[Grasshopper]

ok, this isn't the typical INFP thread, but i could really use your input.



i'm an art major at a state university right now... i don't feel like the art department is large enough or is taken very seriously, for that matter. lately, i've been entertaining the idea of transferring to a private art school.. i want art to be embedded in my lifestyle, i want to learn every aspect of it. i want to be surrounded by passionate artists and breathe that environment.

since these art schools are outrageously expensive, my question for you guys is, do you think taking out a private loan is a good option? would it be worth the debt?

i've been on loans already for two years now, so i know how they work. but do you guys think borrowing more would be worth it for a quality education/experience?

[SenhorFrio]

to be honest i hate the whole concept of debt, and art is a passion and i don't really think you need to "best" education in it to do well.plus unlss you lucky art wont earn you enough to pay it off quickily
As an INFP i often feel the urge to change my"course"for the better but i end up never being satisfied and contiuily changing again-so really if it were up to me id staywhere you are
either way i wish you luck

[Grasshopper]

thank you! i know what you mean.. i'm always cooking up new ways to get out of my current situation. i hate that i'm never completely satisfied. i've got much thinking to do...

[LookingForTheDoor]

I faced a similar choice when I was thinking about transferring schools after my freshman year. Part of the reason why I decided not to switch, however, was that I realized that coursework was only a part of what would lead to my future. Summer jobs, things I did on the side, etc. were areas where I could excel and pursue my dreams without incurring the cost of an extra year of school, and in the end what YOU do is the major determinant of how far you get. Unless you think the education at another school would be so much better as to bridge the gap between what you can achieve in your current situation and what you might be able to do elsewhere, I would make the same choice I did before in your situation. Plus more debt is never a good thing.

To be completely fair I guess I also have to add that I decided to stay put is that I'm somewhat of a glutton for pain, at least when it comes to choosing the hard way of doing things and pushing myself to make it or die trying. Blame the desire for "character growth."

[Grasshopper]

for me, i feel like the harder thing would be to make the move and take out the loans. it would likely put a stress on me to perform in school and stay motivated to pay the money back. it would also go against my go-with-the-flow attitude... it feels a little out of flow and spontaneous. but i do see what you're saying. there are plenty of successful self-taught artists out there. and relatively debt free, too!

[infpblog]

Stay out of debt. Look at it this way. You'll be in the art school for 4 years maybe. If you end up at some job making $40K, more than likely after car, rent, etc., you'll be lucky to pay 5% which is $2K per year. If you're loan is $30K, you'll be paying off that loan for 15 years after your out of school. You'll be constantly worried that you'll lose your job because you have such a large loan hanging over your head. So are you willing to trade 15 years for whatever you'll gain in the next four.

[Grasshopper]

wow, thank you for breaking that down! this is true... most of my "ideas" are short lived and kind of spur of the moment. but that debt will last for what seems like forever.

[GoldenDawn]

I used to be an art student, I've quitted (because of anxiety problems and stuff) but I'm going to attend it once more in september. Well it is, I live in the Netherlands and art schools aren't that expensive over here. If art is truly your passion you schould go after it.. find a way. Because you will regret it later one in life. I know I will regret it if I gave up art. I've been drawing and creating all my life and I can't imagaine a life without it...By the way I think it's absolutly great to meet another INFP art student :)

[Dyssadia]

ok, this isn't the typical INFP thread, but i could really use your input.

i'm an art major at a state university right now... i don't feel like the art department is large enough or is taken very seriously, for that matter. lately, i've been entertaining the idea of transferring to a private art school.. i want art to be embedded in my lifestyle, i want to learn every aspect of it. i want to be surrounded by passionate artists and breathe that environment.

since these art schools are outrageously expensive, my question for you guys is, do you think taking out a private loan is a good option? would it be worth the debt?

i've been on loans already for two years now, so i know how they work. but do you guys think borrowing more would be worth it for a quality education/experience?

I would recommend, first off, doing something that has an "art department" such as the film or game industries. While it is very rough to get in, they are also very general. Not only that but the imagination "required" will go beyond what your normal mind can take and you will learn the tricks of how the greatest artists of the past did their work.

On the note of art growth, look into the asian cultures as the asian corp. such as Nintenodo, Square-Enix, Capcom, etc. These companies really show what one's mind can go and have already broken the imagination wall 10 times over than many of the "great artists" from back in the reniassence (or however you spell it).

I'm a big fan of free money, it's out there and ready to be taken. There are scholarships, programs to help you get money (ill hook you up when I get back to the states sometime next week) and people to meet. Loans should be a "last" resort thing.

If I were you, I would ask yourself what kind of art do you like doing and what can you see yourself doing in 5, 10, 20 years from now and feel very exhiliarted within your mind truthfully. After that, research those people who already successful and see if that person could be you. Afterward start pursuing the field and more importantly, be around people of like mind and goals.

[Grasshopper]

I used to be an art student, I've quitted (because of anxiety problems and stuff) but I'm going to attend it once more in september. Well it is, I live in the Netherlands and art schools aren't that expensive over here. If art is truly your passion you schould go after it.. find a way. Because you will regret it later one in life. I know I will regret it if I gave up art. I've been drawing and creating all my life and I can't imagaine a life without it...By the way I think it's absolutly great to meet another INFP art student :)

good to meet you too! :) what's it like in the netherlands?? art schools are cheap, you say? where do i sign up?