I will be graduating from high school this year and will be going to an art-focused college, and I figured someone might be able to sate my curiosity.

I have some questions:

What is your college like, in terms of the environment?

How different are college art classes from other art classes (like those in high school, etc.)?

How is college in terms of time? Is it time-consuming? Is it difficult to manage your time around things?

Are the teachers very different from high school teachers?

What have been some of your worst experiences in art college? Some of the best?

If you can think of any other question you think you can answer that I haven't asked, please answer. Every little bit of information is much appreciated <3

I never went to one. I m self taught threw an online thing. Which is fine for freelancing, but not so much if I want to get a job at a company. *shrugs* I don't like dead lines anyway. :lol: I think I m going to have to add you in my Deviant account <3

Nice to meet you. I like talking to other artists.

Well... I think it really depends on a lot of things. Funny how I keep seeing people who are asking about it and going in when I'm just about to leave one, lol.

I go to Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn NY, btw.

In terms of environment... like most of the major ones, it's right in the middle of the city with all the hustle and bustle and continues right on into the campus itself. A lot of the time the various majors stick to themselves in one way or another here, though I'm not sure how that is at other places. I'm sure there's some diffusion, depending on living situations and all that, but in my experience most of the time my friends and I are mostly together with other COM-D (Communications Design, encompasses graphic design, art direction, illustration and the like) majors. Sometimes it's a little snooty I suppose, but not that bad. Expect some of the stupidity of high school drama to continue on because some people just don't grow up. However, being in such a large place with so many people makes it a lot easier to ignore and get around for the most part.

Classes in a pure art school are very different than those in high school. They sit on a completely different level of intensity, not to mention length. Here at Pratt all of my art classes are a minimum of three hours long and the longest being six hours. It gives you a much longer period of time in which to actually get work done as opposed to when you'd finally just start to get into something back in high school and the bell would ring.

Another thing you'll have to get used to are critiques. When it comes to college, it's not just do the art with the teacher looking over your shoulder to check on it through the process then hand it in and have it graded with a comment here or there. In fact, you don't work on assignments in class at all most of the time. In most places I think it's fairly standard that when the assignment is due, everyone brings in their work, it's all put up and for a full class each piece is critiqued by everyone, students and professors. It's a little daunting, but ultimately rewarding.

During classes you're more likely to be practicing things to help you with technical quality before assignments are given. Then the rest if up to you to come up with the solution to the problem given in an artistic way. Sometimes your deadline may be a little longer, but I must admit that most often my turn-around time to crank out a piece is one to two weeks. And that's for one class out of usually 5 or 6 art based with a liberal arts one thrown here or there.

In terms of time, that's a major depending thing upon the severity of your program, how your professors work, your motivation levels and such things. Sometimes, yes it is difficult to manage and definitely are things very time consuming. When you think about it... which takes longer? To study for a test whose material you've gone over in class opposed to a painting that could take well over 48 hours of total work put into it? You learn to make a new schedule for yourself, though. It's not that bad, and if you really want to do it you probably won't notice the shift at all. There are plenty of us who have a full time schedule and a job while managing to get all our work done. ^^

Again, most definitely different from high school teachers. You're paying to go to college, unlike going to high school. You chose to be in that class, and so there's no sugar coating things. Critiques are sometimes harsh, but in the effort to truly help you improve. Professors will know you're not there for an easy grade and they generally know when you're slacking just by looking at your work. It happens in their own given that at most major art schools it's required for all professors to be active in the art field while teaching so that they are kept up to date and in tune with what's going on. Really, I like my professors much more. They don't put up with crap and they push me, even if sometimes I'm being lazy and don't think I want it. It's much easier to be personable and friendly with them, too. Things are fairly laid back.

Some of my worst experiences? Haha, yeah, most of those have to do with shitty roommate conditions. Freshman year was a living hell with the girls I had to live with. The other would be Survey at the end of every semester, which is nerve wracking. Tom Lapadula said it best in, "When Survey comes, it's like a blanket of doom falls over the campus and spreads about two miles wide." -3-;

Some of the best experiences...? I'd have to say a well done piece in critiques are always great. Some of the events and things to do when you're here are awesome. Being in NYC and having the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most glorious things ever.

I do have one thing to add. When you go looking at your colleges, make sure to scope out the campus. And I don't mean just the exterior. Go inside the bloody buildings of the areas you'll be in, dorms in particular. This campus looks pretty on the outside, but the interiors are wretched most of the time and need a ton of work. Thankfully I can just remind myself that it's not what I'm here for and keep working anyway.

@Nephila: I guess since I'm looking for a steady career, I'll end up having to deal with deadlines.. even though... I really hate them too XD;

@Ise: Maybe you're more aware of people going INTO art college BECAUSE you're about to leave it? I don't know XD;

Goodness, we're on opposite sides of the country! XD
Ah, so they're usually in the middle of something big, then? XD I've seen this with a couple of colleges I've visited. They're both in big urban areas. As for the people: I guess you just can't force that many people to all grow up at once. I'll deal with that when I get there XD

ah, the time is what I was interested in most. So they DO give really long classes. That's great for me, since I'm better at focusing in the classroom better. At home, there are a lot of distractions, but since I'll be living away, who knows?

On deviantART, I always encourage critiques, and while it might not be the same, at least it gets me used to having people telling me what's wrong, what I need to do, etc. As long as the teacher does it tactfully, I think I'll be alright. I actually wish people would be more blunt. Some seem to think criticism, even when constructive, is rude. Not at all >_<

Ah, so it's a lot like AP classes.. in a way. Discussion in class, and then the actual work on our own. Hopefully that has prepared me at least halfway XD

I think I can mange timing then.. I never was much of a studying person, but I do make time for my drawings all the time XD (even when I shouldn't. dont' tell my teachers >.> )

I think having a pushy teacher would do me some great good, because I can get really lazy at my worst. As in, I won't pick up the pencil for a while.

The thought of roommates has always been a bit daunting to me, but I guess it all depends.. I hope I get some good ones. Or at least decent. And equally as important, I hope I'M a good roommate too XD;

I've visited one of the campuses already. It has this office, focused feel which I like. I have yet to scope out the dorms.. but.. oh well. I will hopefully be able to scope out the next one in a week or two. Since there are 2 main colleges I'm considering.

Thanks for the help!! <3