<p>I'm almost done with my first semester of foundation at Otis, and I wonder what it's like at other school, is it as demanding? What are other students doing?</p>
<p>I can't say how difficult the classes are, but my d had 7 courses (17 credits) last qtr at RIT. That included 3 6hr/wk studio classes (drawing, 2D, 3D), a computer class, a design class, a writing class, and FYE (1st yr experience). I heard it got a bit crazy at the end of the 10 wk qtr, with several all nighters getting projects done. This qtr just began and again, she has 7 classes (18 credits). She is in the classroom 28 hrs/week with homework every night. That is in comparison to her non-art friends at other schools who are in class 12-18 hrs/wk. They don't understand why she has so little free time. My d said she's glad to be around design majors who are in the same situation.</p>
<p>Hi Liek, great to see you posting again. Tell us some things about Otis. Do you like the courses, teachers, fellow students? Is the atmosphere very competitive, supportive?</p>
<p>The situation that jerzgrlmom describes is similar to RISD (from my D's previous reports). In foundation year, 3 studio courses, 1 English, 1 Art History course in fall and spring semesters, and one studio course in wintersession (they have a 4-1-4 system). The 6 semester-long studios are in drawing, 2-D design, and 3-D design . The studios are day-long, one day per week each. They spend about 30 hrs. per week in the classroom/studio and at least that many outside of class. I think foundation is a trial and rite of passage at all art schools. My D reported that on the whole the students were very cooperative (a kind of "we're all in the same boat" mentality) but stressed by the incessant work and deadlines.</p>
<p>I posted a long reply to a guy who asked me what it was like at Otis on Live Journal, but I don't mind typing away again.</p>
<p>Otis foundation consists of 4 studio classes(life drawing 6 hrs, drawing and comp 3 hours, color and design 6 hours-2d design, and form and space 3hrs-3d design) and 3 liberal art classes(english, art history, and a cultural studies class). Each class meets once a week, and in your second semester you end up replacing cultural studies for a studio elective, and depending on your major you have the option of dropping life drawing and taking another studio class where you get to explore your own thing, i think it's called creative practices. Prospective fashion design and toy design majors have to take the second semester of life drawing.</p>
<p>The way foundation is organized at Otis, is by sections A-K. Each section having a group of 15-20 students, who throughout the first year you will have in the same class for all your studio classes. They do this so that you'll be acquainted with classmates and if you ever miss class you'll always know the people who you can ask.</p>
<p>I'm not sure about other sections, but in my section, or in my studio classes, the foundation students aren't very competitive or cat-ty. I think everyone supports each other. The thing with the whole section thing is that you get different teachers per section, and my section apparently has it easy than others. I've heard of other students getting twice as much as homework as my section does, and other students who during critiques teachers are mean, but then again it's just a thing of being honest and hearing the truth about your work. I've also heard and seen students have to redo work from scratch if they make a slight mistake. Otis is big on preparing you to make your work be perfect, if not, at least look perfect, with no ambiguity in it.</p>
<p>I've read before on I don't know what site, prior to coming to Otis, that there is no social life at school, and to a point it's true, and to a point it's not. Because when you have projects due every week, and when each class expects you to perform, you don't really have time to socialize(i think that's another reason why we have sections, to make it easier on us so that at least we're acquainted with other students). I've had convos with other students at our school, and we've agreed that in order to be a straight A student, you really wouldn't have time to do anything besides your homework. </p>
<p>It's true that non art students have no idea what art students go through. I think art students have it tougher than non art students. And this is studio classes alone. The one liberal art class everyone complains about is Art History at otis, called Intro to Visual Culture. The text they require you to read is too difficult for anyone to comprehend. It's not taught as a regular art history class, it's basically taught in a way for you to see how we see things in daily life.</p>
<p>I'll continue this later.</p>
<p>Hi Liek, I too am glad to see you posting. It is interesting to hear about your experiences at Otis. Please keep it up from year to year and even course to course when time permits.</p>
<p>I always thought you attended Parson's School of Design until I just read your post. hmm</p>
<p>so it goes on..</p>
<p>I even dropped out of Art History(I should have never taken Honors, especially knowing how much I hated regular Art History). And the thing with Otis' policy is that they don't allow you to take Art History nor English outside of their school, which is rediculous because students who transfer in have their credits transfer.</p>
<p>The reason I asked what foundation was like at other schools is because of this. Foundation is crazy!</p>
<p>But overally I am happy. I feel confident in what I'm learning.</p>
<p>I remember that Parson's use to be my first choice school, mainly because of the name, but at least for fashion I think Otis is going to prepare more than what I would have gotten out of Parsons. I think the fact that Otis' fashion department is the only school in the nation who still does the Designers Mentor thing, will actually give me the experience in seeing what it's really like to work as a fashion designer. Plus if you see the student's illustrations you'll be blown away(i am at least). They did it again with wining the CFDA Award for Best In School this year, beating out all the other art schools in the nation for fashion.</p>
<p>I've talked to both Otis and Parsons recent grads and they've told me the same thing, that if anything what helped them get a job is their portfolio. The name helps but it doesn't guarantee you or secure you any job. Experience is also key, which I plan to do while in school. Even though another reason for wanting to go to Parsons was because it was located in NYC, a big fashion capital, unlike LA. But frankly I don't think it'll work in my disadvantage, because I'm extremely confident in the education I'm going to get. I think if anyone is serious about fashion they should look into Otis. I can't wait until sophomore year.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the details, Liek. It seems to me that you're having a fabulous art education there and this in combination with the strength of Otis in your main field of interest is going to stand you in very good stead. But as you mentioned, your future job prospects are also a matter of portfolio, portfolio, portfolio. It will also help if the economy is in good shape in three years as well. When my daughter graduated 2 years ago, recruiting and placement were near the bottom and that affected her cohort (she told me recently) in a way that it didn't affect the next two, who have decent prospects. In her cohort, a largr number of graduates than usual took extended internships and freelance jobs; but they are now moving along fine.</p>
<p>liek0806
I'm glad you posted and gave an update on your time at Otis!</p>
<p>It sounds like Foundation is pretty much the same at all the major art schools. Your courses sound similar to what my daughter took last year at Parsons. Yes, she was crazy busy. She didn't enjoy 3-D because of always having to shop for odd items like plexiglass, wood etc..and drag it home on the subway. Also, (naturally!) the students that were planning on majoring in fashion design wanted to start working on it right away, the 3-D students would rather not do the fine art courses etc...lol The good thing about the Foundation Year was that many ended up deciding on different majors (my daughter switched from fashion to illustration).</p>
<p>Now that the sophomores are settled into their majors, from what my daughter tells me, the work load is not any easier:) She's a bit unhappy with the small choice of elective classes - most not to her liking. She loves living in New York City and having snow.</p>
<p>That's so crazy, because even though getting materials for 3D design can be a pain, I actually enjoying creating things from scratch. You're amazed at teh end result.</p>
<p>I know that least at Otis, fashion design majors have no freedom in their schedule to take any electives from other majors or what not. That's why for my foundation elective I chose photography instead of the fashion drawing class, because I knew I wouldn't get the same chance to learn something new. </p>
<p>I am really happy that I'm Otis because Portfolio is key to landing a job, and had I just been driven to go to a school because of the name, I would have spent thousands when I am guaranteed the same chances of getting a job at another school-the one's that you make for yourself.</p>
<p>foundation at syracuse is a joke, seriously.</p>
<p>while you can learn a lot if you care to, its almost no work load and half the teachers don't know what they're doing. my drawing teacher had graduated from the painting program the year before and so he was just as confused [ cool guy, but not as a professor. ] although i did have an amazing 2d professor and i created some of my best work in her class. she was definitely inspiring. [ most people that had her agree. ]</p>