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| Super Brilliant |
CCA is not a walk in the park. This school has rigourous coursework that will keep you up for hours. I've grown to love the challenge of keeping it together and completing all the work to be done.I love it here. Many people who go to "normal" universities usually say art school!Thats so easy, but it is not,so if you are thinking about coming to CCA, be ready for a challenge and you will find your strength to succeed here.The teachers are also great,they all work in their field ,and provide the business knowledge you need to know for your major.
Their are a lot of exhibition events and lectures at the school as well ,that will help you make contact and network with people and companies that work in the arts.Artwork is always hanging up from critiques, so if a gallery owner or art director is walking around campus, they could see your work and contact you.This has happened for many students.
Last if you are interested in animation, their is a new degree program in this field. It is really new ,so it not listed in most catalogs yet. | Education Quality: A+, Social Life: F |  | | |
| | Aug 27 2007 | 3rd Year Female --
Class 2009 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Bright | I moved to California from Ohio. I first went to the Academy of Art College - HATED it - its a horrible school. . .especially for art no creativity, is FOR profit and NOT regionally accredited. I left after one semester and transferred to CCA(C). They make it clear from the start that you're there to be a well-rounded artist and thinker, not a draftsman; although you have lots of time to develop your technical skill, it's really up to you to learn your own type of aesthetic. I'm a Painting/ Drawing Major, but started out as illustration. you have a lot of opportunity to dabble in other majors, but during junior/ senior year you really wanna be focused on your major. there is definitly a lot of "style- borrowing" amongst CCA students, but it depends on who you ask , as to whether thats a bad thing. Its a big enough school to have lots of class options, but small enough to feel like you can carve out your own niche in your department... but you have to try hard to set yourself apart. the sucky part about cca is that there are two campuses; i've had to have classes both in Oakland and in San Francisco in the same semester, and though there is a school shuttle, the timing is set up to cater to the studenst who live in the dorms in Oakland.
Overall, a pretty challenging, creative, and supportive atmosphere. | Collaboration/Competitive: A+, Extracurricular Activities: B- | | | |
| | Oct 27 2005 | 3rd Year Female --
Class 2006 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Super Brilliant |
In the Graphic Design Program, this is the only program I can speak of, the faculty pick favorites. Everyone at CCA does quality work, so in the end they just judge you based on whatever they feel like. Even though I am 25, I have been treated like a child, and with little respect by the faculty.
The program sets you up with deadlines and small projects, and than in the end they throw a curve ball at you, called Thesis. In Thesis, you have to come up with your own project, even though nothing before this has prepared you for this kind of class. Talk about intimidating, you sit in front of a huge staff of graphic designers and they tell you how your work stinks if you aren't one of their beloved favorites!
On the more positive side, I would say that the faculty are very knowledgeable and even though they may not express their want for their students to do well, they try, but are elitist and too focused on how you do your work rather than what you produce.
This is not the program to be in if you are not 100% sure you want to do graphic design. The teachers really have little if no respect for many of the students, but the students certainly produce beautiful work. What I liked about CCA was the great challenge and its conceptual nature. What I didn't like about it was its elitism, favoritism, and pretentiousness. Every idea should be given a fair chance. Design shouldn't be elitist! | Surrounding City: A+, Campus Aesthetics: D- | | | |
| | May 01 2009 | 3rd Year Female --
Class 2009 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Quite Bright |
I have spent 3 years at CCA, on a year break now to actually get my nit picky crazy projects actually done!!, and will be graduating next Spring. I am a Welfare to art school, dream poster child, (not so much by CCA scholarships, they do help but, the Cal Grant and smaller grants, like the Pell really make it possible. I've taken out about 8 grand in loans each year, mostly for rent and living/school survival for the year)
I have loved my time at CCA, there's good and bad everywhere right? and just like in real life, the real world, it's up to you and only you to make your dreams come true!
You gotta be your own squeaky wheel to get that sweet sweet grease you need to fly! The administration is not very organized, but if you talk to them with gratitude and respect, you'll find there are many sweethearts that will help you. You gotta do your own homework, on all accounts! With faculty, ask around, I have heard about mind-numbingly dull teachers, and jerks that give no constructive criticism just cruel stupidity. . . ask around and get out of a class, whatever it may be if you don't feel stimulated or worse, defeated. The teacher's who are that way, show their true colors pretty quick. So you gotta be even faster in deciding what's right for you. There are AMAZING faculty, I have befriended all across the disciplines, and in the humanities too. Many have not even, or only been my assigned teachers, but have become my mentors, heros, true friends, drinking buddies too! Ha ha! (I'm legal!) There are absolute treasures of souls all over the place, that will change your life, and influence your art to heights you never imagined. It's up to you to make the most of it, and also participate in class. It's awful when everyone is "too cool" or maybe just too tired to talk in class. Participate! It's your education dammit!
My biggest problem, which has resulted in goofball insomnia, is dreaming beyond the tiny deadlines for projects, and driving myself bonkers trying to give my 150% for a handful of worthy and awesome classes. Try finding parallels that you can combine assignments, it's not like turning in the same essay for two classes. But devoting your energy to one solid multi-faceted art piece, that you can get different perspectives on and more than one grade on. That saves my life!!!
I think my biggest gem of advice is to shop around the majors, why do just the one thing your obviously already good at, coming into the door? Why not explore everything in your heart's desire and then narrow it down, (when they make you, ha ha!) ? They make it more of a hassle, because it's just more paper work for them, but I full-heartily endorse the Individualized Major, basically creating your own major, it rocks!!! Revolutionize, evolutionize! If I had to say my focus in a phrase, it would be Boo kArts, I got into CCA as a photo major, uhhh yuck, hell no, i knew it first semester in, I probably would have drown myself or someone else with darkroom chemicals, if I had stuck it out! Very technical totalitarian, not supportive of crappy quality negatives but awesome photos, what's more important, truly? Very expensive major and everyone can take photos, why oh why limit your self??? I have taken painting, ceramics, textiles, book binding, writing. . .classes called Drawing Without Drawing (James Gobel-awesome!) and one with the visionary hero, absolute hero of CCA(C), Barron Storey and his Visual Journalism class. Anyone interested in creating anything of a pictorial, narrative fashion, you will thank yer blessed mind blown stars, by taking at least his Illustration 1 class. He is as much a genius as sweetheart, and share's all his magic spells' recipes, how to techniques, gold, my friend's GOLD!
And while Illustration and Graphic Design are some of the most popular majors cuz it gives you the fine arts with the professional banner of you having a better chance in getting a "real job" out of school. . . Guess what? Most everyone's work looks the same. Is that gonna help you in the competitive ass job market??? Hell no. Whatever you do, make it your own and grow from your own soul and what they can teach you to blossom professionally and artistically. For all these reasons, I again endorse the Individualized major, doing your own thing, whatever percentage you actually stray from one particular major, will profoundly change you. interacting with a much larger range of students, faculty. . . of course gives you more of a diverse edge in your own personal growth and networking circle of friends. I have seen it time and again, I think they call it evolution! | Individual Value: A+, Perceived Campus Safety: D+ | | | |
| | Apr 19 2009 | 3rd Year Female --
Class 2010 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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