Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Top Questions

I would tell myself that high school is just giving you a foundation for what is to come. Take things more seriously and come up with a plan to what you want out of this experience. If your ever in doubt, find the answer; there are many people willing to help as long as u want it. Everyone and everything around you is a resource for your future so take advantage. Ultimately you choices determine where you end up so be conscious of your decisions.

This answer may seem odd; but I would not go back and give myself advice about college life as I live it now, even though I know more compared to what I knew in the past. I know what it is like to be financially independent and how difficult it is to pay for my own school. I learned the value of communicating with people and asking teachers for guidance. And I know how vital it is to seek scholarships, grants and financial aid. Moreover, I even had to charter my own educational path and discover what I really want to do with my life, something that I see as liberating and exciting as a young adult. Yes part of me wants to go back in and guide myself to an easier future (present), but that would deprive me of what I learned to get to where I am now. The responsibilities that I had to adopt, most not out of choice, have shaped me into the person that I am today. As the saying goes; life is not about the destination, but rather the journey. All I can do is move forward and do the best that I can.

Give school your all your senior year, it would have been great to know how much of a transition college was. It is a lot more difficult and so many things are different. Make sure to always go to your classes and try your hardest on every assignment that you get. Don't ever give up, you can do it. Make as many friends as you can while still staying focused on school. Also once you start college make sure to utilize all of the resources given to you by the school such as the school library, free help, etc. Also make sure to talk to college junior's and senior's to get advice about the school you are attending. In the end work your hardest and your work will eventually pay off. Put in those extra hours to make sure you are extremly successful.

The most important aspect I have gotten out of my first year here at MIAD is communication. Communication is a necessity when you are trying to convey your piece of art or design to a potential customer or just friends and family. This college is valuable for me to attend because it is setting me up for a potential job opportunity along with life long lessons I can use long after graduation. Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design has given me a great understanding of what a future job in a design career would be like. Along with the ability to conquer any obsticles that I come across. Finishing school here at MIAD will allow me to persue my career in a field of study that is always changing and growing to the future.

What I have personally gained from the college experience is independence. The college experience allowed me to prepare for the pressures and obstacles that I will have to face along my life's journey. I can truly attest to the fact that the world is so cold and bitter in some instances. You have to know and understand how to weather the storm in order to progress in your career without compromising your diginity. The professors that give a adverse time are only trying to challenge you for your benefit. To be blunt and honest as a freshmen I did not see that. As I matured along my college path I had to say thanks to those professors because of them I am what I am today. I view education as a stepping stone towards a career that will enable me to be a productive member of society. I do not take education as a light thing by any means. My mind often reflects back on how our people had to struggle for the rights we have now. I am grateful and thankful to receive such a quality education. I pride myself on being the best I can be.

I have learned so much over the past 4 years in college, from trying to figure out who i am to what i would like to be once i have finished my degree. I have learned so much everyday and numerous things from the pepole that are around me. College has really helped me to open my eyes to the world and figure out that there is not just a college degree that i am going for but the whole world. All of the possibilities that can be done when you know what you want out of life. And it has made me realize that i am here to do some good, not just for my friends or my community but out there. Where ever that might be. I think that i have got all that i need to out of my college experience, i am very happy with who i have become and what i aam growing up to become.

My name is Elise Thomm and I am a sophomore at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Pursuing a career as an artist here at MIAD has taught me so much about the art world and myself as a person. The small community of this college and its rigorous work ethic remind me of the responsibilities I will someday hold as a working artist in my community. Through communication with teachers I have learned a lot about myself as an individual. My professors have been outstanding thus far and between them and my own immense motivation I am progressing everyday. There's nothing more valuable than the growth I've made and the connections I have because of MIAD. College is by far the hardest thing I've ever endured. I've learned how to balance a job, homework, and my personal life for two years now and its the best experience I've had. I'm certain that enduring all of these tasks is helping me work towards becoming a responsible person every single day. Words really cannot explain how valuable MIAD is to me, and I hope MIAD would say the same about me.

MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE HAS GIVEN ME THE ABILITY TO FOCUS ON MY MAJOR WITHOUT ANY DOUBT ABOUT WHERE I'MGOING IN THE FUTURE. BECAUSE OF THE PHILOSOPHY, ENVIRONMENT AND STAFF SUPPORT, MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN HAS GIVEN ME A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE, DESIGN & MY COMMUNITY. IT ALSO HAS MADE ME ACUTELY AWARE OF MY SURROUNDINGS. BEING AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY COUPLED WITH THE SCHOOL'S ENCOURAGEMENT TO GIVE BACK HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A BETTER CITIZEN WHICH IN TURN HAS MADE ME VERY PROUD OF MY COMMUNITY. THE CLASS DESIGN WHICH IS SET UP WITH NO MORE THAN 30 STUDENTS IN A CLASS, HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPING AN OPEN MIND, THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND RESPECTING OTHER DESIGNERS. THE ATMOSPHERE OF THIS SCHOOL IS A RICH BED OF OPPORTUNITY THAT PROVIDES EACH STUDENT ACCESS TO RESOURCES BEYOND THEIR WILDEST DREAMS. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WANT IT. I HAVE REALIZED THAT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO BE TALENTED IN LIFE, BUT TALENT COUPLED WITH A CONVICTION TO WORK HARD AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH RESPECT FOR OTHERS WILL OPEN DOORS FOR ANYONE THAT BELIEVES.

High school was a routine. College is a taste of real life. Like every other college freshmen on the face of our Earth, I was plunged into a world that was new and strange and scared out of my mind. To deal with such a change, I began to build new friendships and realize the value of student groups. I soon learned that college is more than getting good grades and meeting new people, it is also attaining a degree of professionalism and responsibility for one’s self. More college students should take advantage of the help that the instructors and staff at their schools have to offer. My professors are all very well established in the art world, and the advice and experiences they share are as good as gold. I feel that in the one semester I had so far at MIAD my understanding of how to present myself as an artist and create work of quality has doubled. In this journey to who I will be in the future, my failures become lessons learned and my successes boost my confidence. I am elated that MIAD has become such a great fueling ground for my growth.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself, that college is alot different then high school. I have learned that college takes alot more focus and more homework time. But it is also at a better pace than high school for those who learn quickly like I do. I would tell myself to stick with it no matter how hard it gets. Other than that I would just tell myself to have fun, study hard, and stick with it.