New York City

This summer I had the opportunity to study in New York City at the Parsons School of Design. I took a class in Interior Design. As it turns out, the class was pretty much exactly what I had done in my previous two semesters as a first year student at UNCG, but it was a very good experience overall. The class lasted four weeks, in which we built models, drafted, drew, and went on field trips- of course the best part! Getting to see the city was the best part of it all, honestly- it was incredibly inspiring and exciting, especially since I had never been there before. Though as the end of the four weeks neared I was ready to return home, I was still sad to leave.

I absolutely love city life- not to say I don't get a huge smile on my face when I am home, driving through the country side, the smell of manure creeping up my nose- and green all around. In somewhere like New York City, you never know what you're going to see and what could happen next. While there, I felt independent. I took this adventure completely on my own- something I am not used to doing.

In the class, I became a tutor of sorts. Many of my classmates and I found the way the class was taught and structured to be awkward. For the few of us with previous education and experience, the class taught us no new technical skills- though there is always something to learn. For the rest of the students, who had no experience in model making and drafting- it was incredibly difficult. It felt like an entire semester crammed into four weeks, but with a whole bunch left out. I was constantly devoting my time to explaining an architectural scale, sections, plans, axonometric drawings, how to cut foam board, what adhesives worked well, and trying to warn them that you should never give away extra materials- you WILL need them later! But don't get me wrong- I enjoyed this. It often made me ask questions about things I thought I knew well. There is always more to learn!

I was pleased to find the classroom diverse. There were students from all over the United States as well as the world- India, Sweden, China, England, and Russia, just to name a few.

But enough of my chatter! A photo is worth a thousand words...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myartificialsunshine/sets/72157621668251839/