20 year old BBA student from tier-3 college in India trying to break into UI/UX + Frontend — is my plan realistic?
Hey everyone,
I'm 20, doing BBA from a tier-3 college in Chhattisgarh, India. My family wants me to prepare for SBI PO (government banking exam) but I've convinced them to give me till March 2027 to prove myself in tech.
My goal is to become a UI/UX Designer + Frontend Developer — what some people call a Design Engineer. Long term I want to work remotely for international companies and eventually run my own design agency.
\*\*My current situation:\*\*
\- Complete beginner, started 2 months ago
\- Doing IBM UX Design Certificate on Coursera
\- Learning HTML/CSS on Codedex
\- Just attended my first Friends of Figma event in Bhilai today
\- Planning Google UX + Meta UX certificates next
\- 8 months to prove myself to my family
\*\*My honest concerns:\*\*
\- Does a BBA degree hurt my chances in tech?
\- Is 8 months realistic to be job or freelance ready?
\- Portfolio vs certificates — which matters more?
\- How do I get my first client or internship with no experience?
\- Any advice for someone starting from scratch in a tier-3 city with no connections?
I know the road is hard. I just want honest feedback from people who've actually been through this. No sugarcoating please.
Thanks in advance 🙏