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If you’re an aspiring art major, there’s little doubt that you’re considering attending one of the many art institutes that are out there. But there are so very many, how can you be sure you choose the right art institute to suit your needs, and meet your goals? There is probably at least one well known art institute in every one of the continental United States, and that’s a lot of art schools to choose from!

Pick a State, Any State!

Just for starters, here is a short list of well known and highly desired art institutes:

Art Institute Of Atlanta
Art Institute Of Boston
Art Institute Of California Los Angeles
Art Institute Of California Orange County
Art Institute Of California San Diego
Art Institute Of California San Francisco
Art Institute Of Charlotte
Art Institute Of Chicago
Art Institute Of Cincinnati
Art Institute Of Colorado
Art Institute Of Dallas
Art Institute Of Denver
Art Institute Of Fort Lauderdale
Art Institute Of Houston
Art Institute Of Las Vegas
Art Institute Of Los Angeles
Art Institute Of Miami
Art Institute Of New York
Art Institute Of Philadelphia

And the list hardly stops there. With so many art institutes and universities to choose from, how does the aspiring art student choose? Well here are a few things to keep in mind that you may not consider, because they are not usually discussed when talking about what art school to attend:

Homesick Sweet Homesick

If you’re going to be selecting an art school that is far from your familiar home surroundings, consider if that is something that will sit well with you or not. You won’t be able to function at peak productivity if you’re constantly pining for familiarity. Attending any university out of town (whether or not it’s an art school) is going to require the student to be willing to explore, make new friends, and otherwise potentially stray outside their comfort zone. Simply running home any time you miss your favorite meal may not be an option if you’re 2000 miles away, for example.

Never Underestimate The Power Of Activism.

Art schools in particular seem to attract more than their fair share of “bleeders”, and by that I mean “bleeding liberals” or “bleeding hearts” or “bleeding radicals” and other such “activists.” These people can get very draining, and have a tendency to stifle the creativity that you expect from an art university. After paying so much money to attend an acclaimed art institute, why would you want someone like that to waste your time? Beware of these people and the reputation you can inherit by association.

Those Who Can, Do. Those Who Can’t, Teach.

The above is perhaps an overly harsh statement in many cases, but when it comes to teachers in an art school environment, I’ve found it to be very true. So many University professors are bitter, washed-up has-beens (or more likely, “never-weres). If they were any good, they’d have been successful artists rather than teachers barely making a living. They can be very bitter if they have a budding protege on their hands in their art classes, and often attempt to crush the creative spirit of the new students. Much like with the bleeders, you must not allow these curmudgeons to get you down. You paid a lot of money (or worked hard for that scholarship) to attend an art institute, and you deserve to get all you can out of it and express your truest, deepest creative spirit!

Bottom Line - It’s Your Art School. Make The Most Of It!

This is your time. Your art. Your school. Your expression. Your future! Make sure your years at lasertargeted.com/artinstitute/top-10-art-schools.html art school are not wasted. Paint, draw, sculpt, model, program. Whatever your particular form of artistic expression is, the art school is there to nurture and further it. Make sure you get out what you deserve, and light up the world with the art only you can bring to it!

Kathy Hildebrand is a topics.youredirect.com professional writer who is easily bored with her “day job” assignments. So, she researches anything and everything of interest and starts writing. Writing about an extremely wide variety of subjects keeps her skills sharp, and gives her food for thought on future paid writing assignments.

More of her research and articles can be found at lasertargeted.com/artinstitute www.lasertargeted.com/artinstitute and other sites around the internet.

Returning to school can be a daunting prospect, and it’s more scary the longer you’ve been out. Some people even consider going to undergraduate for the first time, particularly if degrees weren’t required to get a similar position when they were younger. Here are a few ways to make the transition a little easier.

Start Slow

Start with one class at a time. If you are getting an online degree, it will be very easy to do. There are a few reasons for starting slow. First you’ve been out of school for a while, so you’ll need some time to get back in the groove. Additionally, you need to determine exactly how much you can handle each semester. You may have more responsibilities now that you’re older that will greatly affect your ability to spend the time needed on school.

Talk with Your Professors

Let your professors know that you’re coming back to school. Having taught college classes, I find that it’s much easier if I know going in who is just starting back to school. I am better able to help them navigate the murky waters of the college and direct them on how to deal with the class load and deadlines. If you begin having trouble, always talk to your teacher as quickly as possible so that they will still be able to help you.

Be Disciplined

I’ve learned that people coming back to school are usually more disciplined than those who have never left. Effort is important to your professors, and if a work or personal emergency arises, they’re more likely to give you a break if you have been working hard the rest of the time. If you’re anything like my previous students who returned to school, though, you should have no problem in this area.

Meet Other Students

Sometimes returning to school can be awkward since many of the students will likely be younger than you. Get to know them, anyway. Number one, they probably know more about the university environment and procedures than you. Number two, they could use someone with more real world experience as a mentor. Plus, the advantages of studying in groups or with a partner are boundless, and you should definitely take advantage of these opportunities.

Work Ahead

Since you’re returning to school, you probably have more responsibilities than other students, and you’ll want to make sure that you can be dedicated to all your commitments. Working ahead will keep you from getting behind if a work or personal emergency arises. You’ll be able to take a deep breath and know everything will be okay when your daughter gets the flu the day before a paper’s due if you already have most of the project completed.

Top Five Tips for Returning Students

Start Slow

Talk with Your Professors

Be Disciplined

Meet Other Students

Work Ahead

Review more industry related articles by Amber Smith at careersandeducation.com/ CareersandEducation.com. Amber Smith is a feature writer and often covers topics related to careersandeducation.com/degrees Campus Degree Programs and careersandeducation.com/careers Career advice.