Academics
鈥淥ne of the best design schools in the country,鈥 Otis College has been a mainstay of the Los Angeles education scene since 1918. This 鈥渁rtist鈥檚 boot camp鈥 is considered 鈥渙ne of the top art schools in the US for digital media鈥 thanks in part to being located 鈥渋n the epicenter of the industry.鈥 Professors here 鈥渁re all passionate about the subjects they teach,鈥 passion that springs from real-world working experience. Students feel confident knowing 鈥渕any of our instructors (and alumni) have their names in the credits of movies and video games the world is familiar with.鈥 In turn, those instructors nurture a group of 鈥渃reative thinkers, problem solvers, and designers,鈥 helping them to be 鈥渟uccessful in whatever field they choose to pursue.鈥 Some students feel the instructors are 鈥渧ery old school鈥 and that what is taught 鈥渋sn鈥檛 to industry standards,鈥 but others say they 鈥渁re very up-to-date鈥 and provide students with a challenge which 鈥減repares us for our jobs.鈥 It is best to come here prepared to work hard. 鈥淭here鈥檚 never really a time for rest,鈥 students note, 鈥渂ecause of the level of professionalism that needs to be reached and all the competition in the industry.鈥
Student Body
It should come as no surprise that 鈥渆veryone here is very creative.鈥 The 鈥渟elf-directed and motivated鈥 students at Otis 鈥渁ll can relate to art.鈥 They walk a delicate balance between fitting in 鈥 the school has 鈥渟uch an array of personalities that it isn鈥檛 so hard to find people we can connect with鈥 鈥 and trying to be unique. 鈥淗ey, they鈥檙e art students,鈥 one student quipped, noting that 鈥渁 lot of them will dye their hair or dress in out-of-the-ordinary ways.鈥 But that doesn鈥檛 mean students alienate themselves from one another. This 鈥渦nique, friendly, and supportive鈥 group are 鈥渁lways helping each other out.鈥 Attendees say the offbeat, open-minded nature of Otis students mean they 鈥渟eem to be more accepting than the average university or college.鈥 After all, most are focused on the same thing. Success in their field. Otis students 鈥渁re dedicated and are willing to do what it takes to not merely meet the standards of the school but to achieve their own personal goals they have set for themselves.鈥
Campus Life
Forget about sleeping. At Otis, 鈥渋t鈥檚 common to forget about eating or sleeping because so much of what we do is extremely attention-consuming.鈥 Indeed, 鈥渕ost students here don鈥檛 have that large of a social life because school is the top priority鈥 and 鈥渟leepless nights are all too common.鈥 Students get free time, but often they will 鈥渟pend their weekends and free time doing projects rather than going out.鈥 Not that there is a lack of things to do for those who need an escape. The Los Angeles location means there are museums, music, theater, clubs, restaurants, the beach, and more. One thing not on the agenda at Otis, however, is partying. 鈥淭here are parties but not the typical college parties. It鈥檚 mellow people (who) have a few beers, talk and mingle.鈥 Students here are focused on creativity and design, and that is reflected in the way they entertain themselves. If the choice is between chugging beers or watching films, Otis students choose the latter.
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