that point in class when everyone's face read "what the hell is happening?"

Yeah, that happened yesterday in my class for Internship. 

First of all, the schedule said it started at 6, so I showed up at school about 10 minutes early. When I got to class, it was already pretty full and the teacher was already talking and had a powerpoint slide going and I said, "Oh, am I late?" She quickly said, "No, we haven't really started yet." But she had, because she had already mentioned about community service and points during the quarter to report to class and I'm just like, "Huh? what I miss?" I sat next to my friend Nick and then several other people showed up after me. At 6 o'clock, she starts talking again, and, man, I gotta say, this lady is like a drill sergeant. "Quickly people, move it, settle in, we've got a fast two hours"
I admit, I really didn't know what to expect, but at least my advisor had the sense enough to tell me that I needed to have procured an internship by the time I entered the classroom, and I'm glad that I had done at least that much because when the teacher started talking about turning in hours and a 10 page proposal packet by Monday at 8 AM (this Monday at 8AM - just 4 days from time in class!), the looks on some students faces was utter shock and horror, like on those old scary movie posters.
      *It came from nowhere…madness, astounding shock!!*

In my portfolio class, they send out a packet and it tells you what to bring to class the very first day and what projects will be expected each week. This is so you can be prepared….I like this idea. I would really have liked the internship class to have done something like this because when she said, "Oh and you need to have completed at least 3 hours of community service by next Wednesday", another round of sharp gasps filled the room. 

I'm like, "wait, what?" 

First of all, I get why they want us to do community service, because some people have never worked before and don't know the value - okay. But I have, plus I was in the military! I should just get credit for that. Second, could ya give us a little more time? I mean, I work and have hours where I work free doing internship, plus 4 other classes so the only time I have is this very Saturday and or Sunday. Most places want you to apply or do a background check on you before you can volunteer. Some places have orientation. On top of that, what if I hadn't already found an internship? I'd be looking for that, too --- all by Monday morning at god damn 8AM! Who the hell finds a job, let alone two in four days? It's an impossibility. Half the class is set to fail just out of the gate. What the holy living fuck? Oh, and on top of all this, we have discussion groups online. Normally questions like this are solo and pretty simple, like explain the difference between A and B and give an example. But not our questions, these questions are plentiful and in several parts. Our first week discussion is a set of 5 questions about critical listening, our internship, work ethics and then they are all in 5 parts, so that's like 25 questions. We answer them in paragraph form and then we have to respond to at least 2-3 of our classmates. In all honesty, there are probably only going to end up being about 10 people left in the class out of the 48 that started yesterday. One girl left within the first hour. I don't know what she was mumbling as she left, but I'm sure it contained a lot of "fuck this shit".

Before I left my internship job Tuesday afternoon, I asked my boss if she needed anyone else, and before I could even finish my sentence she was nodding her head yes. So, I asked my classmate Alyssa if she had found one, and she said yes, but my classmate Wendy had not, so I gave her the info and she was so elated she was dancing around as she hugged me. "Thank you so much! you really saved me!" No problem, I like paying it forward. 

Okay, so to recap for those of you who fell asleep during my rant, this is what's due by Monday at 8AM  - just for this class:

- answer  the 25 part online discussion questions and respond to your classmates

- write and turn in a 10 page internship job proposal (this includes retrieving a copy of your unofficial transcript, your resume, a questionnaire and having your internship boss sign a page)

- find an internship

- find and complete 3 hours community service

- answer the community service discussion board questions (only 4 questions!)

After this week though, it's all downhill,  we just have to each week answer the 25 part discussion questions and respond to our classmates and also turn in our time sheets. On week 6 and 10 we have to have our internship boss send in a report on us.

 

I've already made it through this week and it's not even Monday, so I'm relieved. I wrote my proposal, got all the stuff for it and turned that in online today. Last night, I wrote out my paragraphs for the discussion questions and today I found a place to do some community service. I let my teacher know all this and she's very happy with me. I'm pretty sure I'm the only student to have all this done in one day. Maybe I've set a record? I should get a prize for this!

Life on Forest Lane

Two weeks ago I came home from work and there was a moving truck blocking my parking space, so I just parked somewhere else. I saw that stuff was being brought from my upstairs neighbors apartment. I yelled "NO!!!!" and ran upstairs to see what was going on. Her company is moving her to an office in North Carolina, so she's moving. I slowly went back downstairs to my apartment and spent all my wishes on wishing to get another upstairs neighbor like her: quiet, reasonable hours, doesn't listen to tv like she's at a drive-in, doesn't stomp around and says "hello" every once in a while. Totally opposite of my last neighbors and I just don't want to get another one of those!! If you'd like to refresh your memory of those days past, look here: squeaky floors, elephants and rhinos. And if you pray, please pray for me to not get another neighbor like that! I've only got 9 more months of school and hopefully I can move out immediately after graduation.

As far as school goes, one of the things we have to do before graduation is obtain an internship in our field of study. My friend Nick found a graphic design position at this apparel company and he told the lady about me. She said, "we could use another intern, I'm so behind here." So, he told me. I really wanted an advertising or marketing gig, but I'll take whatever I can get for now to fill the requirement, and anyway, graphic design is the basis for my field in advertising. I sent out a few letters (emails) and filled out a few applications, but didn't get called back for any of them. I finally gave in and wrote to this place Nick told me about. Within hours she contacted me and the next day I had an interview and the following week I had an internship. It's unpaid, but it's ok, it's only 8 hours a week and it's literally 2 miles from my apartment. The place is called One Team Apparel and in my first assignment, I organized and developed a file for blank outfits, so the patterns and new school designs can be dropped in without having to design the whole thing all over again. Then last week, I started drawing in Illustrator my own patterns. The place is new and there's some construction going on and the production building in next door, so everything is made in the good ol' USA. It's a small staff and I think I can bear it for 11 weeks, even though I'd really like to be working on an ad campaign for local businesses.


here is a pattern I've started. I need to add a leopard pattern. this wasn't my idea, but, it's my internship job…

last student loan….

Yes, my last student loan just got put into action. I'm ready for my last year of school!! 

Now I look forward to spending the next 25 years of my life repaying the $100,000….yes, one hundred thousand, plus interest. Tuition and living expenses for this school ain't cheap, but hopefully it will be worth it. Everyone I know who has graduated (and some who didn't) said that their employers really enjoy students from the Art Institute, they know they can depend on them, be it the work or the work ethic.

I haven't been sleeping well lately, again. Earlier this week, I called my financial advisor (because she never calls first) to make sure all my paperwork was processed, that's when I found out my loan had not been signed off by the Director of Finance yet, even though I had already been approved by the lender. I had work and my internship so I couldn't get to school until today when I went to pick up my schedule, and of course there was a hold on my account. I was really worried, because even though I could still get the art grant and not have tuition, I still needed to subsidize my income from work with a student loan for living expenses. If I don't have that, I can't pay rent, then where would I live while I go to school? I'm not a fan of being homeless. But it all got resolved today and I'm in the clear.

The other thing keeping me up late is the fact that I have to repeat my Portfolio I class -- the class I opted to drop last time instead of choosing the failing grade. My work just wasn't good enough and I was heartbroken to be told in so many words and feel like I'm not good enough to be doing the thing that I wake up every morning thinking about: creating stuff. I'm really scared to go through that again. I was sent the project list for this class three weeks ago and I've been going through it every day since then to be sure I have everything made and tweaked. I've asked a few people their opinions, and last quarter in school I was taking things in to teachers to have them look at it and give a critique. I have four projects due the first day, and hopefully this time they won't be rejected. Last time, I never could get my logos right, they were rejected every week, as well as my info-graph, and my event poster. All that plus a die-cut multi-page brochure is due next Thursday. If they all pass, then I won't have to spend time revising anything then I can just concentrate on the next weeks projects.

I'm worried about my friend Nick. I saw him at school today and his student loan account paperwork is a mess, so he couldn't register for classes. He's only got two quarters left til he graduates - for us that 24 weeks! He's smart and talented and a super good designer and I'd really hate to see him not be able to finish school because of some paperwork errors.

Here are a few things I'm taking for class next week:

a montage of my logos

a mockup of the info graph I made, and one of it's intended uses

a travel poster for my Destination Branding Ad campaign
(I don't have permission to use the photo yet)

one of my magazine ads for a brand of pasta I invented.
(I don't have permission to use some of the photos yet)