Samantha Reid
Year-in-Review
Freshman Year, 2012-2013
One of the most significant events that happened to me this year was before I even started at UC: getting in. I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in art, and I also knew I didn’t want to go out of state or even out of town to do so. I didn’t really have a backup plan; I knew UC and DAAP was what I wanted and I made every effort to achieve that goal. Another significant event was getting through it. Many people that I’ve talked to have said that the first year in DAAP is designed to make people want to quit, to find out who really wants to be there and work hard. I can honestly say that I never wanted to quit. I may have wished I had more of a break, but I never wanted to quit. When people ask me how my first year went and what my biggest accomplishment was, I say “I made it through”, I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into it and I’m glad I had such high expectations for the workload and everything else, because I think it mentally prepared me for the year. It ended up being easier than I expected, which I think is a big reason why I didn’t struggle as much as some other students did.
Since starting at UC and being a part of the DAAP program, I feel that I have learned to work as hard as I can and to be confident in that. Not everyone knows how you work, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and when you have tried your hardest. I think it’s really important to know when your work is your best, even in an area that you aren’t the best at, and to not take criticisms too harshly. Throughout this first year, I have also learned how much I enjoy meeting people. I love to exchange stories and make people laugh with mine, but most of all I like to listen to other people tell about their lives and just hear how different everyone’s lives are and can be.
I have developed so many new friendships and relationships this year that it is almost overwhelming. Not only have I made connections with other classmates, but teachers and advisors as well, and some others that didn’t happen in school at all but were still made partly because I am a DAAP student. Probably the most important relationships were with my classmates, and those formed because we were pretty much with the same group of 15 or so students for our foundations studios (Drawing, Space, Time and Surface) and then all of the first-year Fine Arts majors had Intro to Contemporary Arts and Current Arts Forum (both lecture classes) together. Being together all the time and especially working together kind of forced us to get to know one another and become friends. There was a group of six of us that became really close over the year, and it was great to have them to turn to for help on a project, constructive criticism, or just a pick-me-up during a stressful week. I have talked to all of the people in that small group at least once over the summer so far and am looking forward to seeing them when we go back to school, if not sooner. Getting through the first year was much easier than I thought it would be, based on the horror stories that people will tell, and I think it was mainly because I had such a good group of friends that I could rely on to help me out whenever I needed it. I also keep in touch with my group from Gateway to Honors, and we are trying to make plans for all of us to get together before the summer is over.
Another important relationship I made this year was with my honors advisor. I stopped in to see my Fine Arts advisor once, but I have been able to figure out pretty much all of the rest of the DAAP stuff on my own, or at least with the help of my friends. Honors wasn’t quite as easy, and it was great to have my advisor there to answer all of my (many) questions. Whether they were big or small, Erin was always great about getting back to me quickly and with as much information as possible, or pointing me in the right direction to get some more. Even though it is in a way a “forced” relationship, I don’t think it seems that way at all. I enjoy going in to talk to Erin and hearing her opinions and advice about my projects and future project ideas. I also made a real connection with my Surface Studio teacher and have kept in contact with her over the summer as well. She has really helped me to stay on track with making sure I progress with my work and giving me advice when I need it.
As always, my boyfriend, Joe and my family are at the top of my “Most Important Relationships” list. I could not have made it through the year without them to tell me that things would be okay when I was stressing out and promise me that projects that seemed like they would never get done, in fact, would…at some point.
Now that I have the basic knowledge from my foundations studio classes, I feel that will help me as I start to take more advanced studio classes next year. I also got to try out a lot of stuff that I hadn’t before and learned more about myself in how I work and what I like—materials, subject matter, and concepts. I’ve also learned not to judge other people’s work too harshly, and not to pay too much attention to others’ judgments of my work. Constructive criticism is good, but preferences and criticism just for the sake of it isn’t very helpful. I hope that as I start my second year I can remember that, as well as to always give 100% and to allow myself and my work to continue to grow and evolve. Also, not to stress out too much and remember what is really important: family, friends, and just enjoying life.
Next year, I am going to try and make even more connections and friendships with other students as well as professors and other faculty members. I think having a really varied and diverse group of people that you can go to with questions or for advice and opinions can help you to see all sides of a problem or situation, which can help you find the best way to solve it. I also plan to meet with Erin to ask questions and help design another Experiential Learning project for myself, trying to incorporate my art skills in it more this time. I feel like having to plan every step of my project and dealing with problems that come up on my own helps me to get as much out of an experience as I possibly can. I had a great first year and hope the trend continues, even as classes get more involved.
Year-in-Review
Freshman Year, 2012-2013
One of the most significant events that happened to me this year was before I even started at UC: getting in. I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in art, and I also knew I didn’t want to go out of state or even out of town to do so. I didn’t really have a backup plan; I knew UC and DAAP was what I wanted and I made every effort to achieve that goal. Another significant event was getting through it. Many people that I’ve talked to have said that the first year in DAAP is designed to make people want to quit, to find out who really wants to be there and work hard. I can honestly say that I never wanted to quit. I may have wished I had more of a break, but I never wanted to quit. When people ask me how my first year went and what my biggest accomplishment was, I say “I made it through”, I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into it and I’m glad I had such high expectations for the workload and everything else, because I think it mentally prepared me for the year. It ended up being easier than I expected, which I think is a big reason why I didn’t struggle as much as some other students did.
Since starting at UC and being a part of the DAAP program, I feel that I have learned to work as hard as I can and to be confident in that. Not everyone knows how you work, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and when you have tried your hardest. I think it’s really important to know when your work is your best, even in an area that you aren’t the best at, and to not take criticisms too harshly. Throughout this first year, I have also learned how much I enjoy meeting people. I love to exchange stories and make people laugh with mine, but most of all I like to listen to other people tell about their lives and just hear how different everyone’s lives are and can be.
I have developed so many new friendships and relationships this year that it is almost overwhelming. Not only have I made connections with other classmates, but teachers and advisors as well, and some others that didn’t happen in school at all but were still made partly because I am a DAAP student. Probably the most important relationships were with my classmates, and those formed because we were pretty much with the same group of 15 or so students for our foundations studios (Drawing, Space, Time and Surface) and then all of the first-year Fine Arts majors had Intro to Contemporary Arts and Current Arts Forum (both lecture classes) together. Being together all the time and especially working together kind of forced us to get to know one another and become friends. There was a group of six of us that became really close over the year, and it was great to have them to turn to for help on a project, constructive criticism, or just a pick-me-up during a stressful week. I have talked to all of the people in that small group at least once over the summer so far and am looking forward to seeing them when we go back to school, if not sooner. Getting through the first year was much easier than I thought it would be, based on the horror stories that people will tell, and I think it was mainly because I had such a good group of friends that I could rely on to help me out whenever I needed it. I also keep in touch with my group from Gateway to Honors, and we are trying to make plans for all of us to get together before the summer is over.
Another important relationship I made this year was with my honors advisor. I stopped in to see my Fine Arts advisor once, but I have been able to figure out pretty much all of the rest of the DAAP stuff on my own, or at least with the help of my friends. Honors wasn’t quite as easy, and it was great to have my advisor there to answer all of my (many) questions. Whether they were big or small, Erin was always great about getting back to me quickly and with as much information as possible, or pointing me in the right direction to get some more. Even though it is in a way a “forced” relationship, I don’t think it seems that way at all. I enjoy going in to talk to Erin and hearing her opinions and advice about my projects and future project ideas. I also made a real connection with my Surface Studio teacher and have kept in contact with her over the summer as well. She has really helped me to stay on track with making sure I progress with my work and giving me advice when I need it.
As always, my boyfriend, Joe and my family are at the top of my “Most Important Relationships” list. I could not have made it through the year without them to tell me that things would be okay when I was stressing out and promise me that projects that seemed like they would never get done, in fact, would…at some point.
Now that I have the basic knowledge from my foundations studio classes, I feel that will help me as I start to take more advanced studio classes next year. I also got to try out a lot of stuff that I hadn’t before and learned more about myself in how I work and what I like—materials, subject matter, and concepts. I’ve also learned not to judge other people’s work too harshly, and not to pay too much attention to others’ judgments of my work. Constructive criticism is good, but preferences and criticism just for the sake of it isn’t very helpful. I hope that as I start my second year I can remember that, as well as to always give 100% and to allow myself and my work to continue to grow and evolve. Also, not to stress out too much and remember what is really important: family, friends, and just enjoying life.
Next year, I am going to try and make even more connections and friendships with other students as well as professors and other faculty members. I think having a really varied and diverse group of people that you can go to with questions or for advice and opinions can help you to see all sides of a problem or situation, which can help you find the best way to solve it. I also plan to meet with Erin to ask questions and help design another Experiential Learning project for myself, trying to incorporate my art skills in it more this time. I feel like having to plan every step of my project and dealing with problems that come up on my own helps me to get as much out of an experience as I possibly can. I had a great first year and hope the trend continues, even as classes get more involved.