where am i going and what am i doing there?!

[Jianna]

so it's the spring semester of my Senior year right now and i have NO IDEA what i want to do for college or anything. All i know is that i like doing my digital painting and i like the technical aspects of theater, but not as much. And i'm trying to think of a good way to combine them

it seems obvious to do something like set/prop/costume design for theater, but what i'm afraid of is that it won't be reliable as a career. I've tried asking my art teacher and guidance counseler for help, but they all want me to be an animator. I really don't feel like i have the patience to do animation. I can't even stand to make little looping gifs, let alone whole scenes.

My main problem seems to be not knowing what i actually want to do. Another major drawback is my location. New Mexico is not at all full of colleges, and out of state tuition is completely ridiculous for my current situation. With my current GPA (4.6 something weighted, i don't know what it is unweighted however) and ACT score (30) i can get scholarships, but i'm just really afraid that that won't be enough. And then there's the whole i-don't-want-to-go-too-far-from-home issue as well.

If any of you guys have any advice for me, i would really, really, really appreciate it. I'm completely lost and running out of time.

:xx:

[JeniThus]

Hi, I'm a student at RISD in Providence, RI right now. I'm not here totell you where you should go to school, but I think I have some advice for you that might be helpful in your college search.

These are things that I learned first hand. I went to a school for a year, and then transferred to risd, so I know what it's like to change your horse midstream.
Ok. First, you're worrying too far ahead right now. Thinking about whether or not you'll many money in the end is a very bad way to pick a college and career. Yeah, you could be a corporate CEO and make a million $, but if you hate your job what's the point? Do something you enjoy, because in the end, that is what is going to keep you waking up to catch the train at 5 am to go to work in the first place. If you enjoy it, you'll be more likely to do it well, and as a great professor once told me, " you can make anything, and sell it to someone, all you need to do is find the right audience.
The second phase of your search is..
VISIT schools. don't take the tourguide's word for everything, I was a school tour guide for 5 years, I know how to sell my school, they all do. Talk to the real students on campus, sit in on classes, if you can, most schools will set up a sit in for you if you ask. Talk to the faculty of the departments you might be interested in. Their theories for teaching and learning and curriculum are important. Ask them what you will be learning, ask them how, ask them what preparation there is for the "real world" ask them what services there are for graduating students, are there internships? Do you get credit for them? What companies recruit from the school? What accreditations does the school have?
And most importantly....
The super most important thing ever.
Go with your gut.
If you get a bad feeling about a school while you're visiting, from the students, staff, etc. GET OUT. It isn;'t the place for you. Go where you'll be happy, go where you think you'll be encouraged, even forced to grow the most.
And don't be scared about tuition costs. It's obcene really, the amount of money that schools charge these days, but thats why there are student loans, and fin aid. Dn;t be afraid to go into debt.
In college, if you work hard, and keep an open mind and want to improve, you will.
You may not get a huge paying job right when you graduate, but after a few years you'll start getting some work. Just look at Jon Foster, or any of the othe rbig artists here. It takes some time, and you have plenty of that.

If you have any other questions, or if you have comments on what I've said feel free to PM me or whatever.
Jen