Personal Narrative: My Real World Classroom Design Program
I’ve always been the dorky, creative type. At age seven, I taught myself how to use Adobe Photoshop Elements so I could recreate the layouts from my favorite horse books and draw in my own imagery. At age 10, I was creating custom clothing and 3D meshes for the Sims 2. I didn’t know it yet, but I was discovering a passion would change my dorky life forever.
I chose SUNY Ulster because it was one the only colleges that offered an affordable design program. Most students who enroll in a community college have the luxury of being in that community. Meanwhile, my commute involved early mornings on the thruway. Most days felt like they dragged on for an eternity; I slept in a few classes, I will not lie. But without a doubt, I can proudly say my …show more content…
Even though I had design experience before enrolling in the program, I greatly benefited from the simple yet fundamental lessons. By far and away, the most valuable experience I gained from “The Real World Classroom” was preparation for competition. I had the opportunity to work with two of the three clients from the curriculum’s student competition, plus I was one of the three finalists in our Diversity Day poster competition. It was surprising how real and unfiltered the entire experience was. I’ve learned that if you’re not ambitious – if you’re not consistently on top of your game – you will fail in this industry. Not only did these lessons guide me through my two short years at SUNY Ulster, but I firmly believe they’ve bolstered my courage and skill for the real …show more content…
After graduating from SUNY Ulster, I applied to a four-year college with high hopes, but once I was accepted, I started having second thoughts. From some of my credits being denied, expensive classes that had cookie-cutter curriculums and homework that couldn’t be done from home, I soon realized that the college wasn’t for me and withdrew. Unfortunately, most high-paying corporate design positions require a Bachelor’s Degree, no matter how great your work is. That said, I’ve had no loss of opportunity landing a design job even with just an Associates Degree. I’ve learned a lot on my own, but my knowledge from The Real World Classroom has definitely been
I chose SUNY Ulster because it was one the only colleges that offered an affordable design program. Most students who enroll in a community college have the luxury of being in that community. Meanwhile, my commute involved early mornings on the thruway. Most days felt like they dragged on for an eternity; I slept in a few classes, I will not lie. But without a doubt, I can proudly say my …show more content…
Even though I had design experience before enrolling in the program, I greatly benefited from the simple yet fundamental lessons. By far and away, the most valuable experience I gained from “The Real World Classroom” was preparation for competition. I had the opportunity to work with two of the three clients from the curriculum’s student competition, plus I was one of the three finalists in our Diversity Day poster competition. It was surprising how real and unfiltered the entire experience was. I’ve learned that if you’re not ambitious – if you’re not consistently on top of your game – you will fail in this industry. Not only did these lessons guide me through my two short years at SUNY Ulster, but I firmly believe they’ve bolstered my courage and skill for the real …show more content…
After graduating from SUNY Ulster, I applied to a four-year college with high hopes, but once I was accepted, I started having second thoughts. From some of my credits being denied, expensive classes that had cookie-cutter curriculums and homework that couldn’t be done from home, I soon realized that the college wasn’t for me and withdrew. Unfortunately, most high-paying corporate design positions require a Bachelor’s Degree, no matter how great your work is. That said, I’ve had no loss of opportunity landing a design job even with just an Associates Degree. I’ve learned a lot on my own, but my knowledge from The Real World Classroom has definitely been