it costs about a quarter of a MILLION dollars to graduate parsons. i finished in the 80s and went on to a very successful career, but most of my classmates either dropped out, or finished and ended up working mundane retail jobs. and while it was always an expensive school i made enough to pay back my loans and live very comfortably. truth be told, most students today won't get jobs in design and if their parents aren't rich they will spend their lives trying to pay off an education that was completely useless. it's only worth it if you are completely dedicated and you're good enough. unfortunately most of the students who are there aren't.

I can continuously sow for 2 to 3 days without sleeping I really love fashion.

ive learned this myself and i’ll leave it here for all of you. these problems are problems with any industry. they are universal. if you are interesting in theater for example you will do research and talk to people who are theater grads and get data from them, and then conclude that it isn’t so profitable etc and you should find something else to do. the thing is that you didn’t research and invest enough time to know if fashion would be the same. there is stiff competition in every industry, undoubtedly. you would think that you could “play it safe” and become a lawyer or doctor to make good money etc but the system has ways of weeding you out as well. realize also that everyone else who learned what you just learned will also be thinking “ok i’ll play it safe” and go into law school as well. making competition for law school even stiffer. you will never find an industry that has jobs lined up that either don’t suck like hell or doesn’t pay anything at all. in reality the world is tough, but you are strong enough to make it. the “dream” whatever it may be can be accomplished, but you are right to think it will require some time and passion. patience people. no one knows what they are doing after graduation. your parents don’t know what they are doing either. after highschool it’s all up for grabs. open track. no more milestones unless you say there are. it’s marriage and childbirth and death. make the most of it. do something for a few years and see the results first before you quit on it, especially if you love it. you will only regret what you didn’t do, not what you did. patience is why people don’t succeed in an industry. you have to fail a lot, and everyone is looking to be an overnight success. if you want the fashion industry, make cloths, put out content, build a community, get offers and jobs that way. you have to be proactive in any industry, no exceptions. these realities about fashion are universal.

I’ve always been nervous about whether or not I should major in fashion or not because of what you mentioned about the getting a job after college but I really love it. I can’t live without it. I just hope I’m able to succeed

I found you! I’ve been searching for someone who went from fashion design to Ux design. I went to SCAD and actually graduated in 2020 with a fashion design degree, but before I graduated I KNEW WHOLEHEARTEDLY fashion design was not for me. I had your same exact reasons. Now I’m in school for UX. We got this!!! Keep pushing I’m proud of you!

Exactly what I realised this year. Have been wanting to pursue fashion design for years but finally came to the conclusion earlier this year that Fashion Communication/Production is much more suitable for me. Good luck to you!

Wow! Great to know that you decide to change major. I believe the Fashion Design course become a front and center course for the fashion industry when their are a ton of careers besides designing like merchandising, production, marketing, forecasting, IT, etc. I am excited to see your growth. Kudos. A new sub here. I first took course for fashion design then currently proceeded with garments technology. Hope for the best.

It’s crazy because this is EXACTLY how I felt! I grew up thinking I wanted to be a “fashion designer” when I just recently figured out its communication design that I’m leaning toward! Glad it’s working out for you! Hopefully it works out for me too! I’m nervous about beginning this journey.

Thank you for this extremely honest review. I think this will truly help a lot of people.

Ugh! I would love to sew 24 hours a day😩😩

The reason I specifically want to go into fashion design is because of how much work I put into something I’m passionate about and how i know I’m gonna be a total workaholic lol. For this reason I found this video helpful though because it did help confirm that fashion design would be better for me than business, my second choice:)

Thanks for sharing! Wish you find what you really into soon!

Very helpful video and totally true! Currently a 3rd year in CommDesign at Parsons, but always wanted to do fashion. Switched major multiple times in between Fashion and Communication, but ended solid with CD. Glad you found a solution and something that fits you in Parsons! :)

Thank you for making this video. I have the exact opposite experience as you, i chose to go into fashion but i didnt think i wanted the life bad enough. I went to FIT but in the International Trade and Marketing program, i graduated, and have worked in my field {logistics} for a couple years now. I am dying. my heart isnt in it. I need to be the person awake at the sewing machine for 3 nights straight, i feel clear an vindicated and am going to go for it. I can always fall back on the business side if i have to. Even choosing a different path you're still an inspiration!

i completely relate to this! i was studying design at a local college and learned that my passion for the industry was more deeper than settling for design, and found that other people who had the passion for design deserved to be in an environment filled with people who had that same passion that i did not possess. i am taking this year off due to quarantine, but am excited to apply to Parsons for Photography BFA (specifically fashion) for Fall 2021 🙏🏻

I love this video Sharon! Just followed you on insta. I’m excited to keep up!

Thanks for being so honest about this.

Thank your for sharing your experience:)

Thank you so much for this video.... I literally got a wider view in this field

I do love fashion and sewing is pretty interesting, but the thing is *my patience runs out pretty easily*. Nor I have the willingness to exhaust myself *due to health issues*. This is my last year at school and I'm even more nervous of how everything will turn out in the future. ☹️

Good for you for knowing yourself and what's best for you. I'm sure you will do great at whatever comes next. I went to Parsons when I was 18 and I always wish I had taken a year or 2 before applying. When I was there a lot of Parsons students were over 25 and already had experience or a direction. It's not uncommon to be in your 30s. No question the school and its demands are rough, but if you make it after 4 years you're going straight to the front of the line for those jobs.

Thank you this video has helped me a lot. I just scheduled my classes for next semester and realized that I'd have to be in school for 5 years in order to design and I dont think I can dedicate that much of my life to do that. So I'm exploring other careers in fashion

Good luck to you! I understand where you are coming from. I love fashion as a hobby but not as a business. It is very stressful and not the same enjoyment level. Getting immersed in drawing. patternmaking, draping and sewing is so enjoyable and uplifting.

This video was so helpful to me!!!

I love this! My current goal is to become a fashion designer and get my MFA but I know there’s so many jobs in the industry and if my “dream” doesn’t work out I know there’s a lot of other options that I would also enjoy and make me happy! Also love the blazer!

Thank you for this! I personally went to parsons for fashion design (graduated year 2014) and only because I had great professors that trusted to do my own thing that I survived... and actually had a somewhat thriving brand after! But then I decided to work more on the business retail side of fashion. But so many of my classmates ended up quitting fashion or doing something not related to design in the industry. I feel like a big misconception incoming students (including myself) have about fashion is that the best way to participate in the industry is as a designer and that is so far from the truth!

this is so honest thank you, I really needed it

oh my god you just saved my life，thank you

SUCH A GOOD VID VERY HELPFUL

Honestly this makes me think that I wanna pursue it even more

this it for me LOL i got accepted for Fashion design back in 2014... boy i had no idea what i was gonna sign myself up for, i couldnt even sew hahahaha but i didn't go that year cuz i just couldn't afford. now, i think im leaning more towards communication design

Ima be real I fucken love fashion design, it’s literally my life while working towards my fashion design degree I’ve become super scared they I won’t be secure a job like you said. Especially because where I live

I relate to the first reason 100%

So what will you be majoring in now?

Wow. This is so interesting but whatever fits you best my angel :^)

Yep, I graduated from Parsons 2013. I constantly lived at school.

However, majoring fashion design in Parsons is not only about learning how to sew. For a Parsons fashion student, there are so many to learn including everything you said from other majors

You have very good spoken English, your communication skills are awesome

i definitely want to be a designer. i went to ryerson for it and recently dropped out due to struggling with the workload especially with my mental health, and finding some of the courses/projects irrelevant to my interests/plans. i'm considering applying to transfer to parsons paris but i want to avoid having the same problems. i'm going to be an independent designer so the stuff about jobs isn't really relevant to me and i don't need a degree. it would just be for further learning and developing my skills.

would you lose your scholarship if you switch majors?

I just start my AAS fashion design program and after watching your video I start to doubt if I am suitable for this major........

Your video truly terrifies me because I’ve had fears about if I really am wanting to go in design. I am working on my design portfolio for parsons and fit that ill submit in November but for years I’ve been irksome if it is really meant for me. I’ve visiting the school in July so hopefully that’ll clear up some thoughts but man I don’t want to feel like I like was a wuss for something “easier” and I always feel like if I don’t try to go into design I’ll always regret it.

Hey dear!! I also pursued fashion designing cuz i was very professional artist but being in that uni i go through serious depression and i lost almost 2 kgs within 2 months .The routine was also really hectic I've to spend straight 9 hours there and after that i work till 2 at night..After going through a lot of trauma I left fashion designing university. But my dad has a business of textiles and i really want to start my brand. I feel so stuck nowadays. 😢 i need someone's advice

So what would you recommenced for people who don’t want to do the labor but still want their own brand/ business in fashion? There are so many jobs in fashion that it’s hard to know what will really help you with what you wanna do. I wanna get really into the fashion world but there’s no one around me to really give me advice. I’m sure people can relate

Getting my associates in fashion design at a long island community college since I tried applying 2 years in a row and got rejected going to try for a 3rd time. I really want to be apart of the fashion grind at parsons now. Especially after working so much on sewing and pattern making at community. Previously was an engineer student at Boston university before finding what I finally loved to do.

Ahh I’m currently finishing my second semester of college as a freshman and I’m so nervous about pursuing a degree in fashion. I’m currently enrolled as a pre fashion design major and have considered so many other fields but I can’t find myself pursing a career that isn’t creative in some aspect. I go to a regular university and not a specialized school like Parsons or Fidm cause of the immense amount of debt. What scares me the most is the job opportunities after and if I’ll be able to make money where I can be financially stable on my own.

I am not a Parsons Fashion Design student but I was a Parsons Design and Technology student and I am going to transfer to FIT because I realized the Game Design program in Parsons is so focused in coding it was just not for me ........ I thought the program would have opportunities to explore character design which is what I love and hoping they will explore 3d modeling but it is mostly programming and god it is difficult ........... Fashion and Technology thankfully has a game design program that focuses mostly on creativity than programming and they definitely have character design and story telling .......... I just hope FIT will accept me ................

I quit fashion too and I swear I said the same thing to my friends back then - the odds were against me.

where did your friends that stayed in this major end up getting a job at?

I will study on there next year

Hey Sharon is the school still on 42 nd street I hope you get back. Love from east queens bridge.

It's basically tailoring..you draw the design in 2 minutes n then you sit on the sewing machine for days to complete 1 dress..no job prospects in future ..and the job you can find is stitching job ...your are a Tailor basically .

Big facts

if i want to go into fashion publications, should i major in strategic design and management at parsons and minor in fashion communications, or major in fashion business management at FIT? I am so conflicted.

alguien en español? 🥺 que traduzca? :(

Any recommendations on how I can go to parsons and move out of nyc after I get experience in my field I really would rather live somewhere too expensive right here. Also is there internships to europe?

what major did you end up changing to?

4:30 😂

Alot of parsons kids take forever sew bc they suck at sewing...

I want to quit university sorry but I need to say it somehow out loud :)

This is Alfred parsons

Let me keep it real with you high school students. Be very careful with going to school for fashion design. Okay, go to school for a more well rounded degree that can get you a good job after graduation. Look at what the coronavirus pandemic has done to many industries people are jobless. You need income to live out your dreams. Fashion design school will not give you talent that is something you’re born with, there’s plenty of free sources on KZfaq on how to sew, pattern making, 3D fashion (Clo3D) etc or a local studio class. Fashion design students post graduation are BROKE.. read that again, B R O K E. Be very strategic.

why don't you take fashion business major, it doesn't need to sew and it appropriates to who like to mix and match fashion like you...

Be A TAILOR instead

Dropping out was probably the smartest thing you ever did. This is probably one of the top 5 most worthless degrees you can have.

Your whole future is based on your degree ..so if you do fashion design you ll end up stitching clothes through out your life which is called a Tailor.