Tick, tock goes the clock…
Funny how time flies, isn’t it? I’ve completed one course in my program already. This is the end of Week 1 in the second of 12 courses. It’s honestly gone by so quickly I almost didn’t notice the time passing. But here I am reflecting on what has passed while planning for what is to come.
This week’s assignments consisted of watching the Week 1 course video recorded by Professor McClung (n.d.) giving expectations of the course, but also for us as Graduate students. It was honestly a wake up call that I’m not on easy street and we were never in Kansas *Get it?!*.
So naturally, the next assignment is to think about what I’ve taken from the lecture (McClung, n.d.) and make actionable plans for incorporating these takeaways to my daily operations.
What are the key takeaways that will have the most impact on your experience as a graduate student?
One of the biggest takeaways from Professor McClung’s (n.d.) lecture was to take the program seriously as well as the work load. This program goes by quickly and if we aren’t willing to put in the time to further our skills or take advantage of the resources offered through the school then someone else will and will likely succeed where we don’t. It goes without saying that if something is not easily obtained then working hard for it will likely be the best course of action to getting it. For me, some of the assignments are not easily completed so I have to work harder than I did in my Undergrad and even harder than I did in my first Masters program. By taking the time now to refocus and plan accordingly, I can make the best of this program so that it renders the best results.
What are some questions and/or concerns that you may have about the program that may impact your future success?
As previously expressed, I often become concerned about my lack of design skills when facing new assignments in my courses. I’m new to using applications in Adobe Creative Cloud and do not consider myself to be much of an artist. Despite all of this, I get excited when faced with the challenges and opportunities this program presents. I have already learned to use social media apps such as Canva to create images with and have learned beginner skills in Photoshop as well as Adobe Illustrator. I’m still nervous when approaching tasks I’ve never done, but again this is when I have to remember that hard work and practice are how I will continue moving forward. I may not make perfect scores, but I will learn and that’s really what’s most important.
So what actions will you take to make your plans come true?
Watching the video by Sean Adams (2017) on the various forms of Graphic Design, I felt more inspired than ever that I don’t have to be a graduate of a formal program to continue in the design field. What is important though is being able to at least do a rough sketch of my ideas to help communicate what I am trying to accomplish. I have already started put actions to this by taking Drawing Foundations: Fundamentals (Kemp, 2014) on Lynda.com. While this course is not a part of my Media Design MFA curriculum, it will be a major help towards completing future coursework in the program as being able to sketch ideas is an important step accourding to Adams (2017).
I have also started the Learning path for “Becoming a Graphic Designer” (Lynda.com, 2019). This is a major part of supplementing my learning through this program that will be invaluable to me when I graduate. Although I do not have formal training as a Graphic Designer I will still need to be able to communicate with designers and others in a professional setting. Working on these certificate pathways are actionable steps to helping me not only further my goals, but will help reduce the anxiety of approaching new projects in the program. I am honestly excited to do the coursework now that I have made plans to use the resources Full Sail has provided.
References:
Adams, S. (2017, May 31). What is graphic design? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Graphic-Design-tutorials/What-graphic-design/614734/625796-4.html?org=fullsail.edu
Kemp, W. (2014, April 28). Drawing foundations: Fundamentals [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Art-Illustration-tutorials/Drawing-Foundations-Fundamentals/158841-2.html
Lynda.com. (2019). Become a graphic designer [Online course]. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/learning-paths/Design/become-a-graphic-designer
McClung, R. (n.d.). MDM525 Week 1 Live Session [Video file]. Retrieved from https://online.fullsail.edu/class_sections/46723/modules/182645/activities/1139432References:
Asha Coleman's Mastery Journal 