» 2008 » December

So I am wrapping up my first semester at NCSU by entering what they call Dead Week. Dead Week is the week before exams when all projects are turned in and no homework is assigned so we can study…so of course I pick this time to write to you guys…because this type of procrastination at least seems studious.

This seemed like a good time to wrap up the semester and tell you guys some things that I learned about State that I would have liked to know.  Looking back on when I was signing up for classes there are three main things I think I would have liked to have known.  The first is that I really enjoy 50 minute classes more than 2 hour classes.  I say this because those are the two main types of classes, lots of short meetings or a few long ones.  Something they don’t tell you though is that those everyday 50 minute classes usually give you one day off.  It is really a personal decision though.

The second thing is lecture vs. small classes.  Lectures are really alot more about you, your computer, and the few people around you in the massive 200 person room.  You meet alot of people who can help you but you don’t have a real connection to the teacher unless you go to office hours. Small classes give you the option of establishing a good form of communication with the teacher and gives more of an opportunity to ask questions, but less people to meet.  It seems lectures are for people who are going to try to go for it on their own and classes are for people who want a connection with their teachers.

The final thing is GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS. You can see how easy or hard a teacher has graded in the past by checking out the grade distributions through MyPack Portal.  The other thing I want to talk about is the freshman repeat. It is something here at NCSU that allows students to make up some of the courses they take their first year. I let my grade in English 101 get away from me and was really worried about it until I found out about this. We get two and basically it is a redo, like Monopoly you’re getting out of jail free but just not receiving the 200 dollars when you pass go.  If you do bad in a class you tell your advisor about it when you sign up for your next semester and you retake the class and your new grade replaces your old one. The only sign left afterwards is a little R beside the class on your transcript.

I am now going to go back to trying to study for Dead Week. Hope these few academic insights from my first semester will help you guys out. Oh and one more thing I learned…procrastination DOES NOT FEEL GOOD AT THE END!!!!

You could hear the entire stadium echo with wolfpack pride that day, and regardless of where you are on campus, the school spirit is always just as evident. As a student here at NC State University, I have come to appreciate a campus that has celebrated diversity, academic excellence, and school spirit for years. I am proud to be a one of a kind “Wolfpack Girl!”

However, because I am constantly drawn to producing and understanding the blueprint of great art, I am also a “design kid”. Majoring in art and design, I have been challenged to understand and control the elements within design that make art aesthetically pleasing. I have learned a lot that has helped me improve as a designer. With the help of an annual assessment known as “Junior Review”, art and design students are required to place their best works from freshman to junior year on exhibit for one week to allow fellow students and professors to see just how much they have improved since their freshman days on campus.

Observing works from sculpture, painting, digital drawing, fibers, multimedia, and photography courses; the College of Design professors comment on both the strentghs and weaknesses of each artist, while also understanding each individuals own unique process. Although a challenging major, I get an opportunity to work with numerous mediums that create a wide range of experience that can be applied to numerous fields within design such as textiles, animation, graphic design, surface design, fibers and photography.

Also with the resources provided by the college such as: the dual boot Mac computer labs (accommodating both Mac and PC lovers!), The Harry B. Lyons Design library, photography darkroom and studio, large format plotter printers, Design IT lab, workshop,lazercutters, spay booth, dye kitchen and plaster printers. The possibilities for great art almost seem endless, but the combination of resources make for an extremely successful program that encourages students to exploit their hand and digital craft to create innovative and unique design.

For more information concerning programs within the College of Design checkout their website.