<p>From the Chronicle of Higher Education 11.12.2010</p>
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Art institutes, like all colleges, strive to put their best foot forward when appealing to prospective students and their parents: These are our art studios; this is our distinguished faculty; have a look at our art library.</p>
<p>However, considering how many students avail themselves of mental-health therapy in the course of a given year10 percent of the student body at the Rhode Island School of Design, 25 percent at the Maryland Institute College of Art, 30 percent at the Savannah College of Art and Designperhaps the colleges counseling center should be a stop on the tour.
<p>Interesting article, but what it doesn’t suggest (and perhaps should) is that art students may be more open to seeking counseling than, say, accounting or engineering students. A willingness to disclose one’s problems to others may be more in line with an artist’s temperament than with a scientist’s or mathematician’s.</p>
<p>^ Completely agree with Sally - there are similar stats out there for med students, etc. Except instead of the percentage who seek mental health care in any given year, it’s the percentage that are experiencing major depression or suicidal ideation, etc., whether they actually seek care or not.</p>
<p>I think that many high-stress schools wind up with lots of students taking full advantage of the mental health service the school offers (especially if you get X many free with your tuition/medical costs).</p>
<p>I know here at Caltech over 20% of students visit mental health services in any given year.</p>
<p>From the article: “Bottom line, says Cedarholm: Art school is a traumatizing experience. … It appears that art school is more stressful than other schools, Tom Glaser says.” … They have to be creative on demand, says Patricia Farrell, director of the counseling center at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and they then have to handle a public critique. Critiques are assessments, in-class but sometimes open to anyone in the college, of student work. They can be quite harsh, far different from the experience of being handed back an assignment with a grade on it.)"</p>
<p>Wow, sounds like some arts students have brutal experiences. Any parents or students here have experiences of these less-than-happy aspects of art study, specifically as pertains to visual arts study in a university or LAC art department? Just curious … Thanks, Ms. L</p>
<p>Ladybug, I don’t have a child who majored in visual arts. However, one was in architecture and one in performing arts. The sheer hours involved, and some things in the article such as “public” critiques and so on, can make it very stressful. I’d say architecture more so than performing arts but in both cases, they are not like a liberal arts major.</p>
<p>My daughter attends SCAD and there is some truth to what the article says…especially in the foundation year of study (freshman year, when the kids are also adjusting to being away from home).</p>
<p>The workload in her freshman year was brutal. Some would say “Oh, she only has three classes in a quarter? That’s so easy!” but the reality is that anything more than three and the kids wouldn’t have ANY sleep. 3 classes equates to 15 hours of class time, and each class averaged 12-18 hours of studio and homework time. The roughest weeks saw my daughter at ‘work’ up to 70 hours.</p>
<p>Its total immersion in art, and often in disciplines that the students are not always familiar with. A photography major may not be the best at drawing, but they still must take two full classes of drawing. A student whose primary focus is painting has to take a 3D design class and ‘build’ things out of unconventional materials. Art students are taken out of their comfort zone in the art world and required to show a range of skills that first year.</p>
<p>My daughter seemed to handle the transition and stress well. There were some times when pep-talks through skype were needed, or late-night text messages looking for some reassurance, but overall she came through foundation year OK.</p>
<p>I’m not an art student, but I am a creative writing student.
I can see where the stress of a) having to create on demand, then b) having the things you create torn apart by classmates and teachers does lead to higher rates of stress, or even depression in students. Writing is not my sole career goal, so I’m not as invested as a person who’s future is depending on their art.</p>
<p>Also look at artist’s as a whole, musicians, writers, painters whatever…what do the most famous ones tend to have in common?</p>
<p>One of my kids is a composer and has the same issue. In the future, many artists and composers and other creative folks have to do their art for a commission, which is similar.</p>
<p>As for mental health, fully 50% of Harvard students avail themselves of mental health services, from what I have read.</p>