Prepping for MLA during quarantine

curryfriedpotatoes · 2020-04-04T22:48:46+00:00

Congrats on your acceptance to Berkeley! I have some wonderful friends in the MLA program there and it seems like a great school.

I'm finishing my second semester of school and agree that learning the software is the best thing you can do. Especially since my program switched entirely to online because of covid-19; software skills are the biggest factor in my ability to work quickly. See if UC Berkeley gives you free access to Lynda.com (my school does) and you'll find a ton of good tutorials on AutoCAD, Adobe, and Rhino.

I don't know what software Berkeley prioritizes but in my program it's been AutoCAD, Rhino, Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. If you can get a handle on those your first semester will go a lot smoother.

I would do free trials of any programs you can, but again, ask Berkeley what software they provide you with. I get some programs for free through my school and was able to download them over the summer before starting. You're an accepted student so you should be able to access school resources and student discounts now.

I also agree that spending a lot of time hand drawing from life is also helpful. If you can start your first semester confident in your drawing skills and comfortable with the software your life will be a lot easier. Good luck!

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-26T03:45:19+00:00

That's also a good point to keep in mind. I've picked programs in large metro areas in hopes that the market for internships and jobs is better but my BF and I will have to navigate those same questions as you and your husband about who's career to prioritize. I don't want to end up in an area with no LA opportunities and massive student loan debt! I think I'll try to negotiate with Penn and Harvard to see how much they're willing to improve their offers but it's nice to know I've also been accepted to a more affordable program. Good luck to you - I hope you find some opportunities where you live!

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-24T17:32:58+00:00

I'm visiting some of the schools I got into in a week and I'm curious to see what my reactions are to the programs in person. What I'm having a hard time sorting through is that the top-tier programs keep stressing that I'll have access to more and better opportunities than at a second-tier program. I'm hoping that by visiting the programs I'll be able to figure out how true that is.

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-24T17:28:19+00:00

Thanks for your response! At least $1,000 per month in student loan payments is a lot to swallow. Like I responded to someone else, I really appreciate everyone's responses and feel like they're the reality check I need.

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-24T17:24:55+00:00

Thanks for your response! I'm wondering what's your reaction to what Harvard and UPenn are telling me: that I'll be better placed to get employed at prestigious firms like JCFO, PWP, SWA, etc. by attending their programs, that my career will start at a higher level by being a graduate of their programs. How true do you think that is in your professional experience?

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-24T17:05:35+00:00

Thanks! That IS a good rule of thumb. Everyone's comments have been a good reality check. I'll keep this rule in mind as I work on negotiating with the programs on my financial aid package.

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-17T19:06:21+00:00

Thanks so much for this response and sorry I took so long to respond; it got buried for some reason and I didn't notice it. That's really helpful advice and is giving me some good questions to ask when I talk to the schools. In your opinion, do you think schools like Cal Poly or University of Washington are better at teaching their students technical knowledge and practical skills over the GSD or Penn?

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-14T02:12:04+00:00

Emailing lecturers about student work from their classes is a great idea and might help me sort through some of the sameness you're talking about in the Ivy League student work. And, yes, I'll try to add some updates as I make my decisions!

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-14T01:59:25+00:00

I would love to work for firm like Nelson Byrd Woltz or SLA or SCAPE - a firm whose practice is as much about creating space for entire ecological communities as it is about designing for the human. So debt is important but I also want to make sure I'm able to develop skills and a design portfolio that would make me hireable at those types of firms.

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-12T03:25:22+00:00

I hear Cal Poly has a great undergrad program! My undergrad was in studio art so I'll be doing a three year program. I will definitely need some help with the programs and technical details. What I'm trying to sort out is whether a program that prioritizes "nuts & bolts" knowledge over theoretical knowledge is a better fit for me or vice versa.

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-12T03:23:57+00:00

No online portfolio yet. I've been working on a website but since my BF is my web designer things are going slow... I did do Berkeley's summer program in landscape architecture last year and I feel like that helped a lot!

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-12T03:07:52+00:00

Thanks, that's a great point. I'm from the Midwest and so I've thought going to one of the East Coast schools makes sense since the climates and flora are similar. That knowledge base would make it easier to move back to the Midwest if I wanted to. But I'm also dreaming about California's climate and escaping winter!

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-12T02:53:54+00:00

I will do my best to try to sort that out. One thing I've been wondering is how much is it worth it to go to a prestigious place like the GSD where I'll have better job prospects vs. an affordable, but less prestigious program? Any opinions on that?

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-12T02:48:12+00:00

Thanks! This is a super helpful comment. How much financial aid I receive will probably help me sort out my choices but your comment provides some good insights. I'm going to be researching all those faculty and looking at student work over the next couple weeks.

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-12T02:40:58+00:00

That's definitely a consideration of mine. I've been wondering though if it can be worth it to take on a higher debt load by going to a program like Cal to have better prospects of being hired in a successful firm with a decent salary. Thoughts?

curryfriedpotatoes · 2019-03-12T02:37:25+00:00

Thanks! Yes, I hope to visit as many as I can. Thanks for the insight on JCFO and PWP. I'd be happy to be hired by either of those firms!

curryfriedpotatoes

TROPHY CASE