There is a great quote by Thoreau:
"Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder."
Every year sees a new crop of students joining the graphic communications program, and every year I encourage them to ask themselves why they are here. What is their goal? What are their personal objectives? How will they plan on getting to their goal?
Inevitably, someone in the class says something like "I want to get rich."
While it is possible to get rich in our field, it is much more likely you will play a supporting or entry-level role, and after climbing through the ranks at low pay, make a fair living. The problem is, that person's goal is actually an outcome of reaching a goal, and not a goal of itself. If getting rich is truly your only goal, you are by logic saying that the method of achieving that goal is secondary (or perhaps tertiary)...so there are other ways to that end.
Someone else in the class will eventually say something about "liking art in high school." It is true that the traditional ranks of graphic communicators and designers comes traditionally from a fine arts education. More and more programs are, however, dovetailing their programs into marketing, communications studies, and mass communications. The bottom line is that in commercially applicable design, you really do not get the kind of unfettered freedom that you have in fine art. We want the creativity, adaptability, and visual-thinking of fine artist, but we don't want that self-expressive "there is no wrong art" quality of the gallery artist. There are, in fact, parameters to what is 'right' in design that do not exist for the fine artist. The bottom line is that designers are communicating someone else's message visually. That means if the message doesn't come through clearly, it is wrong. This could not be more different than fine art.
Last but not least, a small subgroup of students will mention "not being very good at other subjects," or "wanting to make money gaming," or something of that ilk. Often these students are steered towards the program by well-meaning folks who use a bit of faulty logic. This assumption is that our area is somehow 'easier' than others.
We are not an elective class on basket-weaving... we are a bona-fide profession that demands a high degree of skill and well-rounded intelligence to gain meaningful employment. Studying the students who have landed the 'great jobs' will show you that they are great students across the board, and spectacular when it comes to visual literacy. You need to be fairly well read, and understand mathematical concepts (resolution formulas for scanning and fractions for traditional to digital conversions).
So, back to Thoreau...
You need to understand what you want to do, and work your butt off at it. Then work some more and learn everything you can from every educational opportunity given you, as well as those informal opportunities that have nothing to do with classes.
Education shouldn't be viewed as some kind of hurdle to 'get past,' but rather something to truly immerse yourself in.
The rest will follow.
