Yesterday was my first day back to school to earn a degree in Graphic Design.
That statement isn't entirely true. I technically never stopped going to school. Graduated in 2008, but have continuously been enrolled in COC since. I call it my "soul-searching" period.
When I graduated from UCI with a degree in Literary Journalism and minor in Italian Studies, I never thought that I would work in the field of journalism.
In fact, I avoided it. By the time my college career was ending, I was over it. But instead of changing majors and spending more time and money at school, I sucked it up and finished the degree.
My first job out of college was working as a technical writer (whatever that means) for an electrical engineering company. Talk about *yawn.* I didn't have enough work to do so I spend the majority of my shift looking for careers.
I was exploring and soul searching to find a career that would provide security and enjoyment (don't we all?). I enjoyed working as a Resident Advisor my last year in college and was interested in continuing to work with college-aged students. Not only did I enjoy it, but I also received high "grades" (where your residents, peers, and supervisors graded you on your performance).
I looked into a career working in Student Affairs, but most schools/employers were looking for candidates who have a master's degree. I wasn't exposed long enough to the Student Affairs-life to feel comfortable jumping into getting a master's in it, so I kept searching.
My older brother worked with nurses and suggested that I look into that since "he could see me doing it." The idea of nursing is appealing, (great pay, respected job, challenging but rewarding career, etc.) but I would have had to start at square one when it comes to education. Hardly any of the classes I took for my degree would have transferred over. I did take a year of classes at COC to satisfy some of the prerequisites, but classes started getting harder to get into, so I started taking more music- and art-related classes for fun.
Bored out of my mind working at the electrical engineering company, in a move of desperation, I decided to inquire with every company in the SCV I could use my journalism degree. I just had to get out of this technical writing gig. *barf*
Out of all the companies that I contacted, The Signal emailed me back with interest. I interviewed and three days after, I was hired as a copy editor/features writer.
I continued taking classes at COC, but with no direction. I didn't declare a degree. I enrolled in classes I never got the chance to take in my undergrad. Fun classes like music, guitar and piano.
Working for a newspaper is fantastic and I enjoy coming to work everyday. The pay isn't the greatest, but the work environment fit my eccentric and inappropriate personality and I had a ball working with other crazy-minded reporters and editors. I learned a lot on the job that I didn't learn in school and I enjoyed taking on projects outside of my job description to change things up a bit. I also loved seing my byline in the paper and on the web. There is a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from seeing your work published.
And of course nothing beats the random emails I would get from all over asking questions or thanking me for a well written article. I even received a letter from a man in Poland thanking me for a great story. These things warmed my heart and made my job super fulfilling.
Kicking ass (toot toot) in the newsroom for over a year got me promoted to Special Sections Editor. This position was literally made for me. It allows me to do everything I want and like to do: write, edit, organize, manage, take photos, design -- just to name a few. There are no rigid rules for me to follow. Actually -- if anything -- I make rules to be followed. Although I have supervisors and people who I answer to, they don't hover behind me or micro manage. I come in as I please and I go whenever my work is done. I absolutely
love what I do.
I've worked in this type of setting since high school. I've used Adobe Indesign and photoshop for the past 10 years or so, but my limited knowledge is all self-taught. I have designed thousands of pages and layouts over the past decade. I feel I have a decent eye for photography and for design, but -- like most anything in life -- there's always room for improvement. And trust me, there is plenty of room since I've never had any formal training.
This is why I've decided to officially "go back to school" and declare a major. A degree in graphic design will only make me more well-rounded in my field. Plus, out of everything that I do, designing is what I enjoy the best. I do it the least at work, but that's okay. I would probably enjoy it less if I had to constantly design for others.
I'm taking two classes this semester: graphic design I and type and typography. Both of my professors are fabulous so far and I look forward to their classes. I already have a foot in the door due to my background, but I am also surrounded by talented designers. XX has been a big inspiration throughout this entire process. He has a knack for design so I'm excited to have him as a guide on this path. He also hooked me up with CS5 on my MacBookPro, which makes my insides explode with glee.
All the designers at work are also very supportive. They already offered to critique my work beforehand and offer tips, plug-ins, and one-on-one tutorials on some of the features the adobe programs offer. I'm all set!
I was watching XX work with Adobe Illustrator last night (the program I virtually know
nothing about) and I was amazed. He makes everything seem so fucking easy.
I have
so much to learn.
Bring it on!
