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I need advice on changing my major & school

Yurple Bliss

Yurple Bliss

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
121
Location
*THE NASTY* aka cincinnati, OHIO
I started taking graphic design about a year ago. I have taken (almost) 4 quarters at my school, which is "supposedly" the best school for my major in the U.S. That's pretty much the only reason I'm at this school. As far as everything else, I'm unhappy. I'm not really sure if I even want to do this anymore. I want to take a different major pretty much because:

- the curriculum is really demanding, and I'm a big procrastinator. This is really stressful for me, and I can barely handle 13 credit hours. I don't ever feel like I'm good enough, and I stand out as being a failure and a joke to the rest of my class.

- i have to pretend to be someone i'm not (im pretty much a stoner looking girl, none of my teachers really take me seriously)

- all my teachers with the exception of ONE has been completely bias against me because of my appearance (I'm guessing) and has been a complete dick to me. Sometimes even lowering my grades.

- I haven't met really any like-minded people in my class. I still hang out with them, but it's not really fulfilling to me at all. My only good friends live hours away.

- I'm not sure if I want to be designing graphics as my job. My classes have really turned me off to the whole idea because the projects are graded so subjectively. It's depressing.

- I'm a nature-lover. I live in a CITY. I need a change of environment. Especially right now because I'm really depressed in general about this, and I crave change so bad.

So my question is:

To those of you who have changed majors/schools:

What was your experience like? Was it worth it? Do you regret it?

I will appreciate any stories as I am really confused right now, and other people's experiences would really help me sort out some of my thoughts.

peace & love
 
So you are sure deep down you do not want to continue on the design track? Have you tried talking to the professors directly to find out why they have lowered your grade if not thats a good idea. Have you talked to the department chairperson...they can usually help you a lot!

I just changed my major from Public Relations to Advertising because I like it a lot more, seems good to me :) I am minoring in Interactive Multimedia Design (similiar to graphic design) but I havent started any of those classes yet so i dont have experience. Hmmm also, in my school most of the artsy/design majors are all 'alternative' looking is that not the case in your school?

If you change do you have an idea on what you wanna do...what do you like?
 
Yurple~

Funny you should mention this problem of yours.

My son, a college sophmore, also a German major who is in GERMANY as we speak studying in Oldenberg, has recently told me that HE too wants to change his major!

But I say , wtf? Its costing ME alot of money for him to be overseas.

I dont have advice for you but I will soon if he goes through with this new plan of his.

Are you 100% sure this is what you want? I'm curious and want to understand.
 
I really do have a hard time believing that all of your teachers (or even most) have been biased against you for whatever reason, least of all your appearance. Surely you have to realize that you're not the only stoner hippie chick that they've ever seen, right?

Have you went in to talk to them about any of your 'subjectively' graded projects? Most teachers have detailed rubrics that they use to grade things, and they could show you those in order to help you get a better grade on the next assignment. Very few students ever come in during office hours or arranged appointments to see what they're doing wrong, and many just do the same wrong things over and over again.

Otherwise, my guess is that they might not take you seriously if you a) dislike the classes and b) procrastinate on assignments. Then again, the not taking you seriously might be a bit in your head as well. From person experience I can say that most profs have more of a 'show me the money' attitude, as far as basing their opinions of you on what you produce. If you do the work, and do it well, then they could care less what you look like or how you behave in your spare time.

If you feel like you'd rather be in a different place, and doing a different thing, then that's fine. However, I don't think that all of your reasons are necessarily sufficient to justify that change. It seems like you'd be better off, no matter where you end up, if you could get things together in your current situation. If you can prove to yourself that you can succeed even when you feel out of your element, then when you move into a new, perhaps more desirable element you should be able to know that you weren't forced to make that move, and that it was truly a choice.
 
^^^
Don't think of it like that. It's not just some trivial thing that you have to "get through." This is your life and you are in charge now - be who you want to be! If you have a gut feeling that Graphic Design is just *wrong* for you, then you are probably right. On the otherhand maybe you really do have a passion for graphic art, but are just getting frustrated with the new higher workload.

All I can say is that I have had similar experiences in the past - where I felt as if the work was too much. But looking back, I can see that those experiences have made me a more responsible student, and a more mature person in general.

I guess it all depends on whether you feel like you are on the right track, which is ultimately up to you.
 
go to antioch college. the teachers don't give grades, its in the middle of nowhere and everyone smokes pot 8(
 
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