quit college?
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- Hewmiri
hey everyone... I'm in a dilemma and I need some professional advice. I'm on summer vacation between a 2 year interactive design program. I just turned 19 and I'm contemplating whether or not I should quit school. right now I'm working at a very nice design firm for the summer and I seem to be learning more here than I did at first year of school. honestly, everyone in my class is a beginner and I can't stand it.
so is a diploma really that valuable? should I waste another year of my young life going to school?
by the way, I'm more of a designer than a programmer, and apparently we're going to be learning php and such in the second year.
AND I have to take english classes...
argh.
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
Tiger Woods quit college to 'go pro' and look where it got him.
:)
- MyNameIsPhil0
A) Your 19... so going to school is not wasting your life.
B) Having a degree in interactive media helped me alot
C) Your probably going to have about 15 different jobs by the time your 30 (this industry can be unstable).
D) Not may designers can code. So even if you know a little bit you will be ahead of the curve.My advice to you. See if you can work on the days your not in school. Become a freelance designer for them. This way you will be able to build a portfolio with real clients and still work towards a degree
Finally, what school are you going to? And where are you working? Just curious
- fate_0
I completely agree with myNameisPhil...you have the rest of your life to work. Take this as a good time to educate yourself while being able to pick and choose what freelance clients to take on, and build a really strong portfolio.
Ask the place you're working at about off-site work.
- CincodeMayo0
Milk college for all it's worth. The real world isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I wish I could go back to the time where my day didn't start until noon, it ended by 2, then bummed around for the rest of the day. Ah, memories.
- Hewmiri0
I'm working at http://www.enginedigital.com
working for clients like Telus, Intrawest, Blue Man Group and such...
by the way my portfolio is http://www.humili.com
- mr_snuggles0
I never graduated and I'm doing just fine...
what was your question again?
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
i agree w/phil...
.. but if you're not happy in school and not up to the academic crap (english etc)...
... then you can ALWAYS go back... and maintain your credits (at least you can for alot of schools here in the states)...... i didn't goto school until I was 23...
... my mom's 56 - she just finished (not that that's too productive... but school and learning will alwyas be there)...
... weigh out the pros and cons of the situation -
you seem to be happy at the studio right now (will that last?... can you keep working there past the summer?)...
... as a designer - on-the-job experience counts FOR MORE than school...
... it's just at school... that's where I got all the inspiration and decided what aspect of the field I really wanted to pursue... on the job - that 'energy' of the classroom doesn't always exist.
- MyNameIsPhil0
Milk college for all it's worth. The real world isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I wish I could go back to the time where my day didn't start until noon, it ended by 2, then bummed around for the rest of the day. Ah, memories.
CincodeMayo
(Jul 27 06, 23:45)listen to CincodeMayo... your young... so take advantage of being free. dont force your self in to a cubical or office now. save that for when your older and your prostate is swollen up like a cantaloupe
- fate_0
Also, if you're not happy with the Art program, find something else you're interested in. If you truly don't feel like you're being challenged or are learning anything worth while, don't waste your money.
Psychology, Business, Marketing, IT...these would all be just as good majors to help you get a job in the creative industry.
- REALLY_REAL0
All these dues are lying. Not one web firm asks if you graduated school. Quit.
- Hewmiri0
it's not an art program, it's an interactive design program. learning basic html, css, marketing, information architecture, etc.
thanks guys for all the replies... I still REALLY don't want to go back to school though... I don't think I'd learn a lot of useful things, so I'd just be going there to get the papers.
if I owned a design firm and was hiring, I wouldn't even look at the school certification crap...
- mr_snuggles0
your work is pretty good mate, I think you've probably gotten as much as your gonna get out of school. I think if you have the opportunity to get some proper experience you may as well start the downward spiral now...
get it over with, uknowhatimsayin'...
- mrpt0
I say stay in school just one more year. It will go by faster than you think, and you'll be surprised by some of the things you learn.
Don't be such in a rush to work for the man. Trust me, that too will suck after a bit.
- kelpie0
right, if you're not interested in learning to code then your folio clearly shows you've got skills and might as well just use them if you've an in somewhere, you will learn more that way. The only thing I regret about doing the same thing is that I sometimes wish I had been on the kind of course where they open your mind a bit more to conceptual thinking (and finished it), I could do with some of that right now.
do those courses exist? fucked if I know, frankly.
- mr_snuggles0
conceptual thinking courses, Kelpie?
they exist, but mostly not at college level. and usually don't go hand in hand with technical courses... from my experience, the emphasis is usually on one or the other...
- kelpie0
I suppose I just meant a bit more of an 'arty' graphics course, really.
kindly check your Gmail missa snuggs...
- phatlee0
I'd stay at college just because you have 40+ years of working. Enjoy it whilst you can, you might regret it when your older.
- studderine0
Exactly, school is your chance to learn things that you may not learn in the real world, but either way you can't make up your mind talking about it online. Go see your advisor and see what they think. Exploration is encouraged in school, not so much in the "real world".
- phatlee0
oh, and nice site Hewmiri.
- jamble0
Tiger Woods quit college to 'go pro' and look where it got him.
:)
PonyBoy
(Jul 27 06, 23:35)yeah, he's a shit designer. You should stay in school and don't do drugs.