Discuss: Did you attend art school?

bsherwin: Did you attend art school? Perhaps you were an art major at a college or university? Tell us about that experience. Can you describe the environment of the art program you remember from your school years? Did a specific instructor stand out? With the knowledge that you have today -- would you do it all again?

	Jackie via faso.com	10 months ago
	I'm just about as highly qualified as it's possible to be (in the UK education system, anyway) and yes, I'd do it again BUT not for educational reasons. My six year old granddaughter recently said that she wanted to go to the university 'with the best parties' and she obviously takes after me :) In the UK at that time, the system was that at the age of fifteen, you sat exams called O Levels. These were general subjects. I think at that time you needed good grades in six, including maths and English to be classed as properly suited for higher education. But before you could do so, you sat A levels where you specialized in three subjects (art, English literature and English language for me). Once you had those under your belt, you could apply for college or university. The system then, which was an excellent idea, was that art students completed a foundation year where they dabbled in everything - fine art, photography, graphic design etc. to enable them to decide on an eventual specialty. Then back to the applications system to apply for a degree course. Then three years ... Was it useful? Probably. The degree course was very hands-on but also quite academic with lectures on ethics, art history and so on which required essays. Every year two theses had to be produced, probably to show that we we smart as well as arty :) Various tutors stood out but the important thing was that the specific department I was in had only two full-time tutors. The remainder were guest tutors who were actually making a good living from their work. (This was graphic design by the way). They were all successful designers from London as the college was about 40 minutes away from the center. The problem was that I was too young to make the most of these remarkable people. I should have been asking them lots of questions, getting to know them better, picking their brains ... but I was too busy partying :)

	Brian Sherwin via faso.com	10 months ago
	Jackie -- A lot of people seem to think that college level art (and design for that matter) is all about open studio classes. As you implied, there is more to it -- art history, ethics, art criticism, and other requirements beyond the studio depending on the school. As for age... I don't remember anything from my first year of college. I discovered vodka. LOL If I could turn back time I would have waited until I was 21 or so to attend college. Young adults have a lot of life on their plate at age 18 -- new experiences, learning to be on their own... which is great... BUT it can easily distract from serious study. I'll admit that I would have better served myself had I matured some before attending college.

	Jackie via faso.com	10 months ago
	I have to admit Brian, that one of the primary reasons I went to art college was the booze and the parties! I had several other options. My dad wanted me to go into the family business and I'd been accepted by a couple of universities to read English literature. I'd also been offered a job as a junior reporter with the local newspaper. I would have loved that but at seventeen, my goal was to get away from home and party :)

	Brian Sherwin via faso.com	10 months ago
	LOL there are cheaper ways to party though... and, as I'm sure you know, you don't necessarily have to be a college student to take part in a college party. As I think I may have mentioned... my first year was wrapped around vodka and women. After that it was 'get serious' or drop out.