1000 words for design students

烂耳朵

there are a million things to learn in design school,but what about the things you need to know"about" design school?In an effort to be clear and concise-something your teachera are always budding you to do-here and exactly 1000 words of advice for design students (cliche's included):
    Keep your ear to the groud.
    the best gossip is any gossip.Start there and then do you homework.If a course or a teacher is reputed to be great,odds are that there's something there.Same for the i--verse,but don't be dissuaded by advance reviwes of a difficult or challenging teacher or course-sometimes the best fit is a tignt one.
    Do your homework.
    There is no question that in design school,what you put in is what you get out.It's not exciting and it's nont revelatory,but it really does turn out that the students who work the hardest and commit themselves the fullest end up with the best stuff.Inspiration and perspiration.you need'em both.
    School is expensive.Come on time.Stay late.
    college in many countries is prohibitivly expensive,so make sure you're getting your money's worth.Arrive on time and insist that your teachers do too.stay after class and ask question;find out about more ttan just your what the class covered.Don't be a pest,but don't be a pushover either.Why?Here's why?
   We work for you,not the other way around.
    Teachers have an annoying habit of setting up the power dynamic to make you feel like they're in charge.I hate to roll out the "you are consumers of an educational product"argument ,but the reality is that teachers,administrators,librarians and deans are all there in the first place.And they really do work for you.so be clear about what you want and neeed,and team up with other students ti make sure that those desires are communicated to the people in power.
    Hone your presentation skills.
    walking the walk and talking the talk are different skills. And no matter how good a designer you are ,without a certain level of presentation skills,nobody will ever know.Practice public speaking,presnt your head off in class, and write,write,write.there is no underestimating the harm to your future that bad presentation skills can unleash.
    Photograph everything.
    If you do one thing in preparation for the new school year,buy a camera.we miss the old 35mm SLRs, but we're realists and recognize the irresistible benefits,instant gratification and econmises of digital.Buy as any megapixels as you can.Make sure you bring your camera to class and have fellow students photograph you presnting your work,conducting interviews, that kinda thing.Finally,have others take pictures of you making your modles  up in the shop .when the most exciting thing."Did you make this model?" Well,yes,I did.
   Do more;consider auditing a class.
    "The people who do more are peop;e who get more done."Duh.It's no secret that busy people often get a lot accomp;ished,and this the same for students.Take an extra-curricular,non-design class(especially if grades aren't improtant/necessary for you),at the very least,consider auditing one course per semester.(Auditing a class means attending and doing the reading,but not taking up the teacher's time with homework,or taking up the class's time by asking questions. Most students aren't familiar with duditing,but it's offered in most schools.
    Read the paper.
    This is the single best way to be and stay connected with the outside world. A killer-talented designer with nothing so say isn't much use toany one,and there's nothing more dangerous than an ignorant mass producer. if you live in city that has a good newspaper,subscribe.If you don't ,find a good one at your library,or read countless ones on the web for free.What's a good newspaper?The New York Times.there.That's good one.
    Get off campus.
    School is great ,and after all,that's what you're doing there in the first place.But school design programs are kind of like the "official"program-the real stuff is happening by people who finished school(or often ignored it altogether)"and your best investment is to connect with the communities of creative people who are doing design for a living and a life.Training in school is only part of the equation.Being submerged in the cultured of design practice is where the real action is.
    Don't work alone.
    I know you know that design is a collaborative effort,so there's no reason why you shouldn't practice getting along with others while you're still in school.But that's not the real benifit of doing design homework with others:It's more fun.if you don't already know this,then you haven't done design work with others.
    Take almost any job.
    there is absolutely no replacement for the real thing,and practical experience in any design related field id more than you alraey have.So don't spend six months after you graduate looking for the perfect job.You should be doing everything in your power to get some practical training onto your resume and into your brain and hands before you graduate.Do anything design-related.You'll be respected more by future employers,and have some chops by the time you get out.
    well,that's it for me.1000words of adivce.But there's more out there,so with the ball rolling,why not share your own adice.don't be shy.

[ 本帖最后由 烂耳朵 于 2008-10-15 23:48 编辑 ]

占士大帝

LEARNING ABOUT THIS ,I HAVE BEEN  MORE PRODUCTIVE ABOUT  WORK!