04-11-2017, 04:27 PM
(03-25-2017, 05:48 AM)someguy216 Wrote: Ye if you can give me more opinions on syn that would be great, specifically why you think its not necessarily great for an overseas student. I'm also curious as to how much hours the diploma program demands of you each day.
Also if you know anyone who's been to art centre, brainstorm or concept design academy that would be great as there the next best options.
Hey, sorry for the late response. Been away for a while.
Anyways, to follow up, one of the main reasons I would advise coming to Syn for people from other countries is, well, because you are coming from a different country. That in and of itself is a lot of work and planning. If you can find a local school, preferably a community college with a great program, I recommend staying there because it is a MAJOR investment to study in another country. There are many amazing programs in local community colleges, and there are many online courses. Only move to a different country if you are certain you are that committed! You don't want to spend all that time and effort just to realize you don't end up liking the program Syn offers, or that you can actually learn all or most of all that Syn offers locally, at barely any cost. I know there are many courses here in this city that offer amazing art courses for years, for free. I've kinda looked through them and decided the one at Syn suits me the best, but there are courses at local colleges, including the one that I graduated at (and still sneak into every day), that are amazing. Many people coming from other famous schools end up committing to these programs in the end so again, I urge you to do the research on easily accessible resources.
Fun fact, Sakimichan graduated from the college I study at. One of the instructors I still chat with at the college on a near weekly basis actually had her as a student. All in a free public program! :D
Which brings up the issue with funds. Many people I know who are not Canadian residents in the full time program do not work as it takes up a lot of time. If you do start working, then you need to go through other paperwork as well as deal with tax issues. One person I talked to simply chooses not to work at all because after paying up with taxes, the amount one earns is little, so you need to work a considerable amount of hours for it to be worth it. For the diploma program, the school simply does not recommend you to get a job at all as it is just too much to handle. Also, if you don't speak French here and is just a student, good luck getting a job. It's possible and if you can, great. A few people I know have, but luck plays a noticeable role. Then there is finding a place to stay, paying the rent and paying for food for however long you stay. Depending on your courses, materials may also be expensive.
Then there is the weather. Get suitable clothing. That's the biggest one. Once you get used to transportation, it shouldn't be too much of an issue, but be aware that it gets very cold during the winter, even if it is only one week out of an entire year (been the case like this for the past few years). Talk to locals in your class to help you get around and learn the shortcuts. The school is at a fairly easy to access place but it is also very busy so you may get lost. Best of course is to befriend a person with a car so they can give you a lift during rare snowstorms. Transportation and clothing costs money too, including stuff you may need to get during emergencies. Keep that in mind.
Since I mentioned materials, I'll just go over it quickly. Quite straight forward when it comes to them: traditional painting courses cost money if you don't have the materials and you need to constantly buy canvases, paper and paint if you want to keep practicing. Watercolour courses at the school cost the most. Digital courses just need a laptop and a tablet.
For me, I love the school and it's local. Was a bit of a shock realizing just how much I could have done at home anyways at first, but in the end, I think the program I'm in is very suited for me and I'll continue studying here. I do have classmates who realize that they may be more suited for other stuff, such as animation, illustration, etc. and that isn't really the focus of the school. Financial concerns don't really exist at the moment (sort off), so I'm good with that. Just make sure that you know you truly want to commit to it before making any decisions.
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Here's something a friend of mine who finished studying at Syn sent me when I asked her to sum up her experience. Recently she just got a job at Cybernaut Games.
"personally Syn helped me a lot with sorting out the basics and how to think about learning art as a craft; the only barier I can think of is money; outside of that, the ETA allows the holder entrance for 6 months, then you need to leave for a day or less, and then you can stay another 6 months. I'm not the best person to ask about how hard the move was, it wasn't my first nor my last. It's like moving anywhere really, figuring out the lay of the land, finding new friends. Can you learn what Syn is teaching alone? Probably, but it might take more time. I also keep using the connections I got there for feedback, which is nice. Just make sure your friend understands that getting work in Canada without a work permit is about as likely as winning the lottery.
but yeah, for me it was worth the trouble
for sure"
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Another person who's still a student:
"Financial is a problem, yes. Figuring out how much it will cost is important: rent, metro card, food,... so you dont run out of money and starve. For healthcare I have my insurance when enrolled for university, but a visitor might have different insurance. Culture change is important, I've pissed off so many people because I'm slow to adjust to how humour works here lol. French is not a problem, you can slither everywhere here with basic English. Montreal is a great city"
"Oh, and you need to bring winter clothes. Yes. Very vital."