Anyone crazy enough to be doing this?
I’m thinking I can pull this off for my first 2 years at Pasadena City College, then if I get into Art Center/CSULB, freelance (as a web designer, my day job). There really is no other option right now, as I have a household and mortgage to take care of.
You can do it but I wouldnt advise it. Simply due to the time factor. You’ll have less than half as much time to do the work as other students. Your work will suffer from it just because of that, at least compared with someone else that has their whole day available to do a project, revise it, etc… They will be able to put a lot more thought into their projects and they’ll have more time to make it happen.
Not to say that you won’t learn a lot, you still will. But your actual time to practice and implement what you learn, that’ll be mostly after hours. I don’t know how it is at your school, but at my old one, class time is mostly for reviews, instructions, crits, etc…most of the work is done on your own time after class. That’s the main reason why I don’t recommend it. Along with what you get from the teachers with class, you learn about yourself and your skills from actually doing it (after hrs), which you’ll have little time to do with a fulltime and sleep.
Try to find a way to get a scholarship, loan, whatever. You need your time to work when in school. I remember, my worst semester (all of my projects were in the lowest 5%) was the one that I had to work all the time to pay bills, had me thinking I wasn’t cut out for design. But the problem was purely a lack of time and resources. The next semester I got enough of a scholarship that I didn’t have to work and still had money for materials. Then for that whole next year, EVERY one of my projects was consistently THE best in class, because I actually had time to do them correctly like everybody else who didn’t have to work.
Do whatever you gotta do, loans, strip, etc…if it’s worth it to you to go. But you gotta free up your time to be in school for you to get the best out of it, or at least as much as everybody else. It’s almost a complete waste if you get to go but then can’t perform properly due to lack of resources (time). Plenty of bad products are put out because of lack of time just because some marketing guy said you could do it in 2 days. They would be better thought out and better executed if given the proper time. You don’t want your education to be like that. You won’t really get to see what your potential is if you do it that way. Good luck to you, I wish you the best.
Worked 35 hours a week (working airport ramp operations-loading /unloading airplanes, cleaning a DC-8 every night), while going to school full time for the first three years. After acceptance into the professional program, quit working during the school year, but worked in the summers (working on a farm for my father). (Two more years).
Graduated in five years, first in class, paid for all of my own education (with help from a tuition scholarship), no debt, and have been doing design for 25 years.
Isn’t that hard if you set your mind to it and have a good work ethic. (something you don’t see in a lot of graduates these days)
I had work for 25 hours for my first year of grad program while I was doing full time.
After Thursday morning class, I rushed to the work, spent 11 hours, and next day 15 hours until Saturday morning, get home 5 or 6 AM.
I also commute from 1-1 1/2 hour distance, thus spent at list 3 hours driving, or take bus or train. However, it was my only relaxation hours because I got to listen to my music loud.
I was doing graphic design for a company, but it wasn’t full time–few hours less than the full time but it still was PT. Now I got out of it recently, ofcourse I worry about my empty pocket but it is filled with hope that I can do so much better for the upcoming semester.
I agree - its do-able. Like skinny said, it definitely makes your life easier to not work f/t. I don’t think it’s impossible though. If you have dedication (and coffee supply) you should be ok.
Acutaly I was wondering the same thing for a while - saying oh god, i’m going to have to eat dirt and sleep in a box if i go back to school - nahhh.
It is possible but you will spend every making moment working, be it at the studio or at work. You will also need to prepare your spouse for your total absence for the next few years. It will also help to have a place picked out for some late night “cordial visits” in the studio.
But as stated before ID is a demanding degree regardless of school, and your work and portfolio quality will show that you had to divide your time between three, four (if you have kids) responsibilities.
I wish you the best of luck, and strength to do this if you so choose. I worked FT my first 3 years, had two FT jobs the first 2 summers, but make sure you have enough $ saved before starting your final year to work 20 hrs a week maximum if not enough to take a full leave. You will need to treat your thesis as your ft job, and really show your “mustard”.
Thanks for everyone’s input and encouragement. You’re right, priority should be giving as much time to my school work as possible, that cannot be compromised. It’s going to be a tough road ahead but I think I’ll not worry now and take it as it comes. If things get too crazy I guess I could scale my schooling down to part time and freelance when I can. Thanks again.
Don’t work. Dedicate your time to the studio atmosphere. You will learn more there than anywhere else. Work on Saturday if you must.
There are lot of students who started the study with only passion and hope.
I heard many times from others that I rather not study than loan 50000 dollors, or they say I’m not a person who likes to loan…etc.
But if there is a person who needs money to survive, I would rather say, work and go school part time. Or work part time and loan to go school full time.
If you are gonna do something that must change your mindset into better future, you must do it rightly. No body says life will be 100 years more from now on.
You never know when we will be end our life. As we are living in our hope, I would go school and work hard for the best of my life.
People who never experienced how valuable one dollars is… won’t realize how important everysingle changes are for someoneelse.
Hunger makes some people very strong. It becomes fuel to go.
if you go to art center you won’t have time to work. don’t waste your 12K tuition.