School or Study? Both? Which one?

So, question number one:

Is this really the problem?

Sometimes we find that school and classes are our security because we know how to land the good grade, please the teacher, get a whole basketful of compliments from our classmates, etc.

Question number two:

Do you have the brain power to concentrate for an extended period of time and the motivation to do all of the homework assignments?

It most certainly is not like working for a job, so just remember what school was like, if it’s been years since you came out of university, etc.

Question number three!

Do you have the money for it?

If you don’t, it really may not be necessary for you to come back to school again.

For those of you who never had a traditional art education, consider what your job requires of you today.

Schools can be very slow as institutions to change, and if you are on the cutting or even bleeding edge of your industry, going back to school will do nothing for you.

Online schools are an alternative, if you want the emergency education that usually does the trick in getting you an edge skill-wise for a raise or a promotion.

Remember that even online schools have a lot of homework assignments, and you may not be able to get to the section you want to study if the module is designed for you to go from the beginning to the end and submit all of your assignments along the way.

There are quite a bit of online art tips and tricks available for free, but you and I both know that sometimes free just doesn’t cut it.

If you are not really looking forward to the whole school gig again at your age or at this time in your career, I’d say consider the people who are with you, and see if they will sit with you for a session or two over a meal, where you can spend time together to see what you can improve.

Sometimes it is 10,000 times better to learn from a peer in-house. Who cares if they are the junior of the team? If they know it, they know it. Ask, and they can get some teaching experience that they desperately need.

If you feel like you still want something, go ahead and look up an online art school for yourself. Like any physical art school, these online schools all hold different teaching philosophies, so see what you can glean from the outside before you commit to the full payment.

Also, if you are looking for premium teaching and content, know that you will have to dish out a bit of money to get it, but it’s better than going free and grinding your teeth at the fact you’re not able to access what you know deep down that you need.

There are also books, and even if they are fewer, there are some very good ones out there. Ask around to see if there’s anything you need. People lend their old books freely these days, so long as you take good care of them. Sometimes, they’ll just give the books to you, so remain hopeful! You can always search online as well on a browser, or check out Amazon or a bookseller, etc.

Don’t feel like school is the only way to success. It isn’t always, and there are a number of well-known individuals who run big-name companies, etc. without a college degree, who dropped out. Academic success does not guarantee career success, even though we tend to reach for academia when we’re feeling insecure.

Study? Study will get you to success, provided you study the right things. Don’t abandon study, even if you decide on a “no” for school. You can study the success of your peers and managers every day where you work. That is free.