California College of the Arts

Date: May 01 2009
Major: Design Arts - Industrial Design/Graphic Design/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
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!