Completely changing career paths

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I haven't been here in ages, and didn't think I'd ever have to be again.. but here I am!</p>

<p>I'm currently an undergraduate (pre-med Bio major) at Johns Hopkins. I just finished my freshman year and am taking summer courses at the University right now. However, my grades so far have been pretty terrible.. which will most definitely affect medical school admission.</p>

<p>But that's not the clinching factor. I've been doing research at JHH and have even observed some surgeries, and while I really thought that medicine (more specifically, surgery) had become my passion.. I'm starting to realize that it may not be. The more I think about my future as a surgeon, the less excited I get. And that it's not the life I want to lead. Thus, I am seriously considering dropping out of the pre-med track.</p>

<p>The other thing I see myself doing in life is art. Advertising/graphic design, especially. I've always enjoyed art and design, and even took a couple classes in high school, but ultimately decided to go with medicine. Now, I'm considering transferring out of Hopkins into an art school (looking at Art Center, Otis, etc.). I can't even think of another career that I could have with a biology degree that would make me happy.. and why pay $50k a year for that?</p>

<p>So here are the questions I have so far:
1. How difficult will this be (transferring)?
2. Is this a smart decision? (Please be nice!)
3. What will happens to the credits I have incurred over the past year and a half, and how many years will it take to finish my subsequent art degree?</p>

<p>Thanks, and sorry for the long read. Input is greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>I hate to say this, but an art degree isn't going to make you more qualified for a art job.</p>

3

<p>It's very possible if you know what to do. Check your PM.</p>

4

<p>History of Art degree has its merits. Hopkins has the nation's #1 Art History program. Are you a sophmore or junior...</p>

<p>MICA is down the street in Baltimore. Dude seriously, I've taken AP Studio Art, I love all art, art is fine, but an art degree... meh</p>

5

<p>switch majors to art history, intern at the Smithsonian institute, get a PhD at hopkins, become a museum curator, earn 200k a year</p>

<p>going from medicine to art is definitely a risky move, but i salute you for pursuing your passion</p>

6

<p>If you don't want to go Pre-Med, switch. Just make sure you love it. Who cares about how useful it is? Your university will get your foot in the door at some places. =]</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
Hopkins has the nation's #1 Art History program.

[/quote]

are you sure? most ppl i've talked to say NYU has the best art history program. maybe i'm wrong.</p>

8

<p>What if you go to an art school and then lose your passion for design as well? Think about it.</p>

9

<p>You also don't need to decide right now what you want to do with the rest of your life.</p>

<p>If you want to stay at Hopkins and study there, I suggest not getting an art degree, but rather finding internships and opportunities in graphic design. There should be TONS-- clubs need websites, newspaper needs to be laid out, etc. Don't go for the professional degree-- go for experience.</p>

10

<p>If you could transfer into Brown, you'd be able to take art courses at RISD without fully committing to a career in art.</p>

11

<p>Ray192 -- this is one of the things I'm scared of the most, finding out that I've done all of this just to not love it and to REALLY not be able to do anything else. but I do feel slightly more confident in this than in medicine, etc. because it is something I've been doing for pretty much my whole life, and the interest has always been there.</p>

<p>As for Art History.. not my thing. I've never tried it, true, but I have a feeling that I will despise it. I'm more into the hands-on type of art, making graphics and ads and things like that, so I feel like art school would be beneficial to me in that it would give me the chance to learn more about that.. techniques and skills that are hard to learn by yourself, you know? And of course experience is good, but I really want to learn more. I feel like I've got potential, but I'm still too amateur to make it without doing so.</p>

<p>highopes -- yes, Brown and the RISD courses..... something I found very, very appealing when I applied. I was so excited for that (Brown is probably still my favorite Ivy) and then I got rejected.. which is why I'm at Hopkins. (; As for transferring, realistically speaking, I probably won't get in anywhere with my current GPA.</p>

12

<p>oh, and regarding MICA.. if I do stay at Hopkins, I guess I could take classes, but I feel like it'd be difficult.. I'm struggling already with the basic classes I have so far without the complications of transportation and more work and whatnot. I'll have to talk to my advisor about that.</p>

<p>But I feel like this is going to be a switch in careers and not just a hobby off to the side. So I am leaning toward completely transferring.. and if I do, I would definitely want to be somewhere in California (born & raised, and definitely done with the East Coast, haha).</p>

13

<p>Take design courses at the Digital Multimedia Center (DMC) to see if you REALLY do like art.</p>

<p>I highly recommend against going on the judgement based on a few classes you've taken in highschool. See if adversting design classes at the Hopkins level is truly right for you.</p>

<p>PM me, Tell me, I'm a bio premed major here at Hopkins too.</p>

14

<p>btw to clarify.. I didn't take those classes at my high school; I took them during high school one summer at the Academy of Art in SF. Digital Design and Intro to Advertising, specifically.</p>