Ringling vs. OCAD

Things I like about being at Ringling:

- weather!
- the pretty and luxurious campus
- laser color printers in labs with money in account
- the various types of paper you can choose to print on
- having studio classes where you make websites
- the IT department and their services including communications
- having web-space and network easily accessible
- great use of labs and G5s with classrooms
- cafeteria, dining hall
- library: one of the best I've seen with amazing art and design book collections
- class dynamic, more exciting people with a lot to say (very good, but to an extent)
-studio web-design classes (not at the level I was expecting however)
- Chinese culture class: I am loving this course! It's a liberal studies but small scale, not in a lecture hall


Things I like about being at OCAD:

- Toronto! Downtown! Culture! City life! Diversity!
- Having briefs that clearly outline projects, due dates, requirements, specs, marking breakdown,
- Teacher feedbacks, one on ones
- Once a week classes rather than TWO!
- Longer time to develop ideas, concepts and design: focus on process
- THINK TANK! I love Keith, Lewis and Bruce etc... teachers that change your life, make you see a new light, inspire you, break you away from anything you ever knew
- Typography classes
- The Advertising crowd, I miss you kids! There's no ad department here.
- Teachers in general (even though I have two web classes which I haven't had at all at OCAD, I still prefer OCAD education) this is still undecided but I'm sure all the teachers will help me a lot and I will learn from every single class I have at Ringling. But OCAD has some very amazing teachers with very high level of teaching and background that will have significant impact on your development as designers and thinkers. I'm not saying I don't like the teachers here, but judging from the full course load that I have here versus the full course load that I would have had at OCAD, I know I would have definitely learnt a lot more at OCAD and used my brain a lot more and felt more like an intellectual than just a designer that has to constantly produce without even having time to think.
- Creative, conceptual projects
- Doing something for a cause, being more than just "designers" but rather thinkers.
- I actually enjoyed that Research class, I don't know about all you other OCAD kids, but that Research and Methodologies class really makes you see how how important it is to know how to write and read and research and present. I liked how that class proved me that I am more than just someone who can make things look pretty to look at. I am a problem solver. We all are, we just need to spend time figuring out what the problem is and take more time to figure out how to solve it with exploring many solutions.
- I enjoy that there is more time to do your projects and having less projects per semester. I don't think as a student you should feel overwhelmed as soon as you are assigned a project. OCAD is less demanding in time sense, slower paced and a lot more focused on quality than quantity. I think portfolio pieces are important and need more time than one week for great layouts and concepts. Three or 4 projects per semester sound about right to me. At least I can breathe, think, design and not produce crap that I'll just want to get over with and never see again.
-Graphic Design curriculum is a lot different than Graphic and Interactive Communication curriculum. I thought I'd come here for some really advanced web design, which is very basic for me, leaving me with more knowledge than my classmates in my web design classes, which is something I really did not expect. I am not complaining though, I enjoy having classes that are only for web design and again I am sure I will be learning tricks here and there that I did not know before. I already have. However, I'm more about concept, cause and impact. Those are things I want to develop upon more and more while I'm a student. Fourth year is going to be awesome. OCAD I'm ready for ya!
-Oh yea, OCAD kids, don't complain about the laptop program. Get a little more money from OSAP (the government) and pay it back. It's really well worth it, compared to more than double your tuition in the States, and a good education on top of it. Use it effectively, be wise and don't complain. Yea, we could be better, but so could other schools, in different ways. Laptops are a genius idea. Well worth the few extra grands. Who doesn't love their powerbooks and notebooks that they can take anywhere with fonts and software?
More to come, hopefully more likes about Ringling.

Photo-journey-day: from my backyard to Lido Beach

The weather is so lovely here I'll let the photos speak for themselves.
You can view all of them on my Flickr page.

The new kid at school

Courses:
1. China in the Modern World
2. New Media I (basically, web)
3. Graphic Design II
4. Advanced Web Design
5. Advanced Typography


So far so good.
I won't go into detail with every class but I'll generalize what I was exposed to so far. I'm very glad that I have two courses specifically for web design. I have never taken any classes on web design because a) there was never any worth taking and b) I've always been past the basic level and can learn way more on my own than in a classroom. What is great about Ringling though is that these courses are offered and they are repeated at the length of 3 hours twice a week. The instructors are pretty good and have a structured class. The New Media class is a compulsory and I took the Web Design class as an elective. I've actually learnt different ways to do things that I didn't know before even though I didn't think I would. Personally I don't need to learn how to make a website, I need to have time in my day to sit in front of a computer and work on a project for school that involves making a website. That itself is very new to me and I enjoy it very much. I have not had time to make websites because when I'm in school (OCAD) I'm working on other projects that do not require any site making. I know I will be learning easier methods to do things and teach myself a lot more with all this time I have to explore. Sometimes I just can't listen in class because I am just not used to someone going through a step by step procedure that I already know, but might not know one of the steps, which I could just be shown or told with one exchange.

I really like the advanced Type class. I like the projects. It's a mix of expressive and structured projects for the semester. The students in the class have energy and talk a lot unlike anything I've ever witnessed in OCAD classrooms. It's very very laid back though, which is good in a classroom setting because it makes a much more interesting environment. Part of the reason is because the prof is laid back and evidently a favorite of students. I'm happy with the project assignments. I think you will learn a lot in any typography class because experimenting with type will never be boring. I've never really had any complaints about any of my Typography classes. It's all about you and what you make of the projects assigned. Type can never be boring. There's always a lot to do.

The Graphic Design class seems to me like a Typography class. I usually go into those studio classrooms expecting interesting topics to explore, research to do and prepare to start learning through creativity and freedom. This class is like a grid/structure and very systematic. We are reading and following Bringhursts Elements of Typographic Style . Sure, you need to own that book if you're a graphic designer but it shouldn't be a textbook. Who knows, maybe it's good to force yourself to read what he says and do it rather than just read it. I'll do good work but I would much more prefer to be conceptual, come up with ideas and communicate for a cause rather than read and follow a dry book. That's not what Graphic Design is about - it's part of it, but lacks the creative freedom. OCAD definately has much better course outlines for that core studio class, bringing real world problems to the hand of designers. That's what designers especially undergraduate students need to begin understanding.


I'm here for the web anyway, so no complaints.

People are very friendly. You cannot compare the multi-culturalism of Toronto down here, so I'll just say that I'm a minority amongst the Americans here, which is okay.

So, favorite class is Advanced Type, even though I had my presumptions on it, I was pleasantly surprised. Very different. A classroom environment and students / teacher dynamic is very important to me. It's great to be surrounded by outspoken people regardless of the work they produce.

This is all just first week impressions. Let's see how things change.

A week to myself

It's been a week since I've left home and settled in a new home closer to the Equator. It's been a week unlike the upcoming weeks because I do not start school until Tuesday, therefore I had a lot of time to myself in this beautiful environment. On Friday I took about four hours of my day and used it up with my legs, my bike, my D-SLR and my i-pod shuffle. It was quite the experience! I biked to Sarasota's downtown area which was super cute.

There are lots of high-end cafes, restaurants, antique shops and galleries all with very nice architecture. I can assure you that using color on the outside is not risk-taking in Florida. Houses, shops, theaters, buildings, apartments, they are all so colorful and pretty. I wanted to stop at every single one and take a picture, but that was kind of annoying and I didn't want to seem like such a tourist - I am here for five months. I also knew that I probably would not do this that much once school starts and I might not get around to taking pictures of the lovely sights.

I took a good load of photos. I kept pedaling and pedaling and got to the John Ringling crossway that was over the water. It was quite elevated and worked my legs a lot but it definitely ain't nothing like Toronto. I used to bike a few times a week in the summer from my house at Finch and Bathurst to my workplace downtown at King and University and that was very tiring because of all the up-hills. If I had gone a little bit further I would have reached Lido Beach. However, I really didn't know where I was, so I took some more photos and went back before it got too dark.

I would like to congratulate myself on being such a good cook! Khodamo daste kam gerefte boodam! That means, I underestimated myself in Farsi. I did all my groceries on my own and I cooked all on my own and did a damn well job of it. Please understand that I come from a family that likes to cook and I have always had food ready for me. I never had to worry about cooking. Which is part of the reason why I was afraid but I think being surrounded by food-making can just miraculously make you a good cook. Maybe I absorbed all that technical information without even realizing it. Or, maybe it's just not rocket science and pretty easy stuff if you have time on your hands. Students, we all know that time is an issue when it comes to everything when school is down our throat. So, I do believe this past week's experience is drastically different than the weeks ahead. However, I think I enjoy cooking! It's part of creating something and I love creating things. No wonder culinary is part of the art category.

I've always been a healthy eater and I'm picky with what I eat especially when I have the complete freedom to choose it and make it based on what I want to put in my body. I love seafood so I bought a lot of shrimp and fish. I also bought a lot of salad vegetables along with some rice, pasta, tofu, a big jug of Arizona green tea (at a very good price), fruits, whole wheat breads, some low-sugar jam spreads plus sauces along with other goods.

Overall it's been interesting to live on my own. I've always been really absorbed and to myself when I'm at home so it really wasn't a whole new feeling. Even biking for a long time isn't new for me and I enjoy it very much. I've talked to my parents everyday. I think it'll take a little bit more time for me to miss home. I know in the future I'll be away from home a lot more because I plan to travel. Of course family is the first empty hole, but it's always rewarding to challenge and depend on only yourself and start new chapters in the book of life. I'm glad my family has started to realize this and I hope it will give them more assurance on my responsibility and lower their worry and fear that resides in the loving hearts of caring parents.

I think for a lot of people this experience might be quite scary and risky. First of all, I found my apartment through Craigslist without knowing my roommate or having met her in person. I refused to live on campus because the living costs were too high. Walking to school will take about half an hour so I had to resolve by getting a bike and not rely on the poor bus service. I do not know anybody down here and I live next to the ghetto area of Sarasota, which to me, isn't very ghetto, but to other people, it might be. So, am I scared of being alone? No, because I've always been risk-taking throughout my whole life. I don't live in fear and I stopped worrying. Worrying solves nothing and gives you absolutely no gain. It's kind of like sugar - it has no nutritional value, but it's just so sweet and hard to resist that you're bound to consume it at some point in the day. I am not naive either. I do my research, observe, absorb, adapt, and I stay away from trouble. Furthermore, I trust my instincts and make good judgments.

This is just the first step of experiencing a new environment.
I am almost certain that I will invest the majority of my life doing just that - opening more doors.

Next week shall be interesting! I'm excited!

Getting settled

Yesterday and today were very productive for me. I went by Ringling and met with the advisor, signed some forms and went off to the new Student Center which I must say is a work of art. I have never entered a building so large and only dedicated to student services. I felt imprtant being there! Since when do art and design kids get such great facilities? It was very impressive. I got my student card then headed to the IT department to set up my email account and wireless internet.

Then I came out of that building and walked around. I saw a large fitness center in the Student Services building. I was just in awe. Then I went into the empy library that was so nice. Nice and beautiful aren't even words for Ringling because the terms are so generic and not powerful enough. If "wow" was an adjective, I think it would be the right one for me to use. A long wall of magazines on display, tons of rooms to sit, couches, meeting rooms, private desks, dvds, videos, lots of reference books.

Maybe to some of you that's what a school library is...but you do have to realize that I am coming from an art and design school where all of this is brand new to me. Defeciency in organized structure, investment into facilities, communications, services, events, groups, social gatherings all led me to lead a Student Forum at OCAD that documented student concerns. I don't blame students for having high expectations from their school. The administration of any institution needs to realize that it is very important to make your students happy and have no concerns regarding student experience...none. Art and design students should enjoy their college years just as much as any other college or university. It is critical to really invest greatly into student life and experience at any institution. I forgot to mention that there is an entire building for a dining hall and cafeteria that serves breakfast, lunch an dinner. Yea, OCAD students, I know what you're thinking. I'll stop bragging about Ringling now.

If I did not have this bike I would be wreckless. This city is bike heaven yet I have seen more bikers in Toronto when it's -5C outside...times 20. What's the deal Florida? Taking the weather for granted? I am the only biker out in these streets, except some random ones I see here and there. I'll probably see more when I go to the trails near the beaches but still, it's disappointing. I went to an Apple retailer with this bike to order in a part for my computer - the logic board, because a RAM slot decided to stop working for some reason. Then I biked all the way to a SunTrust bank to open an account. Then I went to Winn-Dixie and bought more groceries that I should have considering I was taking them home on a bike. My back pack was full capacity and I had three bags with some fish, pasta, grapes, etc. on the two handles of my bike. Yea, I was about to tip over but it's only 5 minutes to my house and I was proud of how well I maintained myself. Actually, before going to the bank I took a peek around the Ringling Museum. There's sign in front of it saying "You haven't seen Sarasota if you haven't been to the Ringling". Apparently it's a magnificent Museum. For those of you who have no idea where the "Ringling" name comes from, here is a wiki for you:

In 1927 Ringling moved the winter headquarters to Sarasota, Florida, where he and his wife, Mable, had been spending winters since 1909 and where they had built a 30-room English country house with the look of an Italian renaissance mansion and a similar museum building for his art collection. He and his brother, Charles, were instrumental in the modern development of Sarasota. John soon became one of the richest men in the world. His circus travels took him all over Europe, and he established a collection of fine Baroque art. He also acquired a large collection of work by Peter Paul Rubens.

John Ringling died on December 2, 1936. At his death, he willed his house, the museum, and his entire art collection to the state of Florida. The house, Cá dˈZan, and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art offer visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Roaring 20s and a renowned art collection. Another of John’s legacies is the Ringling School of Art and Design, which asked to adopt his name because of the cultural influence of the museum and its collection. A museum devoted to the Ringling Brothers Circus has been established on the estate also.

That explains the "mansion-ness".

However, I am prepared to criticize the students and the teaching at this school. Let's see what is under all this expensive exterior and the quality of teachers and work that comes out from this school. Ringling is a private school and a lot of "higher-class" students (quoted by the advisor) attend it. Florida is a rich state with lots of loaded people. They can easily afford their kids going to this school. I'm prepared to judge them. We'll see how this all is. Don't worry OCAD I'm not going to totally bash you down.

First bike ride

Yesterday I called up the non-profit bike shop and talked to Andrew. He was really cool to talk to and I was really interested in buying a bike. I called a cab to take me there. After half an hour, a non-taxi-looking car came by. I was dressed very casual but I felt like I must be going somewhere fancy that I forgot about or called the wrong service line. The driver came out of the car and opened the back door for me. He asked me if I had any luggages. Again, I was confused. I was given a limousine service ride along with a driver of great personality with an option of choosing the genre of music for the ride.

As he was driving he was telling me about Sarasota and what places to visit. He said I should definately go to Siesta Key. I took a couple of the Sarasota magazines in the cab. It's really beautiful here in Sarasota. There is so much green and the cultural community is very strong and distinct. The cab rates are the same as anywhere else you'd go, but the service that I got - which could have been my luck - was just fantastic. I gave him a good tip. He gave me his card and even waited for me at the bike shop to make sure I was going to be okay. After talking to Andrew and seeing the bike I told him that he can go and that I would bike home.

I ended up buying a $40 bike that was perfect for me. Andrew is such a great guy. He's doing some great things for the Sarasota county and I wish him all the best. I offered to help him out with making digital versions of the bike-route maps he has created. There's more about his non profit shop at bikewalklive.org . Andrew biked home with me so I wouldn't get lost. It took about 20 minutes. Once we hit Ringling, it was about 5 minutes to get home.

Today I biked around the block. I went to the Ringling campus, which opens next week and biked around the different buildings. I still haven't gone inside yet but the outside is beautiful. There are places to sit everywhere. The hallways are all outdoors. There are even display cases outdoors! I love the structure of the campus. I guess when you have weather like Florida and lots of space for scattering campuses, you're bound to have a beautiful school. I wish the city of Toronto had realized the importance of that before they extended OCAD's building. I know that I will be comparing OCAD and RSAD so much while I'm here. It's inevitable.

I've never been so excited about going to school! I guess when I was first entering college I was excited, but Ringling seems to be so much more solid than OCAD in terms of community and services. Not to put OCAD down at all but it's the truth. I love OCAD for allowing me to come here to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. So, thanks OCAD. Thanks a lot.

I got an email from the Student Services welcoming me and letting me know about the Student Orientation Meeting next Tuesday right in between my classes. I think Ringling has their classes set up so that there is a common free slot for everyone. The studio class times seem to be harmonious for all students. Again, structure seems to be great. However, my class hours are a bit overwhelming. Each studio class is 3 hours twice a week and my web class is 6 hours long! I hope it's not too bad and not too stressful. I am here to learn, but I'm also here to relax and enjoy my leave. We'll see how things go.

Bike bike bike. I love it. It's summer all the time. Actually, not to complain, yesterday and today was about 16, 17 C (low 60s F). It will get really hot soon though, so I'll be quiet.

Arrival

So it's about 27 degrees here in Sarasota. My roommate Sarah picked me up from the airport which was literally 2 minutes away. She is such a great girl. I'm so glad everything worked out through craigslist and email contact. The condo plaza is really nice and there's even a pool right next to it! Ofcourse there are palm trees and funky leaves everywhere.

I got some groceries last night and chatted with Sarah most of the night. She baked some cookies and made some squash. I love how she's so into nature, plants, culture and health. I slept on her air matress which I think I can get away with for a while. I'm barely going to be home starting next week because my school is pretty hard core. I have classes every day (except for Friday) from 8:30 to 6:15. It's intense!

Sarah left early so I'm here by myself. She gave me a number of a non-profit bike shop that promotes responisble transporation in Sarasota. They are called A.R.T - Alliance for Responsible Transportation. I think they are fantastic. They just don't have a location address so I called them. I will definately need a bike to get to school. It's down the street but it's about a half hour walk. Sarah has three bikes but none of them are in riding condition. The bike shop fixes bikes as well so we might just get them fixed for a low price. I'm not even going to talk about the bus system here. I'll just praise Toronto for that.
We drove by Ringling yesterday and I must say the campus is just gorgeous. I haven't been inside yet so we'll see how that turns out. Tomorrow I have a meeting with the advisors to get all my stuff together and prepared for next week.

I like it here so far. I'll go for a walk soon and take some pictures. So sunny here!

Self reflection: from past to present

It's 2:50 a.m and I can't sleep.
I have a cold and I'm coughing, great, just before I go. For some reason, the reason I am up isn't because I am leaving. It's just doing the same thinking that I normally do which forces me to write.

I started thinking about myself and my position in this world. I started thinking about how just by changing my mentality on things, I can change the way I absorb information and hence transform myself based on more knowledge.
I started having flashbacks of while I was growing up and what mattered in my life up to this point. I came up with the conclusion that I always wanted to excel. I always wanted to be great but I NEVER was. I always KNEW that I wasn't and I always knew that there were so many others who had more talent in every field I touched on. I liked writing but my writing wasn't always great. I liked reading but it would take me long to read anything. I liked language but I never spoke really well or had the best vocabulary. I was smart but there were so many who were smarter - in all of my classes. I was good in all sports and took basketball seriously for a period, but gave up when I decided it was time to do so. I envied people. I wanted to be better. But I never got there. I always got down on myself and battled in my mind. I told myself I wasn't good enough and if I wanted to excel in one thing in particular, I just could not do it because I didn't have that much strength.

What I also remember is that I knew I was good. I knew I COULD be better IF I really wanted to. I knew that if I focused on that particular train of thought, I could go further with it. I was always open to criticism and valued other opinions and perspectives. So, in essence, I've been a hard worker and a good listener. I knew that I could reach where I wanted if I worked hard enough and forced myself to do things.

When entering the post secondary stage of my life, I still ran into the same problems. I still knew I was definitely not as talented as others and I knew I wasn't the best artist, illustrator or designer. I was just average - but hated being average. I was not okay with it. I let it get to me. I let the marks get to me. I let people get to me. I let myself get to me. I hated it. I hated not being great and expecting myself to be.

Then I started questioning everything. As soon as I did that, I started getting strength. As soon as I stopped caring about being the best in a definitive way, I felt more free. And as soon as I stopped worrying and fearing my future, I felt more complete. It felt like I had transformed myself through my thinking. I started seeing a new light. I started planning my future and not fearing it. I started to focus on thinking, planning, practicing and learning. I felt like there were so many options and so many goals that I could begin thinking about. I felt more creative opportunities by just imagining myself "there". My vision was clear because I could imagine it.
My mind began to strengthen. My confidence grew because I starting creating my own ways through my inspirations. I began to step into new grounds. I started caring more about people. I focused on helping people to help find myself. I found a new satisfaction through being a good person. I started to listen more, read more, write more and think more. I didn't do it because someone told me to, I did it because I wanted to and was okay with investing the majority of my time in doing so.

I've reached a point where I don't define anything in ways that society defines them, even if "that's the way things are". I don't want to be the best in anything anymore. I want to do all the things I really like doing, which is a lot of things. I want to make a difference, be it small scale or large scale. And not to prove myself that I'm worthy but to show others that it CAN be done and you don't HAVE to be the best in anything. You just have to keep your mind open and have a free spirit. Then life will make you smile a lot more often.