There's a really interesting discussion going on about student loans over on Metafilter actually, but this infographic (http://www.collegescholarships.org/research/student-loans/) pretty much sums up the issue. Definitely something to at least be aware of in advance.

Funny thing is I majored in studio art but my most recent position is(was) in search engine marketing of all things. I love it actually, but after 2 RIF's at the company I work(worked) for and a recent aqcuisition, pretty much the entire company including myself, were laid off.

I've been contemplating taking some time off working as well and going back to school for my graduate degree, but in the field I'm currently in is changing so rapidly I'm worried about being out of the loop for that long.

ZombieKitten said:

peb319 said:

yeah...

2 year degree..

A.S. Commercial Art..

and they were just starting to bring in computers at the 'college' i went to.

i can do all that stuff by hand, but i have to learn the computer graphics..

and right now i cant get it..

i need to be making things with my hands..art things, clothes, food

it's a whole other thing now

I'd never had much affinity with computers before, but in second year they taught us how to use macs (the previous year, they taught us TYPING on TYPEWRITERS ) and I kind of liked it, so I'm lucky in that I caught the wave early enough and computers agree with me, most of the time!

it was the stupid 'college' i went to..lower down than a community college..

cripes the head of the art department told me to redo my portfolio and turn it back in,

it sat in her office for months,while i waited for her to grade it so i could get my final grade.

but she never did,after 5 months i decided i didnt want it in her office,and went to pick it up..still hadnt been graded,but i wasnt leaving it there,my work and the new portfolio i bought just for my reworked portfolio were not staying.

i walked out with it

i got mad and thats what i used to do

went off into retail and retail management..

then one day, i need the transcripts for something else, and get a copy so they can have them

the guy calls me and asks me to come into the office

where he tells me according to the transcripts i have a degree

i never checked in those 11 years i was that mad

and the department head never called me..

the people in charge of classes overscheduled me by one class, which i got a credit for

thus i earned the degree

uPtoWnNY said:

peb319 said:

yeah...

2 year degree..

A.S. Commercial Art..

and they were just starting to bring in computers at the 'college' i went to.

i can do all that stuff by hand, but i have to learn the computer graphics..

and right now i cant get it..

i need to be making things with my hands..art things, clothes, food

Don't worry, you'll get it. Practice, practice, practice. My college didn't have computers when I was there in the late 70s-early 80s. I did everything by hand until my company made the switch in 1995, and I learned on the job. Didn't take long to figure shit out. The more you know, the more money you'll make. My job uses MACs, but I have a PC at home.

I did most of the Scarface boxers and lounge pants at these links using Photoshop & Illustrator.

http://www.webundies.com/scarface.htm

http://www.webundies.com/scarface_pants.htm

exactly what i need to do now..

gain experience with it

OUTSIDE of a job,like at home..

because i dot work in the field and never have

i was almost hire by The Flyer here..it a newspaper ad booklet thing'

has colored ads but is mostly block print..like classifieds

the inter viewer said they didnt have the time to teach me to use their graphics software

so if i had known already how to use it, i would have had the job

and i cant remember what she said they used, even tho i wrote it down the paper disappeared

and of course i have to find the free downloads for now

peb319 said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Don't worry, you'll get it. Practice, practice, practice. My college didn't have computers when I was there in the late 70s-early 80s. I did everything by hand until my company made the switch in 1995, and I learned on the job. Didn't take long to figure shit out. The more you know, the more money you'll make. My job uses MACs, but I have a PC at home.

I did most of the Scarface boxers and lounge pants at these links using Photoshop & Illustrator.

http://www.webundies.com/scarface.htm

http://www.webundies.com/scarface_pants.htm

exactly what i need to do now..

gain experience with it

OUTSIDE of a job,like at home..

because i dot work in the field and never have

i was almost hire by The Flyer here..it a newspaper ad booklet thing'

has colored ads but is mostly block print..like classifieds

the inter viewer said they didnt have the time to teach me to use their graphics software

so if i had known already how to use it, i would have had the job

and i cant remember what she said they used, even tho i wrote it down the paper disappeared

and of course i have to find the free downloads for now

My guess is it's a vector-graphics program like Illustrator. Once you go through the tutorials, you'll pick the commands in no time. And if you need free fonts, go to fontspace.com

So WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? There's money to be made, either full-time or free-lance.

i guess i'm not the only one stuck in the wrong job, just for the money...

we should all follow our dreams, we would just be poor and happy...