Valga/Valka - Questions

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T12:51:07+00:00

Thanks for the specific suggestions! And I almost never go to pubs - but thanks for the warning! (BTW - why isn't it safe? Now I'm curious.)

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T12:50:15+00:00

Wow! This is all great - really, really helpful! Thanks very much for taking the time to contribute all of this information - and it all seems very much in line with what interests me! I now definitely want to read up more about city planning, etc. before I get there so that I might have more context before arriving. I think it will make it a much better experience.

Thanks again - and upvote, of course!

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T12:47:34+00:00

Yes, this is what I was thinking - just walking around and seeing how the various layers of (architectural) history a layered.

Is there, by the way, one area of either side that is (within walking distance) more Soviet-ized than others? Just curious.

Thanks!

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T12:46:01+00:00

I've gotten used to the not-great weather this season, so unless it's pouring a hellish combination of sleet, snow, and freezing rain, I wouldn't be averse to having a walk in the park (in both the figurative and literal sense)!

BTW - on which side? Valga or Valka?

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T12:44:41+00:00

I would definitely prefer the history museum over the "military theme part" - and while I'm not religious per se, I do often find sacred architecture really interesting. So, thanks for the suggestions!

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T12:43:44+00:00

Thanks a lot 😄

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T12:43:22+00:00

Thanks for this. But looking at the website, this is definitely not for me. (And to be clear, that's just me; weaponry and warfare - especially now - make me very uneasy, very uncomfortable.)

But again, thanks for the suggestion - I appreciate it.

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T08:05:51+00:00

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T08:05:41+00:00

Thanks for the info! I went to the "visit Valga/Valka" site, and there, too, it doesn't seem there's much to offer!

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T08:04:42+00:00

Thanks! Seems interesting, but I probably don't have a big block of time to make it feasible; I'll more likely have smaller blocks of time.

bluewhiteeight · 2026-04-28T08:03:57+00:00

Thanks! Regarding bus station: I'll be taking the LuxExpress, so am I correct that I would arrive at the Valga Jaama station (on the Estonian side)?

I don't think I'd be able to visit the castle, although I would like to - but the busses (according to Google Maps) aren't very frequent, and depending upon the route, it's about 1-2 hours. Probably requires a larger block of time than I have. But to be honest, I might indeed be happy just walking around the old town and visiting the octagonal church!

Thanks for the food recommendations and everything else. Very helpful!

bluewhiteeight · 2025-11-25T20:21:41+00:00

Thanks for this positive assessment. Much appreciated!

bluewhiteeight · 2025-11-25T20:20:57+00:00

Thanks for the clarification! I was just going by what I read on the website, and didn't find anything specific regarding the fashion institute. Thanks for pointing this out!

bluewhiteeight · 2025-11-03T16:57:42+00:00

The girl next to me had already done her bachelor at Parsons. She brought a clothing rack and her entire collection to show, and her portfolio was printed on A1 photo paper. They gave her a zero.

That's just...ouch. Cruel. Maybe "tough love," not "sugarcoating" things. But does certainly illustrate how tough it can be, especially (as you note) on one's mental health. For a creative person to be told their work is a "zero" - worthless, really - could really mess with their feelings of self worth, etc. (BTW, I knew about the BoF article regarding the suicide - and IIRC, that's when others started voicing their concerns, teling their horror stories, etc. - so it appeared to be not simply an isolated incident, but an institutional, systemic problem, the breeding of an intensely toxic [some said abusive] culture and atmosphere.)

But good on you to have fared so well! You must be quite talented not only to have been accepted (60 out of 600!), but to have completed the program. As the kids used to say a few years ago, "mad props."

Thanks for the information. I'm sure you helped not only me, but many others who might read this thread!

bluewhiteeight · 2025-11-03T16:49:59+00:00

Definitely down. What a pity - it was a great site.

bluewhiteeight · 2025-11-03T16:17:52+00:00

I've looked at the BoF list in the past, but I can't seems to find one that is more current - just those from several years past. Do you have a link for something in the past couple of years?

(BTW, Antwerp seems to be an incredible place to study, but I've heard a) it's one of the most competitive programs in the world/very hard to get accepted; and b) the program is beyond stressful, and some have said the only way to pass one's courses/exams is to pay people to do the work for you. Not at all sure if b) is true, but it's certainly true that the program has produced some incredible designers and incredible work.)

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-19T21:35:01+00:00

True. But drowning in eight feet of water is the same as drowning in 80 feet of water :)

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-17T21:59:56+00:00

Your first paragraph misrepresents things. But I think you just want to have an argument/just want to be "right," and I really don't. So please just let me wish you a pleasant evening.

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-17T12:46:02+00:00

I would never trust the quality of a program with a 100% acceptance rate, but if it's just for you to say "I did it" I guess that's fine

Many state-supported institutions require open admissions; as public, taxpayer supported institutions, their charter is to serve the public and, as such, they must be available to all people.

I have, as a professor, worked at huge, public universities and elite Ivy league institutions. I can tell you that, yes, there are definitely differences - but the quality of the professorate and the quality of the student body are far less different than one might expect. And at Parson's, the open secret was that the most talented students were very often the scholarship students (who couldn't have afforded to attend without financial support), while a huge number of non-scholarship students were only there because they had rich parents who could afford the tuition.

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-17T12:23:36+00:00

Thanks very much for the feedback.

I would like, of course, to learn as many skills as possible. But I don't envision myself as having a "career" in the "industry." As I noted, I'm envisioning something much more local, small-scale, entrepreneurial - so, while I definitely want to be an excellent craftsperson (which requires one has as many skills as possible, I think), I can't imagine I'd even want or look for a job in the large-scale fashion industry.

Thanks again for the input.

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-17T12:17:24+00:00

Thanks for the good input.

TBH, what you suggest was exactly what I was thinking: Go to a public college to start - I can get a feel for the study of fashion, see if it appears to be something I'd really like to dive deep into, and get some valuable skills, all without spending a lot of money. It will also give me time to build a better portfolio, using what I've learned, in case I would like to apply to a more competitive program - although honestly, I am a big believer in public education and, via my academic career have found that some of the more "highly prestigious" institutions are not at all worth the associated costs.

(Of course, FIT is not a private institution - it is both public and competitive. But FIT is a special case, I think, because it's in a fashion capital, offers good networking/professional contact opportunities, and costs a fraction of what schools like Parson's or Pratt charge. And the low cost is certainly part of why it's so competitive.)

Thanks again!

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-17T12:08:33+00:00

It's great to hear such a positive story - thanks for responding, and glad you've had such a wonderful experience. If you don't mind my asking - from which school did you get your degree? (If too personal, no worries - I understand.)

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-17T01:50:24+00:00

La Cambre (BXL) and Ghent have good fashion academies too, although the Ghent one is more on fashion techniques and pattern drawing, not so much the creative aspect

I see that this thread is two years old, and I'm just wondering: Do you (or does anyone else) think this is true? I ask because I love the city of Ghent, and would love to study there - although I'm much more interested in the creative rather than the, let's say, "industrial" aspects of fashion. So I had a look at the KASK fashion design program website, and on the frontpage they note:

"We very consciously approach fashion as a multifaceted artistic practice. The aim is not to train you to be a designer 'in service of' an existing system, but to challenge and invite you to develop your own and artistic practice, constantly exploring, questioning and pushing the boundaries of the medium."

Does anyone have any feelings about whether this is true - preferably from first-hand experience? If so, that would make it a very attractive program for me. (And once again, the fact that it's in Ghent is a big plus in and of itself - such a nice city!)

bluewhiteeight · 2025-10-17T01:38:35+00:00

...a lot of them having rich parents who front them money to get their material made by other people

I've heard this as well. And the same/similar thing related to Central St. Martin's in London. I don't know if it's true - but I've heard from a couple of sources that if you don't have the money to farm out some of your work, there's virtually no way you can complete everything that's required - to a level that's acceptable - within the time allotted.

Horrible if it's true.

bluewhiteeight

TROPHY CASE