design school

[sonagi]

im currently a freshman at boston college (finance major) and ive decided to transfer to a design school (pratt, risd, sva, or parsons). however, my brother was telling me that getting a degree in business will help me out later with whatever i do so i should go study design after i finish school. Is this true? IAre the rest of the three years and a half and the shitload of tuition worth it in the end?

[fndmybetterhalf]

i think more than anything it opens up your options much more. Im pretty much in the same boat but i'm planning on graduating from UW with a Communications degree and going straight to an art school where i'll study Visual Comm Design for my second bachelors. Most people would ask...why the fuck are you doing that? Well...Communications in itself just seems like an empty major especially since everyone and their grandmother has a Communications degree, therefore i'm pursuing Visual Com Design to open up my options incase i end up not doing any kind of design work...i still have my communications degree to work with. So yeah...my advice, keep doing business as a backup.

[artificialsky]

who needs school?! all you need is a pirated version of creative suite and a blank t-shirt template jpg and you're ready to enter the EXCITING WORLD OF DESIGN.

stick with finance, trust me.

[BOORADLEY]

currently i am also in the same boat. stuck in commerce ( 3rd year) and wondering if this is really what i want to do. i would love to do something more creative and to my liking but i think i am going to stick it out. for example alot of photographers i talk to wish they had their business degree. it will always help really is worth it to stick it out. just my opinion.

[smurf]

Here's a bit of advice from somebody who graduated a long time ago.... Find out and do what you're good at first and worry about strategy second. If you really want to be an animator or illustrator, for example, an MBA from Wharton or Stanford or Harvard won't mean shit. They're just not related fields.

If, on the other hand, you want to be a creative director or want to be less hands on and more on the side of managing talent, then maybe a little business knowledge is a good thing. The sort of degree combinations that make more sense in the design world are more like a visual design or fine arts degree paired with something like a human factor masters.

In the long run, you'll find that your work history after school is going to play a much bigger role in determining what sort of creative stuff your good at than your degree ever will. For example, I gratudated with a BFA in photography, worked in the digital imaging industry - moved to software design - then to motion graphics - then to web design - then to web development - then to information architecture, etc, etc, etc. I use what I learned as a photographer almost every day, but a camera hasn't played a role in my professional career at all.

Decide what you want to be and be it. You can always change your mind later!

[stillthehorror]

i go to accd, and for the most part, i think that the people who are on their second bachelors or studied another field almost to completion and then switched to get a BFA tend to have an advantage. perhaps not an advantage when it comes to creative stuff, but definitely when it comes to presentation and dedication, which are both really important.

but if you find that you can't stand studying finance, then i wouldn't force myself to do it just to satisfy someone else's whims.

[sonagi]

this helps a lot thank you all

[Analog]

If your long-term vision is to one day own or be a partner in your own design studio/firm/agency then Business School is a definite plus - not necessarily a must, but it will really really help you. A lot of talented designers and design firms go under because they don't know a) how to get business, how to keep it, c) how to run a liquid, profitable operation.

Your other option is to partner up with someone who specializes in the business end and can manage the company/clients while you handle the creative side. But this is a dream situation that rarely presents itself.

[superdupersang]

i entered uni to study medicine

transfered out of that after 1 year and entered biomedical science 1st year again

half way through the 2nd year transfered into neuroscience with all credits and graduated last year.

im going to the Architectural Association in london from the sept this year for another 7 years

.

sonagi, u korean?

the name, buisness major switching to design, the taste in clothes..

am i close?

[Analog]

haha was thinking the same - my Korean is pretty bad but doesn't "sonagi" mean hail?

Anyway, congrats on going to the AA. Good school, by all accounts. Who is the current director?

[airfrogusmc]

im currently a freshman at boston college (finance major) and ive decided to transfer to a design school (pratt, risd, sva, or parsons). however, my brother was telling me that getting a degree in business will help me out later with whatever i do so i should go study design after i finish school. Is this true? IAre the rest of the three years and a half and the shitload of tuition worth it in the end?

Stay with it. Knowledge is the one thing that will help you no matter what. Your option become more varied with a good education. It will open doors that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. One thing that kills allot of creatives is not having a good business understanding.

[artificialsky]

nobody ever listens to me, even when i'm right 100% of the time

[sonagi]

i entered uni to study medicine

transfered out of that after 1 year and entered biomedical science 1st year again

half way through the 2nd year transfered into neuroscience with all credits and graduated last year.

im going to the Architectural Association in london from the sept this year for another 7 years

.

sonagi, u korean?

the name, buisness major switching to design, the taste in clothes..

am i close?

i dont know how business major switching to design identifies me as a korean but yes i am haha.

analog// sonagi is more like passing rain haha. ooback is hail. are you korean too?

[Analog]

hehe yea I'm Korean, but really really bad when it comes to the language

[airfrogusmc]

One thing to think about is if you want to work in a large organization you're probably going to need at least a BA. If you want to teach full time which is always a great fall back you'll need an MFA. If you want to work for yourself a business degree won't hurt you. It could keep you from making allot of costly mistakes.

[superdupersang]

i dont know how business major switching to design identifies me as a korean but yes i am haha.

analog// sonagi is more like passing rain haha. ooback is hail. are you korean too?

brother we are all korean

just some are more than others

[sonagi]

brother we are all korean

just some are more than others

hahahahaha

[Analog]

mung mung!!

[jdat]

you're freshman so if you walk out now you won't have wasted years and years of tuition so the loss won't be so bad.

Down the road having a finance major will work as a fall back plan if you don't succed in the creative field.

What I am most curious about is why the sudden change of heart?

I realize when you're a freshman you're not too sure, you are still doing mostly basic credits but there you are talking about going into something totally different.

Is this something you were originally interested in and walked away from the idea?

I see you mentionned RISD Parsons etc all the big dogs! You'll have to really hang in there because these are some of the best schools in the US.

You may be able to make it into a first year art foundation ( some high end schools have this, in most cases it's not obligatory but nearly everyone does it back on their initial artistic levels ) but after that when you have to pick your major?

[Analog]

Is RISD really considered a "big dog"? I'm not being facetious - genuine question here.

@Sonagi: jdat brings up a good Q - what do you want to major in? Some schools are better than others depending on the direction you choose.

[airfrogusmc]

Is RISD really considered a "big dog"? I'm not being facetious - genuine question here.

@Sonagi: jdat brings up a good Q - what do you want to major in? Some schools are better than others depending on the direction you choose.

It was at one time the place to study photrography. Harry Callahan & Aaron Siskind both taught there. Don't know about it now.

[jdat]

Is RISD really considered a "big dog"? I'm not being facetious - genuine question here.

@Sonagi: jdat brings up a good Q - what do you want to major in? Some schools are better than others depending on the direction you choose.

Small student body resulting in highly selective admissions, dedicated teachers, member of AICAD, one of the highest rankings in the US News annual college review, one of the most desirable schools on the east coast if not the whole nation/world... shall I continue?

RISD is no joke

[sonagi]

yea it seems weird that i would suddenly switch to a completely different major doesnt it haha. yea its true i havent been doing much art since ive come back to the states. but ive been doing art since i was little till my freshman year when i moved back to the states. like stereotypical asian parents (or like all parents in fact), my parents expected me go to study study study and go to a good school so i felt like the only option given to me was take as many ap courses and study for the SATs so i can go to a regular college. i didn't think that going to design school was an option for me and i really didnt have time for art along with all of this. but recently ive talked with a lot of people in design schools and i feel like this might be something i want to do rather than get a business degree which i have no passion for.

im definitely scared to transfer since i havent done anything related to art for like 4 years so i wanna be sure of things before i do this. so i came to a conclusion. im taking 2 art courses this semester and ill be in korea this summer to work with different people on my art work. after that, if i feel confident if this is what i really want to do ill take a year off and work on my portfolio and all that. if not, i guess ill just have to continue with my business degree.

as for the specific major im not sure thats why ill be applying to various schools. hopefully ill be able to figure that out if i take a year off

[superdupersang]

sonagi ,man that was too weird reading your post

same situation with me

i think the korean youth of today are rebelling from the restraints and constriction applied by their parents, so we get decent grades, get into med/buisness/law school etc and then think "shit, im not doing this for the rest of my life" and go on to something completely different

i seriuoly think korea is going through a major renaisence in terms of its creative and artistic culture.

1 example: korean cinema has exploded

[headcoat]

Word of advice: don't go to Parsons. I went there and it sucks for design, illustration, fine art, anything really other than fashion design. Just take one look at the student work vs other schools and its self evident - the output from this place is weak.

[sexualharrasmentpanda]

[twistedtrees]

Can anyone comment on these schools' MFA programs?

Small student body resulting in highly selective admissions, dedicated teachers, member of AICAD, one of the highest rankings in the US News annual college review, one of the most desirable schools on the east coast if not the whole nation/world... shall I continue?

RISD is no joke

you are correct, the program I applied to-Digital Media-is only accepting 18 students this fall.

Word of advice: don't go to Parsons. I went there and it sucks for design, illustration, fine art, anything really other than fashion design. Just take one look at the student work vs other schools and its self evident - the output from this place is weak.

Ok, what about Parsons job placement help? I have been accepted to Parsons Design & Technology MFA program. I've got 25 days to decide. I'm not worried about the work that's coming out of there, because I know the work that I would put into my schooling there. I'm extremely excited to be accepted, but I'm worried that I will go there and get a piece of paper that says MFA on it and be 65k+ in debt. How were they in helping you find a job when you graduated? What kind of business/company connections did they have? Do they work with major companies or design firms? Or do they just take your money and kick you out the door?

Thanks for any advice or info you can give.

[CactusArmy]

anyone recommend good art schools in sydney?

[swisloc]

i entered uni to study medicine

transfered out of that after 1 year and entered biomedical science 1st year again

half way through the 2nd year transfered into neuroscience with all credits and graduated last year.

im going to the Architectural Association in london from the sept this year for another 7 years

.

sonagi, u korean?

the name, buisness major switching to design, the taste in clothes..

am i close?

congratulations. the AA is great, you'll like it, i'm sure.

to the OP, contrary to what most have posted here, i'd recommend getting a Bachelors in design (field to be determined i guess) and get any business degree you want afterward (i.e. MBA). people i know who've made the business degree combined with design useful have gone this route as the MBA has far more marketability than a Bachelors degree, however, since a Bachelors is a professional degree in certain design fields, and as good as terminal in others (i.e. there is no need for a Masters to practice), it would make sense to get that first/get it "over with".

The other benefit of going in this order is you'll know right away if design is for you.

Also, you are young! you have plenty of time to burn through several "careers"...!