Two weeks ago I accompanied my younger sister to Brooklyn for a college campus tour. As we walked through the campus, I began to remember my time in college although it wasn’t too long ago. One thing that stood out to me was when the tour guide made it clear to everyone that they were paying to go to school for a grade; the professor wasn’t going to treat them as they were in high school. They would have to stay on top of how well they were doing, homework, time management, etc. No professor was going to remind them of what they needed to do.

This reminded me of the mind set that young designers often have when going to college. The one where they expect the professor to teach every program to them and the latest greatest techniques when in reality its only those students who truly have the desire and motivation to push themselves to learn who end up excelling. The main problem is that students aren’t taught how to work for themselves. They are taught to create a portfolio, get a job at some big firm (where they have no creative leverage) and start off at the bottom as a grunt until they work their way up the visual communications ladder.

There is nothing wrong with this path. However, to set up the academic program as if this is the only way is ridiculous. I encourage young design students to find someone who is active in the field that you are trying to break into and learn as much as you can from them. The benefits of having a design mentor will far outweigh the the amount of information gained from a formal college education.