Hey guys, me again! I’m not sure if you guys know this about me or not, but I am one of those rare Art School success stories (in the sense that I’m utilizing my BFA, at least)- and believe me, that wasn’t always a definite thing. However, I’ve already written two posts on the topic, so let’s switch it up a bit and discuss how to make the most of (and also survive) your senior year at art school. When I was living through my senior year at UHart, I was so caught up in meeting deadlines and scrambling to keep my academics in line that I really wasn’t able to “stop and smell the flowers” and really get the most out of my experience. Now that I’ve made my way into the “real world”, I’m finally able to look back and reflect on my final year at the Hartford Art School. I’ve even taken some time to compress my spiel into four helpful tips to help you survive (and ENJOY) your last year of art school.

1. Work on your projects with other students, even if they aren’t working on the same stuff. I can’t even begin to explain the difference between sitting in your tiny dorm by yourself versus enjoying some quality, late-night studio time with a few friends. You have to do the work anyway, so why not bring some snacks, a laptop for tunes, and all of your materials to a common space (ideally, a studio) and just let all those creative juices flow?! Being able to bounce any ideas or techniques off of someone is also going to cut back substantially on the stress and you’re not going to feel like your social life is slipping down the drains (much like your muddled cup of paintbrush water) if you’re slaving away into all hours of the nights with yo’ friends. What’s that they say about misery loving company…? (;

2. Focus on building relationships. I know, I know… at a certain point in your college career, this can seem almost impossible. “I have 30,000 things due next Monday, a test on Tuesday, a thesis paper Wednesday, and you’re telling me I have to make MORE time for my social life?!” It may seem crazy, but I can promise you that carving out the tiniest bit of social time is more than worth the added effort (and, reminds your non-art major friends that you’re still alive and well). Personally, this is one of my biggest regrets… I got so caught up with my senior project, demanding curricular, and, well, remembering to eat/sleep/shower, that I totally dropped the ball in regards to my social life my senior year. Although I still am in touch with most people, other friendships certainly did suffer every time I would drop off the face of the planet in order to scramble blindly towards a due date. It’s also incredibly important to devote a little bit of time and effort into developing relationships with professors, as you can never have too many connections in this line of work, and I have found that those from other generations can offer a wildly unique and varied perspective (and momentarily shake you out of your existential crisis most of us go through our last year of art school).

3. Start your project early (yes, this means before the night before) and plan out your workload over the course of a few days-a week. Coming from one of the biggest procrastinators in the world, I know how difficult this can be (and that you’re probably cringing from the mere suggestion of planning ahead), but it is an invaluable skill to master before you go off into the real world. Believe it or not, your professors are not out to ruin your lives and do give you manageable deadlines- if you don’t save the entire project for the last minute. From what I remember, it feels as if students almost compete to see who got the least amount of sleep. In passing I would constantly hear students chatting about how they stayed up for three days straight, how their hands are numb from drawing all night, etc. Take it from someone who knows- scrambling through a month’s worth of work the night before the deadline is the worst decision you could possibly hope to make. It took me years to realize, but hopefully this resonates with some of you - the top students in my classes did so well mainly because they started early and spread their work out accordingly, enabling them to get a little more done each and every day while getting a decent amount of sleep. At first you really might have to force yourself into the habit of planning out your workload, but it really is an invaluable skill-set to learn and makes all the difference when navigating your final year.

4. Learn how to give (and take) criticism. Seriously. Work on growing some thicker skin - you’re gonna need it in the world of art, regardless of your major/minor/career path. You really have to learn how to separate yourself from your work and not take criticism to heart. Remember, it’s a critique of your work, not of you as a person. When it’s your turn to give some feedback, be sure to remain as constructive and thoughtful as possible. Peer-on-peer review can be some of the rawest, most valuable feedback you can get - take advantage of it.

Senior year is crazy no matter what major you declare - art-related or not - but if I got through it, so can you. Pinky swear!