1. What is the name of the program you are taking, and who is running the program? I'm working on a Master's in Design at OCAD University.
2. How long is the program? How many hours a week did you spend learning? How many hours did you spend on homework? Were there many assignments? It's two years long and I started it in September 2020. In total, the seminars are around 12 hours a week. A lot of the learning takes place outside of the class. I would say I spend a lot, like a lot of time, working on research projects and studio assignments!
3. Was there a cost associated with the program, if yes how much? Yes! The tuition for Fall and Winter semesters is a little over $11,000. The government provides grants, and the school provides bursaries and scholarships.
4. What was the name of the software you used? Learning is all online, so we use Microsoft Teams (Zoom if necessary). For design programs, I use Adobe Creative Cloud software like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
5. What did you enjoy the most and enjoy the least about the program? I enjoy that I am being forced to learn things that are not within my comfort zone, but I also don't enjoy it! I believe that in functioning outside of our comfort zone, we eventually realize what matters to us, what's important in our lives. And we are closer to understanding what our purpose is. So I enjoy that. But no, I don't enjoy the stress.
6. Was the program virtual or in-class and how did you enjoy that? Did you find it hard to learn the software virtually? I am experiencing "zoom fatigue" these days. There have been too many group meetings and too many video calls this semester. My video is off more than it's on. Teams is intuitive, but there have been technical hiccups. Like yesterday, I presented a PDF in Full Screen, and I realized that no one could see my screen if I set it to full view. That kind of stuff.
7. Would you recommend this program to other people? I recommend it to those who share similar goals and interests. Mainly, I recommend that people explore what's out there, and that they pursue their own interests.
b) How long did you take to finish it? Four days each (for the writings), and two months for the final project. I'm fairly proud of this assignment, because I got a 92%!
c) The easiest part of this assignment? The graphic design! For the writing, neither were easy...
d) The most challenging part of the assignment? The research.
Thank you to Katherine for sharing her school experience with us. Hopefully, it will inspire others to start the process of going back to school!