graphic design schools

Originally posted by Fig

flack, i think the point was aimed at two-year art institute-type schools that are high dollar and low content

Just a stereotype.

I think you gave some good advice about looking into a junior college to find out what you want to do exactly.

Flackbait:

Your post made a lot of sense. That is probably what I will do if I am deadly serious about doing art for my entire life when it's closer for me to go off to college. But right now, I'm not 100% sure if I want to do art with my life. I might want to work elsewhere in a magazine or advertising company, so that I would be around art but that wouldnt be "my job", persay. And while doing art would be a really great life ... if it doesn't work out, I wouldn't be left with much to do (except go back to school). Also, while doing art would be a really great life ... I know I'm smart enough to do much more than that.

So I really don't know what to think about it. Neither me or my parents have really thought about going to a 2.5 year school, just because its not really conventional for our family. They think it's kinda wierd that I want to do art, and I understand why. Thats why I want to do something a little more cerebral, like advertising.

So if I'm not completely sure about art as a life, I could go to a big 4 year university and do something like business as a major and minor in graphic design.

Fig: Like I said, at this point in my life, I want to do advertisting, either freelance, for a corporation, or for a company. This most definately requires knowlegde of business and marketing, no? It takes a little bit more than being able to draw awesome robots and watercolor landscapes. As I mentioned to FlackBait, I don't want to waste all my cerebral abilities (no offense to anyone - I hope you know what I mean).

tom

2 things:

1. if you plan to do anything freelance 96% of the time you need to work for a large company/studio/firm first. learn how things are done, why they're done that way, and what you want to do differently. then go out on your own. advertising/marketing is a major onto itself btw. chances are you also can't minor in graphic design anywhere but i could be wrong. creative fields are generally not considered applicable for part-tiem study.

2. you're selling design short if its not "cerebral" enough for you (you're also a bit deluded if you consider advertising more cerebral, but we won't go there). who goes to art galleries, the common guy or a more society, intellectual crowd? mhmm. what do think of when you think of great intellectual periods like the height of the roman empire or the italian renaissance? that's right, technology, philosophy, art and architecture. art and design have always been marks of advanced cultures, and there's a whole lot more to design than making websites. read some materials from steven heller or phillip meggs and see if you don't learn something

chris

1. Is advertising/marketing a major in itself? Would that be something I could do at the University of Texas or North Carolina or something? Or would that be something I'd have to do at one of those 2.5 year schools?

2. I understand what you mean about artists being very intellectual, but at times it seems to me that its a different kind of intellect than I possess. I am a math and science kinda guy, which is why some find it weird that I like art so much. From my experience (this is probably a stereotype), artists are more into less critical subjects, such as literature and poetry. I'm no good at analyzing any of that stuff, and although I like to read sometimes, it is purely for enjoyment. This is why I might not want to totally immerse myself in art and design in post-secondary school, as I don't want to lose the interest for math and science.

3. Thanks for the replies - every post helps me learn more about life after high school. I live way up here in Newfoundland it is a very closed community (no offense heathrowe) and nobody is much help when it comes to school counselling. If I attended HS in the states, there would be a little more support when it comes to choosing schools and getting to know what college is all about. But not here - so I have to use other resources I have, such as this forum. So thanks again.

tom

Do not major in the arts. It's really not worth it, like Derek pointed out. You should major in something other than designing so if designing doesn't work out, or has a really slow start, you always have something else going for you. It's not good to major in a hobby, imo. Like music or art, I'd never major in ... I'd major in business ... especially if I had my design skill already down. The business schooling would help me start a business, while my talent would serve the purpous of the business ... or whatever.

that site looks like it only has little 2 year schools, doesnt have any "real" schools. And it doesnt really review them all, i can see is the site just a huge promotional site for schools that want on the site.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by .02
[B]Do not major in the arts. It's really not worth it, like Derek pointed out. You should major in something other than designing so if designing doesn't work out, or has a really slow start, you always have something else going for you.[/quote]

if you read an earlier post i made you'd realize that many jobs simply require A degree, not necessarily a related one. lots of folks work in fields not at all related to their major. why major in something you don't want to if you don't have to?

[QUOTE]It's not good to major in a hobby, imo. Like music or art, I'd never major in ... I'd major in business ... especially if I had my design skill already down. The business schooling would help me start a business, while my talent would serve the purpous of the business ... or whatever. [/B][/QUOTE]

2 points here:

1. if i can get paid for a "hobby", something i really like to do, you better freakin' believe i'm gonna major in it, get as good as possible, and get a job doing something i love. why would you NOT?

2. this isn't directed at you personally, but you're not as good as you think you are. at age 18-20-something you don't have your design skill "down". you need time working in school and then on real projects to develop your voice as a designer. you also probably don't want to start a business right out of school, you want to get some experience first so you know what to do and what not to do. school doesn't teach you that.

chris