The Maryland Institute College of Art

Date: Mar 16 2016
Major: Art & Design Department (This Major's Salary over time)
I am a current sophomore at MICA, Illustration Major. Freshman year at MICA was difficult to get adjusted, being in a new environment. There had been a very heavy push towards making new friends quickly and contacts, understandably due to everybody being new here and having no immediate friends. Personally, I did not enjoy this aspect because I felt like it was too much of a push to socialize to the point it was uncomfortable. Freshman classes were initially difficult to get around, mainly because they were also not the classes in my major. They were more GFA, and broad, mainly to get you adjusted to think in a more art-oriented manner rather than the basic A B C answer method you'd otherwise come in with—unless you came in from and art high school, which I did not. I personally really enjoyed my academics at this point; Critical Inquiry, Art Matters. They weren't held like a basic lecture where your voice wouldn't matter, they were very group discussion oriented where everyone's voice mattered. Very heavy reading homework, take notes for class. I had a major problem with the responses of other classmates at this point, in which they thought these academics useless. Elements was one of my least favorite classes because I really hated the weirdly vague method of doing art. My teacher for this class on the other hand was extremely professional even if she was very strict.

Now sophomore year is my shit. I get a better sense of the illustration department now that I get to take the actual classes I want, even classes outside my department like screen printing and others. There are issues with the department such as the fact that our chairman has been there for 14 years basically instead of the capped 8. The teachers that I have had the pleasure of having in illustration classes are some of the best people I have met who wont cut you any slack. I wasn't expected to show up for shit show hw otherwise I wouldve been torn apart during critique. You need to think and work fast. I don't understand the popular critique of "no social life" because this is what you paid for? For improvement in your work and your overall thinking. Socialize, make friends because you will definitely need future contacts its arrogant to think you wont. You'll have a lot of work to do and a lot of planning to figure out. Oh, also, in freshman year you don't have the liberty to choose the classes you want so. After that it's all you. When it comes to hopkins classes yes you can take them but realize that hey you're in MICA, not Hopkins. Hopkins kids have priority over you in enrollment. Which makes sense? But anyway. There is a sophomore/freshman on campus living rule that you can get out of if you speak to financial aid and explain your financial situation and they will try to work with you. The reason they do this is to make sure you get the full experience like it's really hard to experience all campus activities and art get together things, MICA Talks, etc if you live far. There are a bunch of other academics that you can choose in sophomore year, it's really bad to slack off with them because if you do you either graduate late, or take summer classes, or just suffer through every semester with 19 credits. Campus is pretty chill no one will bother you honestly, people tend to radiate to their new friend groups.Students are heavily involved in social protests and are attempting to help the community. Even so, diversity still lacks at MICA, faculty and student wise. The area is very gentrified and the students are hyper aware of it, not so sure about how the faculty and other MICA workers. Overall, as a school I really enjoy my classes here and my learning experience. There's personal issues I have with specific teachers but overall it's good. I'm thriving more here than I would else where.