I’ve found myself at an interesting, and pretty unexpected, crossroad. I started this photography business for a couple of reasons. First, I’ve always loved art and photography; and for years I’ve played with it as a hobby. My friends would tell me, oh you are so good, you have such a great ‘eye’, but I never did anything with it past the hobby stage. Secondly, I started it as a flexible source of income while I was in school.
I started the fashion design program at TWU in August of 2007, and toward the end of my first semester I was exhausted. I was working as a recruiter for the world’s GREATEST boss, who was amazingly flexible with my schedule, but it was still wearing me out. I knew that as my school progressed, it would get nearly impossible to work in a 9-6 office job capacity at all. I decided that I would start getting serious about photography and delved into it full force, trying to become the best I could be, and make sure I felt RIGHT about charging people for my services. I wanted to see if I COULD make a living doing something I loved, and felt it could be a good option for income while I was in school.
Over 2008 my business grew even faster than I expected it to, and the love I already had for photography grew as well. It is now something I eat, sleep, and breathe; to be cliché. I transitioned into another position for the same great boss, where I was working from home, because I had to go to class every day during the week. However, by October of 2008, the economy had hit the company as well, and they couldn’t keep me on in the capacity I was working any longer. Life is funny sometimes, because it really ended up working out well for me. My business was so busy, that trying to work both jobs and take 15 hours of school was making me a slightly (or very) crazy person.
Over my time at TWU, my opinion on college has really changed. First, let me say this. I have the utmost respect for the instructors in the fashion design program, because I think they really know what they’re talking about. I have definitely learned a lot in my time there, thus far. But, I’ve also learned that college was not what I expected it to be. As I often sum it up to people, a college education is “20% education and 80% bull(insert your word of choice here).” I could go into an in depth explanation, but I will spare you those additional 2000 words. To sum it up to the best of my ability, I don’t know that I’m a fit for the notion and atmosphere of college. I love to learn, but I don’t love college.
To be completely blunt, I pretty much hated the Spring 2009 semester. There were a couple of things I enjoyed about it, but for most of the time, I wondered what I was even doing there. I felt like I was smack in the middle of some extreme highs and lows. I have the highs of my amazing business, which I love more than words can possibly describe; and the lows of feeling stuck and unhappy in something I used to be excited about.
Most people give the same knee-jerk reaction when hearing someone doesn’t want to finish their college degree. “Oh no, you have to finish!” There is generally not even a desire to hear one’s reasons for not wanting to finish, just the protest against ‘dropping out’. I can’t blame people for this, because it’s what they really think is the right thing to do. It’s the same reaction I would have given anybody, back before I was in this situation. But, now I find myself on the other side of the fence.
I’ll say it. I don’t want to finish my degree. I don’t want to go back to school. Period.
There are lots of little pros and cons to going, or not going, back to school. Two of them stand out above the rest. First and foremost, I’m not happy there. I have been a believer for many years that I should not inflict misery upon myself, and if I find myself unhappy in a situation, I should probably get out of it.
Second, my business is growing at an incredible pace. If I go ahead with my degree plan over the next year, not only will I have to seriously limit the amount of business I take on, but, I will very likely HARM my business. The thought of this makes me physically ill. I have worked so hard to make this business what it is, and it is like my child, and I would never want to do something to harm it.
These things being said, there are big reasons I should go back. I have heard them all, and I’ve thought about them all for hours and hours. Right now I haven’t made a decision about what I want to do. There is the option of going part time, but to be honest, I really hate the idea of tacking on another 1-2 years of school on top of the year I’ve already got left. I am running out of time to make a decision, before I have to either pay for school or drop my classes. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life, and I want to make the right one.
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10 Comments
Have you made your decision or are you looking for help?
Have you thought about doing something other than fashion design? Maybe switch to marketing or business? I definitly felt like most of what I did in college was a waste of time & I only really learned from working. But, I realize now that in the middle of the BS & hoop jumping that classes often feel like, I was learning a lot.
Would you leave with an associates?
I do not think that quitting is always a bad thing. I've dropped out of so many different things over my life. i'd rather drop out & use my time the right way than to stick with something just to say I did.
Oh my, I'm rambling in your comment box. I'll stop.
Please don't go back to college! It's the biggest scam in the country! I loved this little write up 🙂
Wow Brandi!! Sounds like you have a lot going on. I hope you find clarity within yourself as you go through this decision making process.
School isn't for everyone. I dropped out of high school and am living my dream life!! So know that anything is possible with the right clarity, determination, and proactivity.
Rooting for you!!!
is there any way you can pursue fashion and business without taking college classes? i'm sure there are extracurricular places you can do things on your own pace without dragging yourself down with fluff classes and unevenly balanced group projects. hell, i'm up for a sewing and growing partner 🙂
I know you'll make the right decision for you Brandi 🙂 You're not exactly someone that will do something without thinking it through.
You go girl!
As Josh said… college is a huge scam 😛 Too bad most people dont see it that way
"I definitly felt like most of what I did in college was a waste of time & I only really learned from working. But, I realize now that in the middle of the BS & hoop jumping that classes often feel like, I was learning a lot."
I 100% agree with that statement! It's amazing how much you can learn from the process of college, not necessarily the professors or the books.
I had to make the exact same decision. It did set back my business a couple of years, but I'm really glad I stuck it out. I remember feeling exactly how you did, and hating it! There was positives and negatives to the decision, but I have no regrets.
I left college after 6 years and more credits than more grad students, with no degree. I was utterly burnt out. I would like to finish my degree someday, because I have so much time already invested. I still am not 100% sure what I want that degree in, which is why I haven't gone back. Besides the fact that I am just way, WAY too busy now.
No one can make the decision for you, but I know exactly how difficult it is. If you need a sounding board, I am happy to listen.
Can you defer for a year? I'll be thinking of you and hoping that a decision comes easily. Go with your gut 🙂
finish your degree!! it is about tenacity. it is about networking. it is about proving to yourself. it is about completion. it is about holding up higher than another. it is not about any other person. it is not about now but about your future. finish your degree!!!
yes, I am a former teacher. my brother did not finish his degree and is kicking himself in the butt. he has 2 kids, is in the military and cannot find a job in the regular working world.. not even here in DFW…
finish your degree!
you absolutely 100% have my support with your decision to ditch college and live the photography dream full time. My day came when I drove 1.5 hours to UNT in miserable weather only to sit and listen to an hour lecture about how if you ate a stick of butter you could drink more alcohol (in a health class, to entertain the jocks forced to take it.) I thought, I just drove all the way up here for this? come on!
likewise, with my 60 hours of misc. classes (mostly art and history, never math and science) I could never nail down a major I wanted to stay in. once I found this love of photography it was a big decision to ditch college myself and instead focus all my time, effort, energy (and $$) on this business. best decision ever. we're lucky to be able to have this option in the art field. Accountants and doctors, no (but for good reason!)
Brandon once hard core on a college degree has also become overjoyed with photography and now spends all his spare time reading photography books (of his choice) and what not. We feel it's best to invest our time and money in specialized courses from amazing photographers (like Image is Found) to further our education than to return to college and take forced classes for photography.
they can teach you the technical aspects, but not the eye. you have enough of a foundation of college to be successful and of course you're a warm caring person who is already open to new ideas, lifestyles and accept people for who they are. Something I think people should learn in college (but some don't) – you are right though, you have to make a choice and which choice you make will either limit your photography or help it take flight.
spread your wings! 🙂
xoxo
Brandy