalu karo.”
Anmol’s journey shows how a personalised practice method, when followed consistently, can turn an initially weak skill into a major strength.
Anmol’s Message to Future NID Aspirants
After JEE preparation, a strong first NID attempt, losing an admission opportunity and returning with AIR 49, Anmol keeps his advice simple.
“Lage raho, ho jayega.”
But his journey also adds a practical lesson to that message: listen to useful advice, do not neglect boards, and give improvement enough time.
“Logon ki sunna zaroori hota hai.”
Anmol’s second chance at NID was built on lessons from the first. Instead of allowing one setback to end his design journey, he returned knowing what had gone wrong and what he needed to do differently.
Live & recorded classes available at easeDashboard for progress trackingLakhs of practice questions
