Academy of Art University (Pasadena, Santa Barbara: real estate, rent, loans)

[napy666]

I have seen a TV commercial for this school for a while and it offers a multimedia journalism program. I only have my high school diploma so I have gotten my fair share of various freelance writer/photographer jobs writing for numerous magazines, websites, and newspapers but the pay has been slim to nothing at times.

I would like to get paid higher and better earning 100-300 per story if not 20,000-40,000 a year. And I know I can't get a better job due to me not having a college degree in hand.

So would getting a degree from this school or even at all be worth it or no? I know my field of being a Music Journalist is very competitive so yeah haha.

[mayorhaggar]

What a degree from there gonna cost when you factor in having to take out loans for tuition as well as for living expenses and the high cost of rent in the Bay Area? Like $100,000? You're not going to easily pay that back on 40k a year.

[Natural510]

Yeah, it's an expensive school, and they're notorious for having graduates high in debt with a degree which isn't very marketable in the real world (unless you're one of the lucky ones).

[napy666]

Oh I see.

[DocGoldstein]

Art Academy is a front for a real estate company.

[luau]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

What a degree from there gonna cost when you factor in having to take out loans for tuition as well as for living expenses and the high cost of rent in the Bay Area? Like $100,000? You're not going to easily pay that back on 40k a year.

100k? Really? That's almost as much as some business schools!

[bmw335xi]

Choose a different career, then once you have a good job, come back to this as a second job. If you do well, you can quit your job and make this your new career.

[Isebiel]

Regardless of degree, Journalism is pretty much dead as a livable source of income. Tooooo many people willing to do it for cheap or free.

Sorry.

[Chrysopylae]

Originally Posted by napy666

I have seen a TV commercial for this school for a while and it offers a multimedia journalism program. I only have my high school diploma so I have gotten my fair share of various freelance writer/photographer jobs writing for numerous magazines, websites, and newspapers but the pay has been slim to nothing at times.

I would like to get paid higher and better earning 100-300 per story if not 20,000-40,000 a year. And I know I can't get a better job due to me not having a college degree in hand.

So would getting a degree from this school or even at all be worth it or no? I know my field of being a Music Journalist is very competitive so yeah haha.

Forget the Academy of Art. It will be a waste of your time and money.

Stop watching TV also. Another waste of time.

And if you really think you've gotten your fair share of freelance jobs, I hope you're enjoying your retirement. Or your next career, which won't be in writing or photography. Since you've stated your "field... of being a music journalist is very competitive" you already know all those other writers and photographers are busy submitting stories and pictures. They are doing interviews, writing reviews and photographing talent. They are spending their time working to get material, and presenting it to an editor or publisher. There is no such thing as a fair share. You must always have more material or better material than the next writer or photographer, if you expect to make a living doing this.

If you want get paid more for writing, be a better writer. Take a couple of college-level English courses. This is not a criticism, it is a realization that to break the rules and write with your own voice you have to know the rules. An editor who can pay you more can tell when the mechanics are right in what you submit.

The same goes for your photographs. There are many workshops around the Bay Area with reasonable fees where you can learn how to build on the basics and become a better photographer. Versatility is the key; if you know how to get good shots under crappy conditions, how to make available light and obtuse angles work for you then you won't be as limited in your place in the crowd or caught flat-footed when you have that golden opportunity to capture a great shot.

Isebiel is right. There are too many people willing to do this for cheap or free. But there are still sites and publications that won't settle for whatever they can get. That sliver of a segment pays for material. If you are serious about doing this and aren't just chasing the money, get out there and produce better material.

If you want to work the business side of things, get a degree. If you want to walk the creative path, produce and submit better work than you did yesterday. That in itself is a full-time job.

[Litlove71]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

What a degree from there gonna cost when you factor in having to take out loans for tuition as well as for living expenses and the high cost of rent in the Bay Area? Like $100,000? You're not going to easily pay that back on 40k a year.

More like 200k. Same with Brooks in Santa Barbara.

If you're willing to get some instruction, there are much more reasonable programs out there. Or, you could join a photography club--there are a few very good one's in LA. You could also take workshops, Julia Dean offers some solid choices. If you want to move, I'd recommend an out of state program. There are several good one's. Attending photography classes at Santa Monica City College for 2 years, will give you a better foundation than one of these bogus Art Institutes. There are a few legit ones in SoCal with good reps--one is in Pasadena, the other is in Valencia. They would also be expensive--but at least they'd teach you something.

The same with writing. If you're uncomfortable with formal education, join a writer's group.