The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

In this department, it needs to be restructured a bit more. As a freshman your first year is filled with required classes that you can't get around. Your Friday (freshman friday) will be a fun filled with a long ass 6 hour class called TMP (tools, materials, and processes). Its a basic crash course in different mediums ranging from paper to clay to metals, its a good class to get to explore different mediums you wouldn't normally go after. Also its nice to meet the different professors that teach the different classes, to see who you like or are not fond of. Your winter term will introduce you to CFC, which with the right professor can be amazing, or disappointing. At this time you probably know the professors somewhat well enough to choose the right CFC teacher for yourself. For myself, some of my best work came out of CFC. Your next required class is ADP...Art and Design Perspectives. It should be changed to Art and Design Pointlessness because thats what it is. Its a class full of complete bullshit that no one cares to take. Its just jammed full of useless information and it needs to be replaced. Its a waste of time and your tuition that could be spent elsewhere and you could be taking a more beneficial class. And you get to take it for 3 whole semesters...fun. Also your freshman year you must take a first year writing class, I suggest you really read the descriptions otherwise you will get put in a bitch class like I did and hate every moment of writing the papers. You will also take the required fundamentals of drawing class and digital 1 class. Honestly look up your professors if you can before you register them, the professor can be very helpful or can make you hate that medium. I unfortunatly did not have a great digital 1 teacher and spent hours watching online tutorials to create portfolio quality pieces. That is basically your first year. Your winter term you will get to choose your first elective studio, but trust me you wont get into it. Try to find five most uninteresting studios and out of those five, pick the one that you least hate or the professor that you like the most because thats the one you will get stuck with. Also you will get to take an academic elective this term as well unless you chose it first term then this will be filled with your first year writing class. All this being said, this program isn't for everyone. I dont see myself becoming the artist i want to be. There is little design classes, its more so based on fine arts then anything. You cannot call it "Art and Design" and have almost no design classes. But if your going for a BA, its a good choice or if your dual enrolled. The academic classes at UofM are amazing! Don't come into this program only wanting to be only an artist, its not going to happen. This program is very diverse, you make what you want to out of it. Side Note: I wish the professors held you to a higher standard of work. some of the work that comes out of the students are absolute shit that i saw high school students do better in. You must hold yourself to a higher standard in order to progress here.

1st Year Male -- Class 2013

Useful Schoolwork: A+, Education Quality: B-