BIDS students discuss issues relating to attending design colleges and universities.

[Alicia Valair]

What issues are most important to YOU as a student designer?

[Jessica Kee]

Figuring out whether I want to get my Bachelor's degree in design or stick with my A.A.S degree in design is the most important issue to me right now. Living in Maryland, I have a bit of a disadvantage. The are no schools in the state of Maryland that offer a Bacholor's degree in interior design. I have been offered the oppurtunity to attend a design school in Chicago but I really don't want to go that far away from home. I have thoughts of attending Parsons The New School For Design but I'm not sure about that either.

However, there is a school in Washington D.C that I wouldn't mind going to but I'm not sure if I want to get my A.A.S, go straight to work and then get my Bachelors while I'm working or just not get my Bachelors at all. The main thing that is making me ify about going to a University is the cost. I know that even with scholarships and Finacial Aid I'm still going to need more money. I may need some advice on this one guys.

[Alicia Valair]

Hi Jessica,
What a dilemma! One question to ask yourself is: what is your primary career goal? What do you envision yourself doing as an interior designer? Also, you can attend the Washington, DC school just to settle your own mind and know whether you should relocate. The cost will always INCREASE. Its really important that you select the BEST school which will give you the career you'd want in 10-12 years. Think of the future!

There's another BIDS student who has your same issue. She's in Maryland is checking out the DC schools and Marymount University. We'll have to get you two talking!
Alicia

[Ava St. Claire]

Hi Jessica,

I agree with Alicia. You have to think of your future. What career do you want for yourself? I say, you're halfway there. I graduated not too long ago with a B. S. in Urban Planning. As soon as I got out, I began looking for work in my field only to realize that I needed a Master's Degree. I was quickly relegated to looking for anything that would pay. I turned to administrative positions.They even wanted the receptionists to have a Bachelor's degree. Now, I'm back in school and working. I've got one foot in the "real world" and another in the life of a student. So, I know how you feel.
Having said that, I don't think ditching your Bachelor's degree is a good option. So now you've got 4 good options:

1. Working full-time and going to school full time
2. Working full-time and going to school part time
3. Working part/time and going to school full time.
4. Going to school and using your spare time WISELY.

Working full time and going to school can be done, if and ONLY IF, you find a school that offers a WEALTH of evening classes. Before you sign anything, ask to see a copy of the upcoming semester's class offerings. This way, you'll know whether you can keep up and graduate on time. I go to work 7-5, M-F. M-Th, I leave work and go to school until 9:30, so I can stay in full time. I get up at 7 on Saturdays so I can have all my work done by noon and still have the rest of the weekend off for Social time. And its honestly not nearly as stressful as you may think.
You should also try to find a good financial/financial aid planner to help you chart your course during and after school to help you budget and get a good idea for what payments will be after school. This person, whom ever he/she is should become like your best friend. Tell them everything. My financial aid planner at school even knows everything from my credit score to my favorite food.
I heard Parsons was a fantastic school. Go. Chicago is a great place for Architecture/Design school. Go. If someone asked you tomorrow to attend school in Iceland, Go. Student loans can be paid off. But, there's nothing like the feeling of a missed experience. You can never get that time back.
BTW, what school were you looking into in Chicago?;)

[Jessica Kee]

Hi Ava,

Thanks for the comment. The school I was looking into in Chicago was The International Academy of Design and Technology. But that's out of the question. I'm definitely not going there. But I think you're right about me not getting my BFA at all. So I decided that I'm going to George Washington.

The reason I was thinking about not getting my BFA is because in the state of Maryland, an interior designer with an AAS degree can do pretty much anything a designer with a BFA can except for teach at a University and thats not really one of my goals anyway and even if it was, there are no University to teach design in Maryland. One of my design teachers has her own business and doesn't have her Bachelors. So as long as I stay in Maryland, which is what I plan to do, I will be fine. But I still want to get my Bachelors just in case, you know?

What I plan to do now is option 3; work part-time and go to school full-time until I get my Bachelors and I might even try for my masters if I can find a way to afford it. But seriously, a student loan is the last resort. I have family who are still paying off student loans at the age of 40 and I don't want that to be me. I don't want to get out of school and instead of having fun with my new degree, I'm thinking about how to pay off loans. So that route I'll try not to take. But I really really appreciate your thoughts. It helped a lot.

jes

[Ava St. Claire]

Sweet deal. It sounds like you've thought it out and know exactly what you want. Good move on the IADT Chicago. Its an ok school (I just transfered from there), but not necessarily worth moving across the nation. I didn't know that about Maryland's system. It makes sense. I can see why you gave it some thought.
Option 3 sounds good. I completely understand not wanting student loans. It honestly should be a last resort.

Whatever you do, remember to have fun and keep that stress monster off your back!

[Jessica Kee]

OMG! You are so right about the stress monster. But I will have fun because that's what this is about right? We're designers our job is suppose to be fun! And yeah, I thought it was a good school too with lots of oppurtunities but I just really didn't want to move way out there. I'm a big family person and not being able to swing by their house whenever I wanted would not work for me. I just think if I was to move way out to Chicago I would be depressed and home sick and I wouldn't be making the best out of the being there you Know? So that's why I turned it down.

The reason Maryland's system is that way is because we don't have any schools that offer a BFA degree in our state. So that's why our way is a little different. We really do have a disadvantage.

Thank you so much for your thoughts because it helped a lot and I guess I needed to hear another designer's point of view to kinda get my thoughts in order. So thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I've had this stress monster on my back for weeks! lol.

[Toya Williams]

Hi Jessica and ALL!!
I am the other BIDS student Alicia is referring to that found difficulties finding accredited programs for Interior Design in MD. There are none, lol!!! Which led me to my first mistake in choosing an Online program originally with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for the BS in Interior Design.(Second Mistake!!-- Should have just applied to a masters program rather than get another Bachelors) In my research I found that the Art Insititute of Pittsburgh was accredited, however, the Online program was not yet. I discovered this issue after joining the Student chapter of ASID there and thank God I did b/c I found out that there program was not going to be accredited until 2010, and that was only if all went well!!! **(That's why it's VERY IMPORTANT to Join your student Chapters of ASID on your campuses) So I began weighing my options after that and spoke to Alicia about my dilemma and what I should do in the mean time. She recommended Marymount University to me, and I was able to transfer most of the year's worth of course work I had already taken to their Masters program :-). It will be a sacrifice b/c I live in Baltimore County, so Arlington will be quite a hike, but I do work in DC so I can metro there everyday I will have class. You should look into the program though. I think it's great and everyone I know who attended Marymount loved it ( Alicia included :) So I am looking forward to starting in the Fall of this year. I WOULD also mention George Washington University as another option since it has a M.A .program in Int. Design but the cost per credits are so high I cannot even talk myself into that option, lol!

If this is your first degree, I would suggest getting the Bachelors first over the A.A.S., but if not I would get the Masters. But keep applying for scholarships, you'll get there. Keep in touch!

Best!
Toya

[Jessica Kee]

Hey Toya,

I hadn't considered Marymount becase it was so far away. But I think thats a good idea especially if the cost of going there is cheaper than the cost of going to George Washington. And yes, this is my last semester till I recieve my AAS degree so I would be applying for my Bachelors. But I will check into Marymount since I have heard nothing but good things about it.

Thank you.

[Pamela King]

Gaining experience in the commercial design field. My focus is on commercial design and everyone else at LTI seems to be really focused on Residential including the instructors. I feel that I'm not getting enough exposure and I don't want to wait until I graudate to learn.

[Ava St. Claire]

HI Pamela.

I've learned something about school. Schooling, whether its elementary, secondary or post-secondary, is truly only capable of teaching you the basics. Its not meant to teach you what you want to learn. But the system is very capable of giving you the tools to create your own path.
I wanted to learn more about sustainable design in the government sector (none of which my school focused on) so I took up my own research project and assigned myself the task of designing a green elementary school. I use all the tools that were taught and given to me by my non-green, commercial/corporate teachers such as auto-cad, space planning and programming, rendering, ADA compliance, etc.

Now, of course you don't have to go that far. You can learn more about commercial design by just doing your homework. If a teacher asks you to design a residential space, design a large woman's shelter (commercial living) or a temporary living space for families of sick children (commercial healthcare) or a large kitchen and dining room for a family of 17 (commercial restaurant). You may not be able to do this with all your projects, but with many others, you can. This forces you to research the commercial materials and use your education in a manner more conducive to your goals.

That is the one cool thing about your situation. Anything residential can be blown up to meet "commercial" proportions Sure it might be more work, but you're getting your homework done and creating a portfolio you can use all at the same time all before you graduate. Not to mention, its fun, and you will enjoy doing the assignments a lot more.

Don't forget about magazines, webinars, conferences, associations and internships that are tailored to commercial endeavors.

Hope this helps:)

[Pamela King]

Actualy I have adapted some of my projects to commercial and ADA standards, but those are great suggestions that I hadn't considered.

[Dionne Stanford]

Jessica is right about, there not being, any schools in the state of Maryland. I.. too..would like to get my BFA. I was thinking about taking an online Interior Design Classes. What do you think about that?