i went to uni to do Graphic Design because my parents told me you couldn't get a career in art. i failed dismally and in retrospect i wish i'd done Sculpture or Illustration.

I didn't even consider graphic design at the time, I don't know why. Now I would totally tell anyone to just do what they really like - in the end (unless you want to go into a scientific field maybe) it really doesn't seem to matter that much, careerwise.

Anyone else? I mean, yes, I'm also pimping my design because the votes have been nonexistent lately, but I'm also genuinely curious as to where you got yer skillz...

yep, utter waste of time. could have saved myself £15k and just got a job to start with.

I have a multimedia degree which has been of fuck all use to me. Never had art schooling.

Why a waste exactly? I often wonder if a little theory or more know-how or at least just the impetus to be doing art or design all the time maybe makes it worth it. I used to write all the time when I was in college, then I stopped. I really thought I would be a writer but I just didn't have the discipline anymore after being out of school a while.

The education I received was all about the creativity, which I've never really had a problem with. If I was taught technical stuff, like a plumber might get taught about what pipes do what and what tools to use, then it wouldn't have been a waste of time. I guess it's my fault for not researching the courses available.



The fact is, no employee is ever going to want to see my degree, they just want to see work examples, and I could easily have put together a portfolio of self initated stuff without spending 3 years in education.

At that time I had no idea what I wanted to study, left it to the last minute and then did the media degree as I thought it would be interesting. Some of the practical stuff I learnt was ok, but 90% of it I could have taught myself, and when I finished I was not drawn to any kind of media career.



I squandered my Uni years and wish I'd studied something like zoology.



For a couple of years after graduating I applied for jobs in the industry but since I wasn't focussed enough, I fucked them all up. No-one ever asked to see proof of the degree.

Nice design by the way. I'd wear the grey.

i went and am still going to OCAD, for an illustration major. i'm starting my fourth and final year (thesis year) in september and although it cost a shitload i think it was worth it because i was totally not ready to not be in school, and i skipped like several levels between 1st year and 2nd year with how much my illustrations got better.

i'm also really glad i did because it was the initial asskicking boost/reason for me to get out of my hometown which i hated and i got to meet a lot of likeminded people who are now my best friends.

I went to study illustration when I was 17, and managed to finish with a lot of difficulty.



Looking back I should have waited for a couple of years before starting. I would have learned more then I think. Now I feel like it was just a waste of time.

i did for 4 months. i got utterly screwed on my financial aid package which the school i went to takes complete and utter control of, and wouldn't let me add housing costs. that ended up with me doing a bit of couch surfing which eventually led to living in my car.



to be fair, my first red flag should've been the fact that the graphic design/digital filmmaking/video production course i'd signed up for had just been "updated" from the former program that for ten years had been marketed to the "grunge" crowd as "have you ever wanted to work in the music industry?", "have you ever wanted to make music videos?" the commercial they ran had a generic grunge-type soundtrack in the background as a 30-something in flannel, torn jeans and docs walked around what was supposed to look like a music video set.



in my defense, i was pretty high when i had the epiphany to enroll...



i got what i wanted from reading the textbooks and such that i was left with after dropping out. though i don't use any of that knowledge now, the best thing i got out of it was a pair of sony studio headphones. those i do use every day...

Thanks Bramish!



Yeah, degrees are mostly bullshit for most creative jobs - obviously portfolio is what matters. I love the student life though, I tried to stay in it for as long as I possibly could - and I would think that art school must have some pretty cool positives too, which I guess, is what ginette is saying.



radiostatic, I don't even know what to say about your program. Except your story made me laugh. Also, living in your car = character building?

Yeah, I have a degree in Visual Communications which basically gives me the right to say I have a degree in Visual Communications, and that's about it. I don't know if I could say its worth it, but I know it doesn't hurt. I guess I can say it helped to get me a job, and gave me some skills that I didn't have before.

bumps for other time zones...

I have a degree in English Literature and had an amazing time at uni, have no regrets about that at all. I was not thinking in any way in terms of jobs (and still aren't), but I am pretty well set up with that side of things if I ever want to be. However, I'm seriously thinking about going back to do an illustration course, mainly because I want to learn the skills and be pushed to doing better things. Though I'd only go if I knew it was somewhere really decent

I didn't pass the talent test for the course I wanted-- Fine Arts - Visual Communication



:c

I have an AA in Liberal Arts if that counts? I'm so bad at school :/

nope - I did take ap art in high school





LOLZ

Baron, I understand now why your subs always seem to have a literary quality to them! I don't regret my creative writing/literature degree either - it was what I was most interested in at the time. But I do envy people that get to learn lots of new art things too. Assuming you do learn art things - from what some of you are saying, it sounds kind of less than practical sometimes.



feanne, that sucks - sometimes it does seem weird to me that you have to already be a good artist to study art.

great design



reminds me of the writing workshops i took at uni

i majored in regular writing. but i mostly do creative writing.

*cough*

you should get that checked out

"yo, check us out!"

Heh, shirtflirt, like all those cats are sitting around talking about how the ending really resonated? And that this piece would be much improved if you would show, not tell what was going on?

haha, EXPOSTION is NOT our FRIEND.



i can hear the professor yelling that to this day :)

This bump totally resonates.

I did and I loved it.

I went where ginette is going now.

I studied Communication. At the moment, I am doing an online certificate program at Sessions Online School of Design. It's been helpful, but really difficult to discipline myself into giving it priority. Just cus I have a full-time job and my graphic design on the side. Noentheless, I do feel it's been helpful in teaching me the practical program stuff.



I think schooling in something is always beneficial. You're learning. It's never useless.

School is cool. One more bump for the topic and any art school stories anyone else might have to share...

i'm going to Canisius college for Digital media Arts. I went to a communtiy college for 2 years for graphic design. i find it weird, cuz every school almost have a different name for graphic design.

Fashion Design degree.



I answer phones.





Nice design! :)

Do you answer phones for Tim Gunn?

Eek, this thread makes me worry about considering an art school. I want to go into advertising/photography....any horror stories for that?