To Art School or Not…

Monday I filled out some ‘more info’ applications for two art schools that offer e-learning courses; Academy of Art University (in San Fran), & SCAD, these are the only ones I could find that had online ‘illustration’ programs. SCAD said it would be 2-4 weeks before they could send me any info, but Academy of Art Uni actually called me Tuesday. I spoke to one of the e-learning admissions person and she emailed me the foundations dept portfolio submission guidelines.

OMG all of the tedious drawings I’m going to have to do for this is crazy. 3 pages (w/ 6 line items each) of different drawings each on 18×24 paper. @_@

So I got to thinking, and picked the brains of my friends over this. Do I really want a BFA in Illustration or would it be more beneficial to go for a BFA in Graphic Design?

I’m pretty sure I’m going to do a BFA in Graphic Design. That piece of paper is really more of a formality, I went to Community College and took every single art related course they offered, and my school I went to in the military was a graphic design school. I’ve also taken various art/graphics related classes through out my life. It’s just for a well paying steady job I need that piece of paper.

I’m going scout a few more schools before I make a decision, but I definitely want to start working on this by Fall, maybe even as early as Summer. I need to contact the CC I went to and find out how much of my military training will transfer over.

As many who work Freelance know, our situation is Feast/Famine cycle which is very frustrating and nerve wracking. Needless to say with the current state of the economy it’s been mostly famine. I need to improve my financial situation and getting my degree is the only way I can do it and be happy. I do not want to go back into office work (as a CS Rep, Collections Rep, a Secretary or anything like that.) It seems that every office job I get they look at the fact that I’ve worked in graphics and try to get by with me doing graphics work for what they pay a lowly admin. If I say ‘no’ or give them conditions (like they can pay me freelance and I can work on it after hours at home with the proper tools); I’m always told that I have to fit it in with my regular work and they change my job description to include it. Ever try to make a professional looking flier with MS Word and MS Paint, what a joke.

I’m tired of being taken advantage of like that.