Let's simplify this. Only post if you have gone to school.
I just started but already I notice a lot of pros
Pros:
>Meet new people all artists, who understand your suffering and struggle
>Clubs are great for networking in general or picking up a new skill, for free!
>My school just started a club for collaborating with artists from other majors, to help one another build their portfolios, and even help in the professional aspect (business cards, getting a website, etc)
>Teachers in an art school versus art teachers in a community college. There's definitely a huge difference.
>Get to brush up on fundamentals
Cons:
>No matter your skill level you have to take fundamental classes which can be frustrating for more advanced students (not in my case tho as I needed it)
>Lugging projects and supplies back and forth from home to school is exhausting and tiring and a lot of us would probably prefer to keep it in one place
>The figure drawing model in one of my friend's classes gets too friendly while she's naked (Large woman, open robe, standing inches from you letting it all hang out). She also tries to sell you porno she was in.
Let's make this somewhat fun and not too serious but also a good resource for those reallhy weighing whether or not art school is for them. I think too many of these threads turn into arguments over if school is good or not instead of weighing out pros and cons.
So just do a pros and cons list, you can state where you are going/went to school too if you like, and what your major was since that makes a difference.
Mine is 2D animation but I currently only have one related class and it's storytelling, so so far mostly discussion and writing. I guess that's another small con, you won't neccessarily be in your field for awhile with some majors.
Pic semi-related. It's one of mine and I think it clearly demonstrates why the fundamental classes are something I find as more of a Pro than a Con. Learning alone isn't for everyone.
if you're at fsu today i'm the autist with two laptops out in the lounge
>>2428429
Why do you have two laptops? I can't even bring myself to bring one with me because lugging that around, and my supplies, and my portfolio, and my purse would strangle me.
>>2428460
one for schoolwork and one for professional
my non-school laptop can't connect to the wifi here but I need to it finish work so extra baggage.
>>2428426
Exposure to new stuff, you get some basic art history in foundation courses usually, depending on the place there should also be a bunch of local galleries you can visit, I've had assignments where you write a report on a local showing artist in a gallery.
Access to equipment, you can borrow high quality cameras, green screen, use good macs/desktops, scanners, audio recorders, go pros. Library has a large amount of artist books and compilations, very useful
Local art events, an actual real life community
Teachers who are also artists
Getting assignments working out of your comfort zone.
Also apply to the scholarship opportunities and go to the gallery opening as much as you can, you will always not have the time to do it but just do it.
Con: price, learn stress and time management or fail, non art classes can be annoying but are a refreshing break to me.
>>2428462
That's really stupid.
>>2428496
Yes I forgot about just how many resources are at your disposal!
My school in particular lets you sit in on classes you aren't signed up for, for free, if you have the teacher's permission (for example, I don't have life drawing until next term, but if the class had space and I wanted to sit in for a session or two I'd be allowed to, I just wouldn't get credit obviously).
Lots of gallery events here which are again, great for not only networking, but for exploring more art in general. My school recently had an AMAZING shwoing of pastel work done by a society whos members specialize in pastels, and I honestly thought some of them were done digitally or with paint because of the skill used. It was incredible, I'd never seen pastels like that before.
I also hate the non-art classes (Liberal arts such as math, science, history, etc that the state requires for accredidation) but my school has them all online so it can be less painful then sitting in class, wasting valuable drawing time to learn algebra again (Which is all it is, very basic stuff that everyone already knows as opposed to more advanced math my community college required).
>>2428507
sitting in for classes sounds really cool. My class has done some observational drawings where we just walked outside and drew stuff so that's fun.
Thought of more stuff:
current working artists sometimes give talks/presentations.
There's one art supply store nearby everyone gets supplies from
![pink1[1].png](https://i.imgur.com/19EdZ63.png "pink1[1].png")
>First day of school
>I am the only kid with a natural hair color
>>2428426
>>The figure drawing model in one of my friend's classes gets too friendly while she's naked (Large woman, open robe, standing inches from you letting it all hang out). She also tries to sell you porno she was in.
How is this a con
>>2428569
Wasn't my class but I observed another class yesterday taking reference photos for one another. They'd take turns posing and each student would ask fro specific poses from them and they'd take photos for reference. I thought it was really cool once I realized what they were doing (Looked stupid until I overheard the teacher talking haha).
>>2428598
I've only met one other person with an unnatural color at my school besides me, that's funny. Mine's not even fully dyed.
>>2428624
From my understanding, she is not an attractive lady.
Off topic: Anyone else having trouble with the captchas where, when you sellect the item it fades and then suddenly there's no storefronts/lakes/streetsigns/etc that you need?
>>2428598
>natural hair color
>no tattoos
>head unshaved
>non-smoker
Why do I stand out so much?
>>2428704
Weird hair? Tats? Who cares.
Ever look at a lot of working illustrators? Most look like normal people. The hipsters you see in college are just normies who are in love with being trendy and doing "art" on the side I wouldn't worry about fitting in. Just focus on your work and getting better so you actually make money after you graduate.
The only con for art school that matters is the cost. How big that monthly payment will be 6 months after you graduate?
>>2428426
>>The figure drawing model in one of my friend's classes gets too friendly while she's naked (Large woman, open robe, standing inches from you letting it all hang out). She also tries to sell you porno she was in.
So did you bang her?
>>2428739
Lmfao don't say that like it's a fact. I've been dying my hair since I was a pre-teen and do it because i enjoy it. Most people who dye their hair and art in art do so because art is one of those fields where you CAN dye your hair, have tattoos, etc. One of the advisors in my school is covered in some amazing ink.
>>2428704
Don't worry about standing out. Who cares? If that style isn't you, then be yourself. That's what matters. Unless you dress like an autist or something.
If it makes you feel better out of the two friends I've made so far here's their rundown
Friend 1
>natural hair color
>one piercing
>No visible tattoos
>mostly wears a hoodie
>smokes
Friend 2
>No visible piercings
>No visible tattoos
>Nonsmoker
>Hair dyed a semi-natural red
Your appearance has nothing to do with your skills as an artist, and that should be your focus here. Also don't be afraid to go to the smoke spot and just chill and talk with people, thats' how I met the non-smoking friend DESU. Being a smoker while in school just makes talking to people easier because you already have addiction in common, beyond that make a connection on a personal level. Art for instance.
I made friends and was invited to a club by another kid recently just because we happened to be smoking at the same time.
>>2428843
Again, she's not an attractive woman, and I am not in the class so I haven't even met her, just heard some stories. Not to mention I'm engaged.
>>2428426
You forgot the "con" where you're very unlikely to maintain a stable income upon graduation for you $60k+ loan debt.
>>2429047
I did but another anon covered it for me. My school won't be putting me into debt (Not a rich kid, but found out I had a grandma who put college money away from me literally the year I was going so I got lucky) so I didn't think about it.
The risk of debt however is very real for many professions if you choose or have to go to college. That's why it's important to not only pick a school that wouldn't completely bankrupt you, get scholarships as much as possible, as well as making sure you use your time there wisely so you'll be someone worth hiring when you get out of school.
Mine luckily sends out emails constantly when there's jobs in the area for students who want to try to work in their field while they're still learning which is great. They're very supportive of their students and despite being a for-profit school they truly want their students to succeed.
>>2428959
You sure put in a lot of effort to prove that dressing like an edgy flamboyant retard is totally healthy and normal.
