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I 100% believe that doing a design degree is worth it, aside from education it gives you the opportunity to meet other designers, spend 3 years solidly focusing on design & specialising into areas that otherwise you wouldn't have access to the knowledge of. On top of that it gives you a level of financial padding to start a design business in the knowledge that you can spend over a year developing it before actually having to rely on it financially. It's not right for everyone but I think that the skills that you can develop & build make it useful. Also I'm specifically talking about uk unis where you spend the entirety of your time focusing on one subject.

I did a 6 month online program and two years later I’m at a job with people who went to a four year 💯I think ur right about school isn’t for every one but it’s not the end of the road

I always get nervous when I see these types of videos but I think it’s always super helpful to see. At the moment I’m going into my final year for my Communication Design major (what they call Graphic Design) and thankfully due to scholarships and financial aid I don’t have any debt. I chose a very safe school in the same state and honestly depending on the major you’re going for I push for you to try for local colleges at-least for the start to avoid being in crippling debt. Atm I feel worried about finding a job after graduating, and it makes me more anxious then I really should though I’d say College has been a great experience for me so far, most of my teachers were new but veteran designers so they had a more modern lense on critique. This was a fantastic video ^^

So glad I didn’t go to college because i’m debt free. My work is better than a lot of people i’ve seen with degrees. The only thing is it’s hard getting a job in graphic design without a degree without lying on your resume. So I’ve just been grinding the freelance route.

tks Jesse! I feel myself in this video! Its undoubtedly true when u said everyone has different ways of learning design and why some professors can not understand it :(

This is the first video i see from you, and you are speaking very well! Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. As an other designer i think you gave very valuable advice.

Just commenting before watching. Uni was a waste of time. My friends from my graphic design course at college who didn't go to uni got into jobs by the time I had finished my first year at Uni. I've had to struggle with finances, mental health, social life, etc and then to be saddled with essentially extra tax when I meet the earnings threshold to pay back my loans Also as a student rep in my first year I was told by course leaders and art school staff that the government is pushing for a more traditional educational format, more essays and tests and pointless shit Secondary Schools, Colleges, all push you towards going to uni, tell you it makes it easier to find work when in the cases I've seen, it's not true Even if you go to Uni most workplaces won't ask for your grade, even if they list it as a requirment for the job. I've just finished Uni a few weeks ago and I just landed a job, grades weren't mentioned once. Instead you should Find what you like to do, get good at it and find jobs around that area of work. Skip uni, you'll be able to prove yourself to an employer with your portfolio Find a mentor, One Million Mentors is a scheme in the UK and two of my Uni friends have landed jobs just from that connection with that one person

Love your unbiased thoughts. I’m in the grey area and will be paying for all my tuition myself. Wishing myself the best of luck in the future. I’m 19 but feeling like I’m way behind on some of these new cats

Great video! I agree with everything you said. You had a similar experience that I had. Here in Australia, it's not as expensive to go to university, as the government pays for it and you pay the loan back once you make over a certain amount, so it doesn't feel like crippling debt. It also, doesn't have interest, it just goes up with inflation. It's still there, but no one worries about it. I think University is good for experimentation, and trying things that don't necessarily have commercial value. I feel a lot of private design schools really push the commercial aspect of design, like branding, but you have your whole career to be concerned about money. I wish I had taken more risks and experimented more at uni. University is good for learning about other things, like art history or philosophy which, as you said, make you a more rounded person.

Hi Jesse, I was quite intrigued on how you mentioned that it's vitally important to develop your own style in a number of aspects in life, one of them evolving around music. I was just wondering if you could maybe share like a playlist of some of your favourite songs/ artists. Have a great day!

I'm actually in that grey area and opted out of college. I found some really great design programs on Coursera. I'm currently in the 6 month program offered from California Institute of Art that does require many of the things you mentioned like peer review of work. Which I am absolutely loving.

As a designer and adjunct faculty, I appreciate your sharing your experience. I will share this video with my students.

Hello Jesse. Really enjoy your channel. I'm leaving my Bachelors (already got my associates with the help of financial aid) and I understand web design but really trying to get more deep with graphic design. I know I strongly have a niche. My biggest lack of motivation is I don't want to go back to instagram, at all. I do want to build on Behance more though. And Dribbble. I honestly can't find any graphic design specific bachelor's in my state. The one I am leaving due to medical reasons is for web design with only 3 graphic centric courses. It's accelerated and way too much for me. My biggest bet is getting past my current stuff to start freelancing on the side and webdesign (readymag, with or webflow) but the workforce sucks so much along with school not having portfolio centric work. I think people can do what's best for them but I agree with so many here. University doesn't prepare/gaurantee jobs.

I was going to CC luckily one of my professors there also taught at Art Center and his input was that you definitely learn something going to art school but its not necessary and you end up with lots of debt if you go. I personally didn’t feel like I was learning anything that I hadn’t already learned online and it was a waste of time so I stopped after getting my associates and didn’t transfer.

loved this dude! you were so chill. me a 33 year artist I feel so lost rn

I tried some courses at the graphic design school to prepare for the entry exam We had to drew objects perfectly,i still tried hard and wasn't enough I draw character design not industrial design or product design!

Hey, extremely informative video! Well done. I'd appreciate your brutal honesty. I'm a quadriplegic that can move my arms but no finger function. Is it possible to become a graphic designer in your opinion?

I'm going to school online through a community college. It's a certificate program cause all I wanted to learn was the graphic design aspect without worrying about general education classes. I am autistic and have Dyscalculia, so gen ed wasn't for me. I'm also going for free because I'm disabled and getting help through Vocational Rehab. I kinda wish I could actually GO to school, but I'm too far away from a bus line. I'm almost done with my first week and I've already learned so much after being self taught on Photoshop for 10 years.

I'm a self taught graphic designer you don't have to go to design school. You can learn by your own

What do you think about an Associate of Arts in Graphic Design (getting a certificate) instead of a degree at a 4 year school?

holy cow the US is crazy with tuition, Canada's tuition averages like 8-11k for uni and 4-7k for college

So question I was thinking in going to San Diego city college do you know if it’s even good college?? I feel like this college is full of immigrant students who just want to get paper. Also is graphic designing even worth it??

If I didn’t have to get my bachelors degree to be a pilot for the Air Force I definitely wouldn’t 😅. After going to community college and getting my associates I got lucky and got a job at a print shop in my town but I was in Illinois and we had a recession in 2019 so I got laid off and it was hard trying to find other graphic design degrees because they required a bachelors and after joining the military I wasn’t going to go back but I met some good mentors and kinda got bullied into going back to school to commission😂 but I’ve been designing on the side making patches, posters and coins and adding them to my portfolio.

What should I switch my major to then

Yeah I was in the grey area with and art school scholarship for photography did they wanted like 50k for a semester 😂

I'm really lucky that I live in Switzerland and education here is more of like a scholarship. The one I currently go to only accepts 32 students per year and the previous one I went to was 18. Our tuition fee is only 700$ but for me it's honestly worth it!

Me over here going to school 😃

No! Not anymore you don't! There are so many tutorials available and either trial version apps or pro grade ones at cut rate prices via the internet now! Even the puke-inducing art history/typography prerequisites that were almost ALWAYS required regardless of what aspect of art practice you chose can be learned online at your own leisure now! Save your damn money and time wasted in a classroom and teach yourself!

Im from India. LOL id have to sell my organs to the blackk market just to get into design school anywhere outside Goa. But jesse your videos along with satori graphics and the futur have helped me alot. Thankyou.❤

honestly insane that you just cant go to uni if you didnt get the financial aid

The answer is no.

fafsa

I heard post-secondary education is free in Finland. Graphic design goes along with, AI, and branding. Stop with the “feel like” comments, that’s how girls talk, are you a girl?