About my college education: Pursuing Multimedia Arts in De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde is a growing, popular course among youth today who are highly-inclined to technology, the Internet, and gadgets that pave the way for their interests to grow in Photograhy, Graphic Design, Web Design, and so on.

Being a creative/design-related course, DLS-CSB surprisingly does not (but should) administer a 'talent test', unlike other art-related courses in UST or UP that require you to have some skills in drawing or conceptualizing. With this, just about anyone (who can afford to pay the hefty tuition fees - and it is a trimestral course) even without the right skills, passion or interest in the design field can be accepted in the course. Be prepared to have a lot of classmates who are quite a bit lost and seem not-quite-right to be taking this course - they aren't as passionate, or creative and cannot perform well in skill-reliant classes (i. e. drawing, painting, photography, etc. ) and not to mention, being in an environment of mediocrity is not exactly healthy for someone who is highly interested and passionate for art and design. Saying this, it is not uncommon for students to shift courses after a year or two, realizing that this isn't right for them. However this can be avoided if there was a talent test to be administered upon application.

Multimedia Arts, as a course, to put it shortly, can be compared to a giant Internet tutorial. Multimedia arts focuses on teaching one skills he or she needs to perform in an 'acceptable' level a variety of mediums and fields in the creative industry: Graphic Design, Photography, Video, 2D and 3D Animation, CAD, Audio, etc. A time frame of 3 years and 2 terms (around 6 months) is the designated duration of the course. In that span of time you are expected to learn some basic art skills (drawing, painting, etc. ), take a few art history, business and conceptualization classes, successfully operate a handful of computer programs while producing a project/plate every week or so for these classes. Multimedia Arts is a jack-of-all-trades, master of none type of course. You get to do and experience everything, but in the end, you can't really say most graduates have found and developed their true strength.

To survive in Multimedia Arts, you don't actually have to be extremely creative and imaginative and skilled. It's a course that tolerates mediocrity, and being so-so is not unusual. To pass, and graduate, most of all you have to manage your time wisely, finish all projects on time and learn how to juggle your schoolwork. To pass, it helps if you don't miss any classes and requirements. Multimedia Arts calls for diligence, patience, and hard manual labor. It is not a course that requires you to think much, but requires more execution.

In hindsight, Multimedia Arts in DLS-CSB is a good 'crash course ' in everything multimedia, like a sampler of sorts. However, you come out quite half-baked after, so it's advised to pursue another course after MMA that specializes in what really is your forte, if you really have the passion to become really GREAT at what medium you pursue.

My current job: I am currently a freelance graphic designer.

Am I using what I learned in college: Multimedia Arts is a very practical course since it teaches you valuable skills in terms of operating computer programs necessary in the design industry. However, if you're quite a resourceful individual who is a fast learner, then the internet will be a realm of possibilities and will be a more affordable source of information - there are so many resources online that can teach you how to operate these computer programs. With enough time, diligence and hard-work, that is.

Yes, I am using what I have learned. However there always seems to be a lack in the thinking/conceptualization skill that is required to be successful in the creative, design-related career and it's what most people from MMA lack. MMA graduates' strength lies in execution, and falls a bit short in conceptualization.

How long did it take to find a job: After graduation, a regular desk job never really attracted me as much, and earning independently through semi-regular projects has deemed to be more rewarding for me in both experience and financial gain. I have been freelancing while pursuing my college degree.

Do I recommend studying Multimedia Arts: As far as employment opportunities - Yes I will recommend it. As the demand for aesthetic value in every industry grows, graphic designers will always be needed. There will always be a marketing team in need of a graphic designer in every industry imaginable.

As a fulfilling/interesting career - Yes, definitely. A career as a creative - for a creative person - is ideal. Work is definitely easier if it comes natural to you. A career in the creative industry sometimes (if you're lucky) allows you to veer away from a routine, making your career interesting and rewarding, and not at all monotonous.

Salary Level - YES. Design in this country might be quite undervalued in terms of compensation, but multimedia designers earn quite well/better than an average desk/paper-work job because it is skill-based and concept-based - assets that not your average employee can execute.

However the real moneymaker lies in career possibilities in the creative field in other countries (where they put more value in aesthetics). Multimedia designers abroad are compensated extremely well in other, first-world countries (i. e. Switzerland, Australia, Europe, Singapore, etc. ).