by Reeves Peterson

Created on: June 27, 2008

Attending art school for some is a dream come true. It's a chance to finally express oneself and an opportunity to get started in a career in the arts field.

The first thing that shocked me when I turned up on my first day at The Arts Institute at Bournemouth was what people were wearing. I had previously attended a very conservative grammar school six form where I had to wear a business suit at all times. Art school was different. People were wearing outlandish clothes and had some of the most bizarre haircuts one could possibly imagine. It was awesome, although I soon realised that people were extremely competitive with each other and the outfits were almost a sign of status.

This is perhaps the biggest downside to art school. You'll find that some people are incredibly pretentious and think that they are completely special simply because they are attending art school. Do your best to ignore these types and knuckle down on your work because it's unlikely you'll get another opportunity to have so much time to be creative.

The Cost of Art School

Art school can be very expensive because of the art materials you will have to buy so when you're budgeting for art school make sure you include money for those materials. Also Art school is an incredibly social environment and your social diary is likely to be full at all times. Attend as many events as you can and meet as many people as you can. Talking to other artists is a great way to find inspiration for your own work. It will also help when in comes to collaboration.

Choosing the Right Classes

When it comes to choosing what classes to it's essential to do ones that you'll enjoy and not ones that will look good at the end of the year. Furthermore if you get put on a course you really don't want my advice is to kick up a big stink about it until the course directors have to change it. You are paying for this education and you have a right to do the classes that you want.

Collaboration

Collaborating in projects is a great part of Art College. It makes a change from sitting in a room by yourself trying to come up with ideas. Look for projects that might help you develop your particular skills. Collaboration also gives you the opportunity to experiment creatively. Challenge yourself to take in assignments that may be out of your comfort zone for these will be the ones you learn the most from.

Life after Art School

Your time at art school will be over quicker than you know it and it's best to plan ahead. Working in the arts is one of the hardest career paths to take. My advice is to look for internships and potential employers early into your degree. If you declare an interest early on and show you're keen then you'll stand out amongst hundreds of other graduates who are chasing the same spot.

In general I found attending art school to be a valuable and enriching experience. I met some great people and did some great work. To be honest I wish life was like art school.

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