Mood: Fed Up
Listening to: Waiting for the new Killers album..
Reading: Advanced Photoshop
Eating: Small animals & children
Drinking: Milk, milk, milk
Journal
If you know even a moderate amount, prepare to keep your moth shut and be told you're wrong. I'm nearing the completion of my 3rd semester of Graphic Design (6 total semesters) and I'm going more and more insane. Today in Software Training: Photoshop II (of III - which by the way I have learned nothing from) the "professor" reviewed our concepts for our final project: the design of a book/theoretical book. I changed the type on my most recent piece (scorched) and handed that in. I also provided another concept which was mandatory - this one took me all of 30 seconds (not exaggerating..oh, and she PREFERRED this one) which would force the teacher to give me the green light on my first piece. So, after 5 minutes straight of bashing my piece which apparently "lacks composition and makes no sense" I was told to re-do the project entirely. She gave me strict guidelines as to what to do. 1) Make the background Space (stars/galaxies, etc). 2) Add a giant meteor behind my "ninja". 3) ADD A LENS FLARE. 4) Adjust the levels of my "ninja". She did this on-screen and made my "ninja" look completely washed out...but apparently that "reveals all the detail"! 5) Make the fire big and orange and use "lots of blending modes". Oh, and I currently have a 0 in Web Software because the teacher didn't set up the promised equivalency test for me, which I'd probably fail anyways since we're taught to code strictly visually using tables (worst thing you can do). I can't wait to finish this 3-year waste of time. I just want my freaking degree already.
A warning to those planning on studying design.. 
Devious Comments
a degree is helpful, but let me assure you: you can get a job at a design firm/ad agency just on the merits of your portfolio if it's really stunning and you know a wide range of software. i say keep doing spectacular work.
I gave my teachers a hard time, I fought tooth and nail 'till the end. I ended up doing two versions of the work and in the end, they said mine was better.
"Wasn't that a good exercise?"
"Of my patience, yes."
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design & illustration
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This Photoshop teacher is so anal it's unbelievable - she wants everything done a certain way - her way. You can never just "get there", you have to get there going through a fricken maze she sets out for you. She constantly talks about 'saving time', yet she prolongs the workload immensely.
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The best teachers were the ones that had a long career behind them or even going on in parallel with their teaching career.
The person who taught me printing, was head of the design team for a local newspaper.
The person who taught me logos and portfolios, was the head of the design team for Agriculture Canada.
The person who ran the program, had started and sold his own successful design business (so he could teach full time)
Some got great pple from the industry to come and talk to us in class.
The rest were caught in their own world, caught in the self masturbatory world of creation and art. I learned a lot from them, not by what they taught but by how they acted. They, my friend, are preparing us for a long career of clients thinking they know better than us.
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design & illustration
Good luck, man.
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Angel A. Acevedo
[to some known as Dj Soundwav]
www.angelaacevedo.com
member of: *diagrama
twitter @djsoundwav
I myself, have 8+ yrs experience in this design game and all the stuff I learned on my own. I've fought with professors time and time again. The end of the day, I unfortunately, don't do their ridiculous changes, which is bad for me. I hate doing things twice. I've gotten B's in classes instead of A's because of that.
And a lens flare????? Don't know about you, but I would take that to the Dean/Chair. I simply refuse to pay for classes that are a waste of time. 70% of my classes out of 3 yrs, have been bleh. I'm almost out too. Incredible what we do for a little piece of paper that says you have a degree, when in the field, experience is what counts.
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Angel A. Acevedo
[to some known as Dj Soundwav]
www.angelaacevedo.com
member of: *diagrama
twitter @djsoundwav
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