College for those who like art

I've always considered myself a creative person. When I was younger, I loved making videos (I'm thankful every day they're gone), singing, dancing, doing nail art, and drawing.

Even though I've always been encouraged to be creative (which I know isn't the case for everyone), when it came time to choose a college, it never crossed my mind to pursue an art-related major. I thought that if I wanted a successful career, I'd have to major in one of the "golden programs": medicine, engineering, law, etc. At the time, being one of the top students in my class, I think I would have felt embarrassed to choose a humanities major at a private college.

While this whole idea seems ridiculous to me now, I won't blame it all on my poor teenage self. In fact, I think most of this ideology came from the school itself, which put absurd pressure on us to make the "right" choice —or at least the right one to gain more prestige. I felt obligated to pass a public entrance exam with a good score, and I thought of private colleges as the path for those who couldn't get into a free college—and I think the students who chose that option felt the same way.

In late 2012, I took the entrance exam for several different engineering programs at public universities and was accepted into mobility engineering at UFSC and mechanical engineering at UDESC. In early 2013, I was on my first day of classes, exploring the UDESC campus, proud and happy, with no idea what I was getting myself into.

The first few semesters weren't so bad. In the first semester, I only failed drawing (...yes), and I found everything else to be somewhat magical (and I felt super proud to tell others about the course I was taking). As the years went by, however, I began to realize that I didn't like the course or the profession at all. I was constantly miserable, complaining, suffering from panic attacks and anxiety, and my personality was being crushed by codes, calculations, and overly serious teachers.

Four years after starting my degree, I decided to drop out and pursue something new that could bring me back. I took the advertising and marketing entrance exam at a private university, placed second, received a scholarship, and, honestly, it was like entering a new world. Accustomed to the serious nature of engineering, you can imagine the joy I felt when I was able to create a colorful PowerPoint presentation, or the amazement I felt the first time a professor asked me, "So, how are you?" with a hug, or every time I see the amount of video, photography, and art work I've completed in less than two years.

Of course, this whole story isn't to say you shouldn't pursue engineering, medicine, or law—far from it. If that's what you enjoy, go for it, because the world is your oyster. What I mean is that there's room for professional growth in absolutely any field as long as you're completely passionate about what you do—and I know that sounds a bit cliché, but now I see it makes a lot of sense.

If money is your concern, I'd say that if you're in a field you don't enjoy, you'll likely become an average professional and end up earning average salaries as well. For example, in engineering (which theoretically is a great market in my city), I've never had a job, but in advertising, I've received millions of offers—and I'm not even halfway through my degree.

Furthermore, taking an art-related course doesn't necessarily mean jumping straight into something like visual arts (although that's definitely worthwhile). There are other options that will also allow you to use your creativity in a more artistic way, such as architecture, photography, fashion, design, and advertising itself. Although it can be a bit tedious, it's also a good idea to take some time to read the course outlines that interest you—that way, you'll discover which areas will allow you to develop technical skills (if that's your goal).

In my course, for example, I had several courses on art history, creation, video and audio production, photography, and image editing, but none on drawing techniques. At Fe's design school, I saw that she had courses more focused on this and encouraged manual creation through work, so your choice will depend on what you're looking for in the arts . It's also important to remember that courses vary from institution to institution, even within the same program, so it's important to take the time to review the curriculum and faculty before taking the entrance exam.

I think it's also worth mentioning here that there's no single degree that will make you a great artist or allow you to make a living from it —individual commitment and self-improvement are essential. Furthermore, technique can be learned through practice and the endless availability of free content online—college will only serve as a professional complement.

In summary...

Follow what makes your blood pump and your eyes open 70 degrees wider than they normally would. Other people's opinions may seem important right now, but the path you choose will shape your life and no one else's.

Keep in mind that we're too young to decide anything about our future when it comes to choosing a major, so it's normal to choose, realize it wasn't quite right, do a double-take, and start over. Of course, financial considerations often come into play here, preventing this fresh start, but know that it's okay and that you can use the lessons learned from a major you don't particularly enjoy to pursue something more suited to you (for example, I could have majored in engineering and specialized in marketing or design—honestly, it doesn't seem like such a bad path).

With love,
Re