Vision218

Let me tell you about my personal experience in transferring from a community college to a Cal State University and the mentality that I learned is helpful to have when doing so. I can tell you that there are great schools in California, but you can only be successful if you are committed and discipline yourself.

I am currently attending California State University, Fullerton as a graphic design major. I believe it is a great school and should be one of your alternatives when you think about transferring. However, the competition is tough and I felt overwhelmed at the beginning. There are many art students that are currently working in their field, and therefore they already have more experience and skills than most community college students.

Let me tell you about my illustration class, which I quickly found out requires a lot of work. For every new assignment 60 thumbnails are mandatory and we finish a new assignment every two weeks. In addition, you get harsh criticism from the teacher, who expects a lot more from you. Of course, that is because he wants his student’s to do their best for every assignment.

I feel comfortable using the tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign; I also feel that I have some basic knowledge with the principles of typography and designing. But I struggled a lot more in my graphic design class than any other class I ever took before. Critical thinking is key for this class, because you really need creative ideas as well as exclusive designs. Like I mentioned before the teachers expect a lot more from you, and there are many students who are already working in this media, and are so dedicated to their education.

I have met students who are already working for design agencies or are doing freelance, and I can tell you that their work is amazing. I try be inspired by them, and mimic the great things they do. Most importantly, I do not let this discourage me, and you should not either. Keep in mind that “it does not matter where you are coming from, all that really matters is where you are going”. Below is a list of principles and rules I always keep in mind.

Manage your time. We do not have the power to control our classmates, group members, or teachers. The only real control we have is over ourselves. We have a huge potential that we fail to use most of the time. We cannot control external situations we can only control ourselves. Make sure you put time into things you think are worth it.

Attend class and keep up with the class assignments. Tuition is not $20 per unit anymore, so attend the classes you’ve already paid a lot for! Check your assignments daily, take really good class notes during lecture and get involved in class discussions. Look at the syllabus and get an early start on papers and reports. Once you fall behind, it is hard to catch up; the way I feel is that you do not have run anymore, it feels like climbing a mountain”.

Get Involved. There are many art clubs, for you to become apart of. It is a good idea to join many clubs because you cannot just learn from teachers you have to learn from classmates and friends. You can only gain from joining clubs whether its experience, technique or even friends. 

Get to know your advisers. Do not wait until it’s too late to benefit from asking for help. Work with your academic and faculty advisors as you select your courses, your major and your electives. There are many teachers that can help you with choosing your classes, finding an internship, or just understanding what is right for you.

Here is one last word of advise that I’ve learned to appreciate and I hope you can too: “Do not have dreams, have goals, and do not think about accomplish them, accomplish them.”