did you go to university/college?
 

im trying to figure out if i should go to uni next year to study photography further or not, im currenty at college doing a Diploma in photography and after that the next level up is to go to uni and do a BA in it, my parents and teachers really want me to go, but i'd really like to go traveling instead. it will end up costing about the same amount of money, and i think i will really learn alot more traveling than i would at uni. doing both isnt really an option.

i just wanted to get an older persons perspective on this, did you go to uni or college?, or not?

do you regret going or not going?

what would you do if you were me?

im not older but I would travel. Why learn what other people are already doing?
as for me I plan on further education. Ive actually been looking at internet courses. The thing is I want to study electricity so I think a hands on course would be better.

I will write on this later tonight.
I went, and dropped out in mid-senior year, which I have never regretted. I hated it, but did well. I would not know how much I hated it had I not gone though, and there were a few shreds of worthwhile experences (mostly outside the classroom).
If you go, go to a small school. I know far more people with positive experiences in smaller schools than larger ones.

i am going in september, and i still dont really know if its what i want. i certainly know its what everyone else wants for me. if i were you i'd follow your heart, cause i feel like i havent made my own decision, and im pretty unhappy about it right now (though i do realise that it could all change when i actually get there)
with something like photography i think its much more important that you get the experience of travelling and getting some work together. think about it, you could learn how everyone else takes their photos, or you could go to some awesome places and take some amazing photos and develop your own style.
also, a BA would be pretty academic, right? you should think about how disciplined you want to be in the next couple of years.

just my two pence worth, hope it helps ;)

thats what i keep telling my mum, i think i would learn alot more from 3 years traveling than i would doing 3 years of uni.

this is great advise thanks alot!. what uni are you going to/what are you studying?

Not going to vote.
I'm not old enough and I'm not yet sure if I'm going to go or not. So I can't say either way.

you dont need a BA to be a great photographer.

if i were you:

what i'd do is travel around the world with my camera, come back with an ace portfolio & get a scholarship to study wherever i want, if i want.

or when i come back i could also just start working as a photographer & make $$ instead of paying for stupid courses in "critical theory" & "advanced balls". (i don't have pound signs if that's what you use)

remember: it's your life. DO NOT let others live it for you. and get the travel bug out of your system already!

--
ps. i have too much schooling. 2 BAs, a masters, 1/2 of a phD. i know what the fuck im talking about. :D

Your mom goes to college!

I just finished a week and a half ago.

Yeah it sucked and now I am $30,000 in debt.

wow that really sucks!, what did you study? was it worth going?

ps-- if you are not really motivated to go to college, you are going to suck at it & lose both money and education.

3 years traveling might be a bit much. tell them you want to travel for a year & then apply. (then you can get an extension until you are of legal age, ha hah, if you arent)

traveling can be hard! little money, working shit jobs-- all in fun but after a point you'll want to have some kind of life.

suggested reading: work your way around the world. but your camera, if you're good, might make you more $$ that temp jobs.

have fun!

I'm in college, and it was free for me cause' I live in Quebec :)

I majored in English and minored in Creative Writing Fiction. Was it worth it? Well as of now no because I do not have a decent job yet. That's why I went right? I had a blast partying and all that, but I would have been doing the same thing regardless if I was in college or not. I'd go if you have the opportunity because it seems to be getting harder and harder to find a job without some education which just shows that you can complete a task on yr own. Plus a Bachelors Degree is pretty much the new high school diploma.

there are definite advantages in doing an art based course at uni/art college in that you get to learn about the workings of the art world, build up contacts in galleries, arts groups and get valuable constructive criticism from tutors. My painting has definitely evolved and i've noticed at least 2 or 3 big changes in my work that wouldn never have happened if i'd been just fucking about on my own. I also find being in college and having regular checkpoints and assessments has motivated me to work my ass off.
The down side of my course, not sure if it's the same everywhere, is that there are quite a lot of people on it who I'm pretty sure have no interest in continuing and are just there cus they thought it was an easy life.

I know of people who have been successful at photography, specifically gig photography just by being in the right place at the right time or else constantly being out there taking photo after photo but without guidance from tutors or people already in the business i;d say it'd be a lot harder to get ni the door. Another plus in this is not having to do frigging essays but thats a small point

and as krastian says, it seems to truly stand out these days you need a masters

thanks!;)

hmmm, that what i keeps comming down to, whats better qualifications or experience?

education is important, studty then travel you will learn alot then go away take your camera with you and start working. if the us is at all like australia it is hard to get shown in a gallery unless you have some education behind you because of the visual art snob factor. you will also learn things about photography that you wouldn't think you would learn or even know about. i studied film then went overseas now i am a sound engineer and i tour quite frequently and other people pay for me to go overseas

hm, i can't really answer either one. i'm currently attending, on and off. college is cool sometimes, though... the past two semesters i had profs that played sonic youth in class. of course, these are art-related classes, so .. but yeah.

I just finished on december...i'm waiting to take a final exam (in june) to can definitively be a graduate

i have a friend who had a BA in photography w/ a minor in spanish.

she now works as a substitute teacher.

not such an uncommon scenario. school can suck balls unless you have a specific goal in mind.

these days, education is by necessity an ongoing process. so there are plenty of opportunities for adult education. no reason it should start & stop when you don't yet have a clue about what you want to do with your life.

& an academic education is nice, but has little to do with real life.

Uni is well worth it in my mind. Not for any reasons of getting a job or whatever - the majority of people are pretty fucked and never going to get a job - but at least it's a detraction from the real world for a bit, and you'll be finding out whether or not you really do love whatever you're doing.

I do kind of agree with the fact that photographers make it whether they go to Uni or not - but I think this misses the fact that you're having time away, on a leash, getting a bit of independence and finding out about yourself and all that hippy gash that people say. Although I do bemoan film studies students quite frequently, but that's mainly because nearly every one I know is, in fact, a stoner who doesn't really want to do anything but watch films. Actually, that's true of most students - the number of philosophy students I met who used Uni as a skive from life was preposterous, and utterly contrary to the amount of work you need to put in to such a course...

Still. Yes. Go to Uni, it's great, don't worry about debt, you're probably going to be fucked by credit cards and the like any way.

i guess this sounds unpopular, but i vote school first, then travel. the main reasons for school were stated above; not for the actual "education" that you'll receive, but more for the social aspects and contacts. school really isn't about brain candy so much as it is for meeting people, and in the art field it is good to feed off of other people. travelling by yourself will expose you to new things, but you'll need feedback that you might not necessarily get outside a classroom environment. unless you're extremely outgoing, travelling solo can be lonelier than you think. i only have a two-year degree, but with that degree i've gotten to travel extensively with my work post-college, and make good money while doing it. you can also explore schools that have semester-abroad programs.

luckily, with the camera, you should be able to do some work outside school and continue building a travel fund while you're attending. don't be afraid to look at other ways to make money with your camera. you may just be interested in artistic photography, but portrait work pays well, and you can make a killing in a day with wedding photography. my mom's a wedding photographer and depending on your area you can make a minimum of $1000 a day and probably max out at $5000. school during the week, one wedding a saturday, by the end of the summer wedding season you have enough to travel for a year.

but professor-- you're studying philosophy. if im guessing right, you might have an academic career in mind. hence your education is a prerequisite, not an option.

im not discounting the value of an education. on the contrary, i think it's a great thing. but often times it tends to be overvalued and entered into without proper consideration-- almost as a reflex. and that (not necessarily the demands of it) is why so many people flunk out or end up with useless degrees.

i encourage people who want an education to get one. but i advise people who are not sure if they want one to pursue other things until the time comes when they truly need one.

i have taught college students and i can testify: adult students are better and work harder than spoiled partygoers trying to appease their parents. because one group wants it badly, and the other is more concerned with getting high.

I will say that many professors I had were insufferable, self-important boobs who required that you see the world through their lens in order to get the grade.
Pandering is so fun, especially when it costs thousands of dollars.
I also found it no more challenging than High School.

i can relate to that. i have a professor this semester who has had us read two of his articles, and virtually every time he discusses a theory he has us memorize his criticisms of it. in another class (taught by another professor) we had to read almost half of one of his books. he's nice enough, but his personal views really aren't that important in the grand scheme of things.

that said, i say do the education thing. i've discovered that if there's one thing that will make or break your interest in something, it's intensive study at a university. case in point: i'm majoring in math and philosophy. while i loved math in high school, it is quickly becoming absolutely insufferable to me. on the other hand, i love philosophy (primarily because i'm obsessed with arguing to get at the truth), and my discovery that i like it just as much as i thought i did when i first started taking philosophy courses has been one factor in persuading me to go to law school.

so if you decide after a year of doing nothing but studying photography that you really hate photography, you can always go try other things (and it's always good to learn that sooner rather than later). on the other hand, if you decide you like it, an academic degree in it can do nothing but help you.

Meeting people in college is overrated.

In fact, meeting people period is overrated. But doing so in such 'forced' circumstances is especially so.

However, this mostly holds true for me because I am spectacular, and highly entertaining, and do not require backup.

Anyhow-

I went to college. Dropped out. Went to another. Dropped out. Repeated said process two more times. I moved a lot. In between, I did some travelling, but that's because I have the attention span of a dalmation.

College is for the most part, I suspect, an evil necessity - that piece of paper is often quite the wheel-greaser, regardless of chosen profession. However, I am quite certain that it is one of the most elaborate, successful scams ever manufactured in the history of global society.

There is nothing - and I mean NOTHING - you can learn in college that you cannot learn through your own initiative and interaction with your surroundings. This is where actual socializing and your local library serve their respective purposes. And if you are not invested enough in your chosen field of study to pursue it independently, then you shouldn't undertake it to begin with.

So my vote - do whatever tickles your fancy. As !@#$%! so eruditely pointed out, if you're not enthusiastic about it, you will fail anyhow, so it's wisest to just go with your instincts. My college 'career' was halted and disjointed, but if I hadn't taken those much-needed hiatuses, I'd be in medical school, and you'd collectively have to fear for your lives.

I generally find that most people who laud university are pompous academic asses who go to coffeeshops for 'atmosphere' rather than a good espresso. They wear way too much corduroy, use real big words 'n that, never have good junk food in the house, and never let you watch cartoons. Insufferable bastards.

Use your photography skills to take illicit naked photos of your neighbors, sell them on the internet, and then travel off of the profits.

im currently finishing my first year of college. im probably going to major in media studies and minor in economics. i want to pursue a career in music, and this summer i got a full time job at the college radio station 88.7 FM. check it out if ur in the inland valley in So Cal.

i got myself a BS in business management, now i work in advertising..
things turn out the way they do in the end..
i you decide to travel, you'll be missing out on the entire experience of studenthood, bad and good..
if you go to university, you'll still have the option to travel with your camera..

i can safely say this.. not everyone experiences the same things in education.. mark twain said, "i never let my schooling interfere with my education.." but you have more resources in an academic environment, you have much more discipline to accomplish your goals.. on your own, your chances are slimmer..

just don't forget, whichever way you choose, you are going to be responsible for your deeds for the rest of your life..

i would say, go for it..
you'll have other options along the way...

i´m in collage, too.
and i fucking hate it, maybe because i´m in the wrong school --
a technical college.
i´m sitting in front of the screen the whole day, doin nothing but internet surfing and listening to music.
when it comes to tests i have no idea about anything

i went, dropped out and now i'm gone back again, only part time though

I have a Master's degree in International Business Relations.

It seems it's quite useless, since now I work in media/advertising, but the times on the campus were just incredible! I had the time of my life there.

and...university education in my country is free, so I saved. envy anyone ??? ;-)))

i would agree with most of that... i did not start university until i was 24 and i did not have much to say to the younger students then because they all thought it was about partying and i had already done that for 9 years. i worked harder and had my job lined up before i even finished my degree. i walked straight into a well payed job, but most of all it was exactly what i wanted to do anyway.

in australia it is easy to go to university because the cost is not so debilitating. a BA costs around au$16000 which is great and the government has a scheme so you can go even if you can't afford it upfront. although that is looking to change in the very near future.

if you are unsure what you want to study, go os... if you are sure, then go study get your degree then travel as much as you want....

it seems quite absurd to graduate with degree and start your life in debt..
some of my friends faced this problem, without a scholarship, you have to depend on your parents, and most of the time it's a drag..

but, i still have to point out, free education sometimes lacks the funds for decent resources.. the technical equipment, library et cetera are all fundamentally important for education..

I was expected to go to university after sitting my A levels, and could have done, but I was tired of studying and opted to get a job instead. Twenty years later I look at my friends who did go to Uni and they're earning over £20,000 a year more than me. Also I could probably be doing a much more stimulating job now had I not rushed into employment at age 18 when I didn't really know what I wanted out of life. So, yes, I do regret not going to uni.

i'd love to go to university or college but i'm afraid neither would let me in.

thanks you guys
its really great to get some other people's opinions on this!, you have been really helpful.
thanks.
xo

oh one more thing i forgot to add

i spent some time in israel a few years ago

all israelis at age 18 go into the army for, i believe, 2-4 years (4 is for officers if i recall)

while in the army they do get all their partying, drinking and fucking out of their systems.

once the army is over, some people go to the university. some times they even go & travel the world before that. everywhere you go you'll find israelis on the road.

once at university, they dont mess around. they breeze through their studeis. israel is one of the countries that i know with the highest levels of education.

an average american college student compared to an israeli one looks like a fucking clown.

the fact that you take a year or two to explore the universe doesn't mean you will never study. on the contrary, it can be the stimulus you need to choose your path. a time to think things over.

i never thought the question was about never studying again-- only to take some time off to live a little outside the artificial bubble of academia. which builds character and is a good thing.

best wishes whatever you decide.