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The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

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Date: Mar 26 2014
Major: Art & Design Department (This Major's Salary over time)
Alright. I'm not going to BS anyone who is reading this because I think you, prospective college student, deserve that much. Picking a college is hard, and it's important that someone be honest to you. I'm not writing this out of bitterness, revenge, or pushing my school as being the best thing ever. I honestly want you to make a good choice that will make sure that you, aspiring freshman, will not be miserable and hate your life. So, with that said, here is my review.

First of all, art school is NOT a magical place where artists frolic and share their feelings and everything is rainbows in sunshine. It's a place to hone something you enjoy into a career and bring you from casual artist to professional designer. Your first year will be the hardest thing you've ever gone through in your life. You will paint and draw and sketch until your arms ache. You will work on paintings you hate, for teachers you hate, and you will be expected to improve constantly. You will work, and work, and work some more, and if you do not absolutely love art, you will probably fail. Even if you love art, you might still. And you'll probably start to hate it just a little.

You're probably thinking

oh my god that sounds HORRIBLE, why would I ever want to go through that!?
and are wondering why I'm telling you this. Like I said, I want to be honest. See, that first year is to give you a taste of what could be the crunch time of an artist, when you have too much work, inspiration is sometimes fleeting, and you're tired of everything. You'll discover quickly if it's something you think you can deal with the rest of your life. It's better that you find out freshman year if you can stand the stress of being an artist than finding out after you graduated.

After freshman year, things will lessen a little. Teachers will no longer demand technical exercises from you, at least not strictly, and they will start letting you expand. You will find what teachers you like, what kind of creative encouragement works well for you, and hopefully, will start finding your creative voice. It will still be hard, and plenty demanding, and your ideas and approach may even come under fire this time. But you will start to grow into an artist, if you're willing.

Willingness is a big part of art school. You can't just tell someone how to draw, you have to show them how they can learn. And you, as a student, have to learn to expand your own talents. Sometimes people support you, sometimes they don't. That's pretty much life. No one is going to coddle you and hold your hand, they are not going to tell you exactly what you should do (and those that do, you'll probably hate them anyway). Some of the teachers will do well to nurture you, and if you are willing, you can expand and greatly improve what you do. You can find a unique style, and you can go from basic to professional astonishingly fast. It's a space that can really let you spread your wings. Where there's a will, there's a way could be the motto of the school.

But, as a part of that, there are those who will try and clip those wings. Teachers, peers, and evil printers are just a few obstacles. And you're probably thinking

god, why would I want to go to a school where there are some teachers who are awful?
and I'll tell you why. People will kick you when you're down in the real world. They will drag you through the mood, fight you, hate you, and try and shove you off any pedestal you might try and perch on. But that's life. Would you rather a college not prepare you for that, and be nothing but sunshine and rainbows? Because I wouldn't. I know how to take a fall now, I know what it's like to give and give and give some more and still be struck down.

See, college is like real life. Any place that doesn't prepare you for the real world, and teach you that real life can be crappy is a waste of money. Does MIAD teach you that being an artist is very rewarding, and also teach you how to use your skills to make money? Yeah. You'll get a great education, if you're willing to pursue it. People from my class and the class before me and the class after mine are already making impressive careers. The people that do the best poured every ounce of themselves into getting the best education they possibly could, and reaped the benefits. But MIAD will not spoon feed you success. They will offer you the tools to succeed, and the environment you can grow in.

But, dear student, it isn't easy. And that's the honest truth. I'm happy I went to MIAD because it wasn't rainbows and unicorns and gumdrops all the time. It sucked sometimes, it really did. But it was also amazing, and I fond out just how much I love art, and it prepared me for the real world. I can survive as an artist. That's what I went to college for, and that's what they prepared me to do. And they prepared me very, very well.

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