Unhinged: My Dream College Program by Isabella

Unhinged: My Dream College Program by Isabella - August 2020 Scholarship Essay

Everyone has their expectations of what college will be like for them, but that sometimes correlates to what they want within a college program. Some want large classes with little work or an ongoing semester project to keep themselves motivated. There is a great unknown when you enter a classroom, and with the variety of colleges in our nation, who knows what a student could be getting into? I know many who have found themselves panicking about the first day of class, scared of what could happen with their professor or classmates, but I have only the chance to dream of what that unknown could be for me. As a student with the desire to pursue Sequential Art as my major, my dreams have manifested into two select traits: a wide variety of projects and tons of supplies always available to any student. These traits could apply to any art program within a reasonable context, but I hope to fully expand on why they are unique to me.

Anyone who has taken an art class can recall some sort of project they’ve completed, whether that be a clay model or a simple stick figure. The trouble I’ve found is that the more complex the art class is, the variety we’ve often let children experience, disappears. This free form approach has succeeded in younger levels, so what is stopping a college from achieving the same level of success? I do believe in areas of focus for certain topics, but it pains me to see such little creativity with what students can accomplish, especially at a high school and college level. In my program, there would be many different opportunities for students to try, just to explore what capabilities they possess. Free and unrestrictive, this program would allow anyone to create whatever they wanted and follow class guidelines. This permission to be limitlessly creative would be a staple in my dream program, as it is unlike what I often see offered now.

Even if I’ve never experienced a college course, I’ve heard plenty of stories from older friends and relatives explaining their tales. As an art student, the availability of supplies is often crucial to my creative process, but there is something that troubles me. Many departments at schools only offer supplies to specific majors, even if they are in the same building or school. I believe that this is highly unfair to students, as talent can arise in anyone. Creativity is accompanied by experimentation, so in my program, the supplies available would always be free to use, despite your major or area of study. I think this would be wildly beneficial, due to the sheer amount of ideas that could now be generated. With proper instruction, students would have the ability to constantly find their strengths and weaknesses with different materials, and this inclusion could allow others to find a hobby or mental break from stress. The amount of feedback student artists could receive would also prove helpful on their creative journeys, as I know peer review is often a highly integral part of any program’s curriculum. With this and the ability to have limitless opportunities, my dream program would cater to a wider range of students than other art school programs.

My dream program could probably be described with the word, “unhinged”, as that would be the approach the program would take in offering students everything it has to offer. In practice, a program with such opportunities would allow students to fully unleash their potential throughout the course, which would improve the reputation of student morale and the kind of talent the school produced. As a concept, this program seems like a dream, but with similar expectations in place at lower levels, why can’t the same be said about higher education programs? I believe a program like this would benefit all students, as it wouldn’t limit its door to specific majors. Creativity would thrive with my unique program, which is why these attributes have made it my dream program.