The Ringling College of Art and Design

Date: Jan 06 2012
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
One of the very few reasons I went to Ringling College of Art and Design was because of the Pre-College Summer Session where they gave the illusion of the

full Ringling Experience

with teachers acting kindly and activities everyday, campus life, as well as to grow personally as an artist and to gain a career.

To anyone out there who has the ambition to be in Game Art and Design, don't. Simply put, Ringling ONLY cares about the best, and by best, I mean people who has already spent some YEARS of experience and programming abilities (but they will never tell you that) and are extremely fast learners. If you slip up once, some of the teachers will loose their respect for you. While not all the teachers are bad, and will even become good friends outside of campus, some of them can and are beyond ruthless and have no problem degrading you as an artist. I was always shy and was raised to respect teachers, but because of one of the classes the GAD department force you to take, I was branded as the worst student in the major because I couldn't draw digitally, when the whole point of me being in the school was to LEARN how to do all the things they "teach" me, but there is only so much verbal and borderline emotional abuse one can take.

For any parent who is wondering about meal plans, don't even bother. The teachers, especially in the GAD and CA department pack on a lot of homework with Dreamworks/EA (not Pixar, Ringling adores Dreamworks mores than Pixar) quality work, even from students who have never touched Maya in their life. What this means is students will have no time to eat or sleep to the point oh physically harming themselves just to get a C- in the class. I spent two and a half years not eating right and little to no sleep to the point that I was malnourished and damaging my "cycle". Ringling then adds a new level of hypocrisy by "encouraging" students to work out but to produce the high level of work.

The location is horrifying since there are constant robberies on campus due to living on MLK and hearing almost every other weak gun fire just a block away. All security does is sit in golf carts and wait to see what happens next. And you can only travel to all the fun spots such as Lido Beach or Siesta Keys if you have a car.

The only positive thing I have is that while there are SOME club activities and campus life, it is the only to thing to look forward to, sometimes. Again, it can only be fun if you have the time (which, as a GAD and CA, you will be guaranteed to not have. Ever.) The people there are also welcoming to new people in their club and the Career, Advising, and Counseling center are top notch by always being in contact and ready to hear what the students have to say. Of course, you have to make a schedule appointment in advance, but it's not that big of an issue.

While I have met amazing people and had the bets experience with the Career Center, I have experience nothing but nightmares, high level stress, and depression in Ringling. If you want to learn how to be an animator, I highly suggest you apply to other colleges such as SCAD, Full Sail, or any other college that has it. Ringling LOOKS nice, but is a nightmare-fueled experience that you are paying $40 Grand for.