[Grace Ng]

haha, i can send you my class email list – offer your services…$1200, such a ripoff! that’s a city university for you – milking you for every penny.

[Grace Ng]

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for all the response so far! love the helpfulness of everyone :). So, I’m going to be working till mid August, and will be spending 2 hrs a day commuting to and from work on the train and want to use that time productively.

 

While I will be doing the Lynda tutorials on the weekends, and maybe afterwork – are there any books that I can read (on the train) to learn and then practice in the programs when I get home? or is this generally a bad idea – to use books to learn photoshop or autocad are kinda pointless? Thoughts on the ‘for dummies books’?

 

 

[Grace Ng]

Thanks for all the response! I’ve subscribed to Lynda…going though the basic 8 hr photoshop tutorial now (on my day off) – trying to be productive but clearly procrastinating on this website… 

 

I think I will also order the book that Jason mentioned as source of reference after I get the basics down.

[Grace Ng]

Thanks for the links! I guess I feel overwhelmed with all the functions and applications available in these programs…are there any specific skills I should be learning within these programs first?

When I met with teh 2nd year MLA student – he said he used illustrator alot to ‘map’, and then used indesign just to make things pretty layoutwise – does that sound like the gist of it?

[Grace Ng]

Well, there is a 2nd year MLA student who has offered me a crash course for a rate of $40 an hour…which I think he priced based off of the course fee. I don’t intend to take his offer but he did give me an intro to how the programs are used in studios…so I have a vague idea of what I need to know.

 

Do MLA students come in knowing Autocad? I wasn’t too concerned about not knowing this Autocad since it is a more field related program…? (I was more concerned about illustrator, in design, and photoshop as these are more generically design programs)

[Grace Ng]

Hi Henry, I got a copy of Adobe CS3 from work, will try to learn it between now and mid August to get myself familiar with the programs. The studio prof actually sent us a materials list already – CS5 is required, will definitely hit you up if I can’t score a copy from my class. The cost of the studio materials and the new laptop I’ll need is seriously overwhelming – but I guess a new career focus requires some start-up costs! Thanks for the offer 🙂

[Grace Ng]

Okay – will check out Amazon.

 

Sorry, I’m new to this site and have neglected to update my profile – went to Cornell for undergrad, heading to City College for the MLA. There is a course I will be taking in the fall called “Digital/Trad Drawing” – I’m sure it will be a general overview of the uses of these programs…but don’t know the depth of it. Okay- thanks for you feedback – that this bootcamp course does seems to be overpriced for what it is.

 

Thanks!

[Grace Ng]

Hi David, thanks for the response and links, will definitely review the site and head to barnes and nobles for a book geared towards AEC professions

 

I mispoke (corrected now in the post- it is actually 40 hrs, 20 hrs each week – so its $30 per hour – does that seem more reasonable?

 

Nope, no formal course on those programs.

[Grace Ng]

Hi Ann, you’ve brought up really good points…in regards to the alumna connections. I know as an Cornell alum that Cornell’s network is vast and strong …whereas City College just graduated its 3rd class and there is a lack of strong alumni networking -however the prof’s are practicing in the city and I’d presume have connections in NYC firms.

 

What is your perspective on how important I should weigh ‘college/alumni’ network in job prospects? Is this something that should be weighted heavily?

 

A little about myself: I graduated from undergrad at Cornell with a major in Policy Analysis and have been working in market research for 3 years now. Anyhow, after much soul searching about life/career – I came to Larch, and I since I have no background for it, I applied for a 3 yr MLA…got into Cornell and City College.There is a severe price difference and obvious strengths within each program. I’d honestly love to go back to Cornell…but I’d be 90k in debt, whereas if I go to City College I can live at home in Brooklyn and have much less debt (30k). If I am one of the 50% with the degree and no job in the field, I can see myself being OK with going back to market research/business to make ends meet.. but if this is a probability – then should I even consider Cornell (since it would put me in severe debt)?

 

Sorry in advance if this is convoluted, this is a really tough decision.

[Grace Ng]

I’m in the same boat: City College vs. Cornell, I would love to go back to Cornell in a heart beat but 90k min in debt seems crushing and all this feedback from actual LAs is making me swing towards City College alot more. I’m visiting the school on Thursday, will report back on what I think of the program!

 

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