SCAD’s declassified school survival guide: four tips for your first quarter
Written by Kendall Mckinnon
Welcome, newbees. You were #SCADbound, and now you’re two weeks into your first quarter. Full of passion and creative fire, you had it all planned out. You’d delight your professors by submitting stunning work and dazzle the Hive with your eager spirit, all while pursuing your creative dreams.
But wait, you have to wake up when for your 8 a.m.? Your design 100 supplies are how much? You used to be the art kid, but now that kid is everyone?
Trust me, you’re not the only one beginning to wonder whether or not this art school thing is for you. Don’t sweat it. Here are four tips to not only stick it out but to make the very most of your first quarter at SCAD.
1. Just show up
This is always step one. If you want to make the most out of something, you’ve got to be there. Show up to class, to SCAD events, to anything and everything you possibly can.
Pay attention to bulletin boards, emails and social media to keep up to date with what’s going on. Go even if you think it’s not your thing. You never know who you’ll meet, where you’ll end up or what you’ll learn about yourself.
Then, once you get a feel for how things work around here, get involved. Whether that be in clubs, sports, leadership, media or anything else, commit to that thing and establish community there. Sure, you’ve come to SCAD to study and work, but no artist is an island. We need each other, and we can only connect whe we show up.
2. Avoid foundation procrastination
You might have fallen into this all-too
One of the best practical steps you can take is to break your foundation projects into small pieces and budget your time from there. The same advice goes for any work that you find yourself ignoring until the last minute. By planning out the details and sticking to your plan, you will avoid the chaotic stress that comes with trying to complete a project the night before it’s due. You’ll also end up with more time overall to work on other homework, and even have some free time. Remember, it’s all about working smarter, not harder.
3. Invest in rest
To be a creator is to be reflected in your work. It’s unavoidable in the subjectivity of the process and it’s why we create to begin with. Plus, we’re craftspeople, and doing creative work is hard.
Your work should reflect a fresh you, but it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle. In a land where all-nighters are glorified and creators wear busyness like a crown, to rest and recharge might feel like a luxury you can’t afford. Let me be the one to tell you that you can have good work and a fresh face.
Take breaks when you need them. Take a whole day off if needed. Know yourself well enough to see burnout settling in, rest without guilt and have the discipline to start again. Oh, and don’t forget to sleep.
4. Embrace change
So maybe things aren’t going to plan. The bottom line is college life is different from life at home. There are so many changes to adapt to, and that can either be exhilarating or exhausting. To navigate smoothly through all of these changes, you must stay open-minded and willing to keep embracing your reality.
Of course your newfound independence, new home, new neighbors and new creative life are worth embracing, but you could also be facing some disappointments. It might be harder to see, but those are worth it just as much.
No matter how you are feeling now, there’s one thing that remains constant: we are all doing this for the first time too. The 8 a.m. misery, the art supplies dilemma and the art school identity crisis—we get it. If nothing else, we’re in the struggle together.
