Loans, Worth It?
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- RussellBeazell
I have a choice to either start working now at a small design studio in Boca Raton, FL or go back to a school like SVA and get a bachelors degree. Right now I only have a diploma from a one year degree. I have no debt. I would be about $120,000 in debt if I went to a school like SVA. I want top of the line education but it seems like I could end up in a better lifestyle if I don't go back to school.
Is going to an amazing school like SVA worth leaving my average paying graphic design job in at a small ad agency in a small town and taking on massive debt?
- MrDinky0
why not work and go to school at the same time?
- RussellBeazell0
there aren't any good schools nearby.
- Miami Ad School, Ringling, and AI. Although AI-Lauderdale sucks.amongthemasses
- AI Lauderdale is where I got my diploma lolRussellBeazell
- amongthemasses0
Never worth accumulating dept if you don't need to. Design is one of those rarer careers as well where a dgree doesn't mean you can design. Work hard and prove yourself and then move to a bigger firm.
- debt not dept.amongthemasses
- actually ton of fuck ups in this paragraph...ha.amongthemasses
- lolairey
- designbot0
No, do not become a slave to debt. Seriously not worth it. If you can get into a studio like you say, it will be 10 times better then school.
- so is school just so someone can get into an opening position like I am in now?RussellBeazell
- I think so. I have a 2 year degree but self taught myself design and I am doing just fine.designbot
- flashbender0
why do you want to go to school?
Do you think it will make you a better designer? Better than say, experience and self-instruction can?
Or do you just want to be able to say you hold a degree from SVA?
That's the question to ask yourself.
- MrDinky0
btw SVA is not such a good school.
- d_rek0
I used school as more of a vehicle for exposure to a career I had little to no knowledge of. There were also plentiful internship oppurtunites available as well. The degree helps but I think ultimately it's what's in your portfolio that matters.
- airey0
modern life is debt management. don't be scared to borrow - it's pretty much the only way to actually get ahead unless you have a bank behind you in the form of family or fortune.
saying that amongthemasses is right in that design is one of those fields that doesn't care much about the piece of paper. the question you need to ask is, will you be more employable and a better designer if you spend more time learning your craft in a learning educational environment vs learning on the job.
your loan now may earn you much better money in the future, then again the wrong place might just cost you a lot and teach you little. learn on the job at the wrong place and you'll be hindering your career path. learn on the job at the right place and you'll be miles ahead.
good luck.
- tkmeister0
if it was for RISD or Yale, it's a whole different story. but SVA??
- designbot0
@airey
Don't take it personally, but I highly disagree with debt and borrowing being the only way to get ahead. This is a lie that most people believe these days. The best thing you can do for yourself is to NOT spend money you don't have. Especially in the US, the whole system is setup to take advantage of us schmucks who constantly borrow money. The banks and credit card companies are getting filthy rich off us. Plenty of people are in a bottomless pit because of this....look no further than the mortgage crisis.Save your money for school if you want to go that bad. But with design you would be much better off to get experience through working and learning on your own. It's all about your work.
- sputnik20
"it seems like I could end up in a better lifestyle if I don't go back to school" - that may seem so in the short-term, but believe me in the long-term you will make MUCH more money with a degree. i'm generalizing and lots of people make lots of money without one, but you better your chances tremendously by having one.
when the whole dot-com thing went bust a few years ago i was able to get all sorts of jobs outside my field because of my education. without it, i would've been bagging groceries.
- I agree with what your saying, but he already has an opportunity set up.designbot
- what about in 10 years? when things get tougher? as i said, it's a long-term mindset.sputnik2
- Once you have experience in design...it doesn't matter. Nobody would take a degree over quality design.designbot
- sorry, I am just super anti-debt :)
School is def good if you can pay cash.designbot - i agree w/the debt...i worked my way through thankfully. that being said, i'm still firmly for a degree. just MO.sputnik2
- Mimio0
Consider a university instead on of an art school for undergrad too.
- MrDinky0
+ 10000000000000000000000000000000...
Mimio
- RussellBeazell0
what I meant by having a better lifestyle is that right now I can be making a nice salary and live a comfortable life. If I take out loans then I would have to be making more and could possibly have less money to live on then if I had just started working.
- scarabin_net0
people go to school so they can get a job and have money.
you seem to want to go to school and have no money.would you rather have money, or a piece of paper on your wall you can point out to friends?
- SoulFly0
If you have a steady job, it is a risk-factor to break that and then try to come back, you will create dept and also not make money.
I read an article from an economist one time, and it had a good example... What if Bono of U2 decided to go back to college full-time? He would lose millions of dollars from the time he is not working. So Bono already makes good income, it would not be of any advantage to go back to school.On the other hand... I noticed that more than ever a lot of companies are asking for Bachelor's degrees.
- airey0
hey designbot, that's an opinion and valid. all i can say is that without a bit of controlled borrowing it's very hard for some people to get ahead. i'm not talking 12 credit cards (i have 2, 1 for business use and 1 tied into the home loan as an offset account. both paid off every month.)
all i can offer is my experience:
1. to get my first car i had to get a loan. this led to smaller loans for future cars (i did try sticking with the first car but it eventually went the way of the dodo, cost me to have to borrow 100% against the new one dang it). granted you don't have to have a car but try living in a city this size (brisbane - geographically but not population wise) and you're buggered. just today i have to drive to the gold coast for a meeting - 1.2 hours by car. i drive a mazda 3, small and cheap car but reliable so i'm not talking porche size loans here. without a car i couldn't run my business. others would agree but that depends on your city obviously.
2. a house. you don't have to buy but unless you're clever enough to invest a percentage of your wage / income a home is a good starter in an investment plan for some kind of stability in both short term and mainly loooong term life choices. the equity in a home will let you borrow for future important issues - business startup, kids education, emergency stuff.
these issues may not seem important depending on your age but i would imagine anyone over 30 would understand the theory.
a loan will also start building a credit history also which is important for your future insofar as offering options you can use if need be. need cash to start up a business, there you go.
just an opinion.
- robotron3k0
save your money, the US market will bottom out in the next 60 days and probably won't recover for 6 months.
- airey0
what are design internships like in the US? do you get paid well? how long do they last? the trend is starting to come over here to some bigger firms i've heard. could be wrong.
- my internship was 12 weeks unpaid and full time.RussellBeazell
- ukit0
120k??? Are you kidding me? Not worth it!
Getting a good design job isn't contingent on having a good degree. I only spent 25k on 4 years of college and am doing just fine. If you are going to be a doctor or a lawyer then yes, but 120k for a design degree is a bad investment.
- if the degree comes platinum coated it might be. wear it around your neck...airey