Savannah College of Art and Design Top Questions

I truely followed my career dreams. I moved far away from home because I knew I would not be able to reach my dreams from small town Missouri. The people aren't as friendly as the midwest, and I've had some tough times, but I'm following my dreams I have to believe that's the right thing for me to do.

Go to the college you want too. Dont go to the college you think you should go to, you will most likley end up transfering back to the one you originally wanted.

Its a great school if you really love art and want to pursue a career in the designing field. Anyone who is an animator, gamer, graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, fashion designer, interior designer, or just wants to be some kind of professional artist should truly consider this school. Just apply for as much financial aid as you can (trust me).

My advice to parents or students is to make sure you are choosing a college for the right reasons like what it has to offer you and not what college is popular or that all your friends are going to. Do what makes you happy. Networking is very important so become close with your advisors and professors. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the hype of college and become unfocused like in t.v shows but unlike t.v this is real life and you have a choice and college is not one big party, it is a big step to getting you in the direction you want to be in to find your career. Everything is brand new so enjoy it while it last, know who you can depend on. Do all you can to be the best you, in my experience my family and faith never let me lose sight of what is important.

To parents: Let your student follow his/her dreams. If she wants to be an artist & you want her to be a doctor remember it's her life , it's her dream. Support her with whatever the choice. Don't make her go to school close by if she wants to go away. Let her fly. To students: Don't live your life following your parents wishes, you can always go home & settle for less. But if you never try you'll never know if you could have had more. Look around if you must but if you have a particular school in mind go & visit. Compare programs. A school in Vermont may have a great program but if you hate the snow & cold don't go. You have to be happy where you live . Keep in touch with family. Share your experiences. Don't leave for school with a boyfriend. Go out & meet new people. Give yourself a chance. It's not easy leaving for the first time, but it will be ok if you just try. Good luck in your search.

Reasearch, research, research. During your junior year in high school, you MUST start looking for colleges that seem right for you. Have in mind what you want from a college, and narrow it down from there. Keep in mind the tuiting, student to teacher ratio, and the percentage of people who get paying jobs in their fields after graduation. Also, make sure to tour each school you wish to attend. College campuses are always different than what is pictured, and you can never be sure what it's really like until you're there in person. While taking the tour, find a student or two who are not giving the tour and ask them questions. Random students along the way will give you the best, most honest answers to your pressing questions about the college.

The biggest piece of advice I could give is to visit the campus several times. Not just once. You need to sit in on a class if possible and talk to other students. If you are choosing a school that is specific in major like Savannah College of Art and Design, you better be sure of what your goals are and know that is what you want to do. Some of these colleges are very expensive and if you are unsure of your future plans, then maybe a two-year college would be a better place to start. Also think about the location of the school. My school is located in an 8hr drive from my parents. Sometimes this can be very hard and its not that easy to just hop in the car and go home to visit. You also need to think of the little things that cost money, that you take for granted at home like laundry, constant need of supplies, personal items, medications etc. Those need to be added in to your budget or you will be calling home constantly for more money! One major piece of advice-STUDY!!

The most inportant advice for students is to search for a college that they sincerely want to attend, not one that their parents wish for you to attend because you might end up not liking the school they choose. While in college, students should be as active as possible: join sports/intermurals, clubs, and any type of volunteer projects. Maintain some type of social life while remembering that you are in school to learn not play around.

Keep in mind that college isn't all about partying. It's a lot of work which shouldn't be hard if you're motivated enough. It's possible to have good grades, a social life, and a good night's sleep if you remember to keep on track and manage your time wisely. Have fun, but don't put homework on the back burner.

Finding the right college, is usually all about doing extensive research, trying to find which offers a program you?d like the most, and if the price is affordable and worth it. Other things to look at are location, housing availability, and maybe extracurricular activities. However, sometimes, like in my case, it just feels right, and you know where you have to go. Still, in those cases, you have to do some research; choosing a college is a very serious matter that should not be taken as a blind leap of faith. To make the most out of the college experience, first of all you?ll -need- some sort of social networking account, either facebook, myspace or something along those lines. These make it really easy to get in contact with people you?ve met, and allow you to stay in touch with those that you might not see in your classes. Having a mobile phone and some sort of chat program is really nice too. This might sound weird, but I was very lucky to go to college without knowing anyone, because this ?forced? me to meet new people. Through time, these have become dear friends of mine.

In order to find the right college, the advice I would give to parents and/or students would be to consider all the colleges that seem practical for them. The student should think about what type of college would best suite their needs, such as a community college or university. It will be possible to narrow down options when they consider a major and even degree they want. After they come up with the schools they are interested in they should also consider how far they are willing to travel, the area that the college is in, and the overall cost of going to that college. I would advice making an attempt to visit these colleges to get an idea of what their surroundings would be like and if it provides what they are looking for. Visiting the campuses would greatly increase the ability in making the most out of the college experience because they will know what to expect. I would also advice to get as involved with college activities as possible. This is another key way of networking and becoming familiar with people in your area of study and within the job market.

I would advise both the parents and students to be very serious about doing scholarships AT LEAST 2 years before the student intends on going to college. Most scholarship deadlines run over a several month period so there is a lot of ?wait time? to see if you won. Unfortunately, students are competing with thousands of students all over the country for that one scholarship. National scholarships are harder than local ones so see what you can do locally to get your finances. Volunteering and community service are very important for most scholarships. Be very proactive in your financial planning!

Some of the best advice I would give to parents and students is to never settle on a college. In other words, set out for a school that is perfect, that is not going to let the student down and that the student is excited to attend. Don't make money be an issue when choosing a school - there are tons of ways to pay for school, just do the research. Thousands of grants, scholarships and financial aid are available. In addition to these financial opportunities, it may even cost less to go to a school with a higher tution for students or familys with little money in the bank. If a student has the opporunity to get excited about attending their school, they are more likely to get involved, attend class, and graduate with the honors that they deserve. Settling on a school can be discouraging and disappointing for a student, so why settle when you can achieve!

The advice I would give, is to first be sure and visit multiple campuses in different locations. Visit both rural and urban and everywhere in between. If you find a school you like visit it a second time, they more you visit the more comfortable you will be there. Don't go to a school as a 'temporary school' and plan to transfer. You will not feel comfortable there and not do as well as you could. By doing this you could ultimately hurt yourself. As for making the most of your college experience, remember that there are a lot of different people at your campus. Dont try to make friends with a group of people just because they are your roommates friends. Find your own group! Also when you first arrive, be sure to make friends with your hallmates, but also go out and join a club or other activity. If you only befriend your hall mates, they will go join other clubs and leave you alone. My final advice, make at least 1 friend in every class. They will be your lifesaver when you get the flu and are out for a could of days!!!

I would give them one piece of advice - make sure you are happy. No matter what happens or how much money you spend or how busy you work, you must be happy.

Let the student go to college when they are ready. I am returning to school after 8 years and I see the maturity in the work I do then that of my peers. Since I am paying for this school myself, I am more driven to succeed. While I see other students drive as less then ambitious possibly because someone else is footing the bill. Plus, now I'm sure of what I want my career to be and what I'm looking for in a school.

When beginning the college search every student/parent needs to keep in mind who they are. The worst situation would be if someone decided to attend a school and was miserable all because they just went with the school and didn't really look into it. Make sure to look at all aspects of the school. Including the size, the courses, the time frame, the social life, the town/city, the people, the staff, the tuition, and anything else that you feel is vital to you being happy with your choice! Once you are accepted to your school of choice and you are attending it you want to make sure you get involved in activities or sports or whatever interests you! Go out and make friends! Its so sad to see students around campus who look so lonely! The only way to avoid that is by going out and getting involved! Plus, your not only having fun and meeting new people, you are adding to your resume or just to character in general, which in the long run with help you in your career! Good luck and have fun! =)

In terms of financial cost, there are plenty of options available that many people don't even know about. For instance, use FAFSA instead of private lenders for student loans. Try to get scholarships through your school - be sure to ask and look at the school website, as they won't tell you (they want your money). Get the book "Debt Cures THEY Don't Want You to Know About." There's a lot of good websites listed there including URLs of federal grant pages. Depending on the college you go to, it's not always about partying and drinking like you see in movies. Some are, but there's a lot of work involved too and at the end of the day, if you're not doing the work, you're just wasting money. I know it may feel like the friends you left in High School were your better half, but you'll get over the thought of missing them when you make new friends. They say the friends you make in college tend to last with you for the rest of your life and I believe that to be the case.

Always leave your options open, and assume for it to cost as much as possible. If it cannot be afforded, then don't even consider it. Also, student housing is a rip-off. A student could live in a nearby apartment and support themselves for a year for the amount of money student housing costs per semester/quarter., amenities included. Stay involved, and network. The people attending college today are tomorrow's industry movers and shakers. Never underestimate the value of a contact you make in college. That same guy you go play video games in his dorm room with might get your foot in the door to a firm or company you'll want to work for four years down the road. -Unless a parent can fully support you living away from them, don't even consider it. Commuting to school, while bothersome, can save a ton of money in housing costs and can allow for focus on school work rather than trying to find a job and devoting time to it, school, and homework, all at the same time.

Make wise choices think about having people around just in case you need it. Try to stay close to family.