Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Vermont College (Goddard Program) • Montpelier, VT
Studying Creative Studies (completion in 1983)
• 7/14/2011
"I thoroughly enjoyed the process. I came away confident and energized."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Now that distance learning is "acceptable," I would highly recommend it to anyone who cannot travel to go to school. And as far as studying graphic design, if one can find a field adviser willing to help (they are paid), then The Union would be an excellent choice. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The Goddard Program at Vermont College was acquired by Norwich University in the 90s sometime, and then it was acquired by The Union just a few years ago. The Union has an excellent reputation for self-study success and was, along with Goddard, a pioneer in the area of distance learning. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My master's program gave me the opportunity to explore my personal creativity. Since I did not study graphic design in college as there were no programs in 1981 (the Mac had not been invented), I am self-taught. But after 20 plus years working in the field, I believe I owe my success to my education, generally speaking. |
| Instruction | 10 | I learned to work independently and to trust my instincts. I was also encouraged by my instructors to experiment and to avoid taking the safe way all the time. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I was used to working hard, especially since I had already earned my undergraduate degree. Trusting myself in this self-directed independent study was the most difficult factor. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Based on my Creative Studies program, I used photography as my medium, so it was quite hands-on. I did a fair amount of research, however, on the philosophical side. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Because it was self-directed distance learning, it was totally flexible. The only requirement to "show up" were two group meetings a year in Boston where all the students in our region came together to discuss their projects and study progress. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | I worked locally at the University of Maine's library. I also had a local field adviser, an art professor at UMaine. |
| Social Life | 10 | Because I was not on campus, I cannot comment on daily activities. The summer alumni reunion events were excellent, however. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I answer average because I honestly don't know. I did not ask for any help in that area. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The Goddard Program had yearly alumni reunions and features exhibits and shows of former students. Faculty would also be there to talk to those of us who had concerns or wished to share their experiences since graduating. |
Lyndon State College • Lyndonville, VT
Studying Digital Media & Graphic Design (completion in 2009)
• 10/30/2011
"If I could afford to go back right now, I absolutely would. I miss my professors and advisors terribly and would love to sit in on some classes again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | LSC gets picked on a lot for being a state college - but I think for being a state college, it is such an incredible school. I enrolled in LSC due to a lack of options available to me, and dreaded going there the first time. I thought I was going to hate it. But in the end, I just wish I could go back. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | While LSC is not the top graphic design school in the country, it has a bit of a reputation for being one of the best in New England for many courses of study, including graphic design. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Lyndon State College is an excellent college, and the digital media and graphic design professors are top-notch. They have many, many years of experience in their respective fields which makes learning easy. No matter what your question is, no matter how bizarre it is, they have an answer for you. |
| Instruction | 10 | The reason I love my professors so much is the amount of real-world preparation that is given to each student. Many of the teachers require you to dress formally for major presentations, and sometimes will ask you to present to other classes or to other individuals to give an idea of what it is like to present your ideas to complete strangers. |
| How Difficult | 5 | There were some things I didn't know - such as how to use specific software - but I've been teaching myself about graphic design since I was 12 - color theory, Photoshop, alignment. None of this was new to me, so classes were pretty easy for me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | During the first couple years there was a lot of book instruction. But the last couple years revolved more around real-world experience and recalling that knowledge from the first couple years. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The professors are all extremely accommodating to whatever an individual's specific needs may be. They'll stay late and help you, they'll come in early to help, if you have to take extended time off they'll work with you. They're all extremely kind and helpful in any way they possibly can help. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Lyndon State's resources are just fantastic. There are at least 3 labs available that are fully-outfitted with 27" iMacs that dual-boot Windows. There are then at least 3 other standard computer labs, so no student is ever without computer access. Classrooms are of appropriate size - some are quite large so there's more than ample room to spread out and work. Advisors, just like the professors, are extremely helpful and don't usually give up until they know that *you* know the material. |
| Social Life | 3 | I am not much of a social person, so I never went out much or tried to get to know anybody. I did manage to make a couple really good friends, though. Overall. from what I personally experienced, there was always something going on - whether it was a movie or a live comedy act or concert or benefit... the campus was always buzzing with activity. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Due to a death in the family which resulted in some serious financial strain, I was forced to drop-out of school in 2009. So I never got to graduate. However, I have heard that some 80-90% of all graduates in the graphic design field are able to find full-time work within 6 months of graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I really have no experience with any alumni networks at the school. But support is incredible. If one professor can't help, they will refer you to somebody who can. Essentially, you don't have to look far for the help and support you need. |
Goddard College • Plainview, VT
Studying (completion in 2004)
• 11/19/2011
"I loved Goddard. I was able to challenge myself in a way that no other school program ever did and become a "master" in my fields of interest. I've continued learning in the same spirit, branching out into new art skills, photography, and writing for websites -- things I never imagined ever doing or enjoying."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend it to adults and/or individuals who are self-motivated. To earn the degree, you must prove that you have learned the traditional knowledge one were to learn at a university as well as devise the plan that shows your degree goes beyond. Although I loved that you needed to also show passion for your fields of interest, I did not like that some people interpreted this to be therapy-esque (most were in the "TA" program). Goddard is for a certain type of learner/person. It's not a traditional school or degree, but for many, this means a greater challenge that leaves you very confident in your skills. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | An alternative school, coupled with distance learning, Goddard is not for everybody. For me, it was a means for me to earn my MA and explore my fields of interest (art/writing/lit) in greater depth than I would have in a course developed by external criteria. For me this was freedom and a lovely challenge; for others, esp. those who are not self-motivated, it might not be the best place. In addition, the school cannot accommodate all majors… though the directions students can choose to take are quite vast. |
| Program Quality | 8 | My concentration was more in literature and creative writing, but art was included in the degree. Goddard is an alternative school where students are required to prove he/she is a "master" in a given field as well as passionate. The distance program did not accommodate learning art software. I have artists in my family by whom I was mentored from a very young age and the computer skills were developed by reading the "classroom-in-a-book" series and other books and tutorials. Essentially, those skills needed to be learned and developed on my own. |
| Instruction | 7 | Advisors critiqued work every three weeks. The feedback was on the end product, whether a piece of writing or visual art, and did not include suggestions for computer techniques, software recommendations, and the like. |
| How Difficult | 9 | It was more difficult to create my own program -- approved by advisor/committee at the school. Although this was a challenge, I also developed a strong skill set in the arts -- including fine and graphic art, writing/editing and integrating computer technology to learn how to design on the computer. I also needed to learn what printers needed in terms of bleeds, color (when to use RBG v CYMK). Basically, it was a lot of hands-on work for the art part of my degree. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It depended on your chosen course of study. Individual learning styles also played a part in developing a semester's study plan. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I attended 1-2 week long residencies 2x/year; although these dates were not flexible, the school did make accommodations for disabled students. All work done to earn the degree had to be documented in detail (books read, writing, art -- anything explored was sent to that semester's advisor); however, this was done at my own pace. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The school did not offer on-campus living in the year I attended. The advisors were wonderful, each with specializations that covered a wide range of fields. It is a unique place with unique theories on learning, which makes it difficult to talk of within the constraints of comparing it to traditional academia. |
| Social Life | 6 | Again, it was distance learning. However, the relationships forged with advisors and peers, the accessibility to advisors throughout the semester, and the workshops and events during residencies were amazing. As much as I loved my undergraduate university, I wouldn't trade the Goddard experience for any other school. As an adult who went back to school (for both a BA and MA), I fell in love with learning. |
| Placement Services | 1 | No career services. No help with job placement. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Goddard sends out a periodic booklet of news and information about the school and its alumni. They also have online connections and occasional get togethers for former students. The network is created more through relationships created at the school versus an online database. |
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