My First Few Weeks at Art School

By Ash Dolan, ’29

A lot of high schools tend to push a very cookie-cutter idea of what college will look like, to the point where it seems like little more than an extension of high school. This idea initially had me very uncertain about furthering my education. I didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a degree in a subject I wasn’t interested in. I was scared to live in a new place. I grew up hearing that an art degree was a waste of time and money, and even though art was what I wanted to do, I didn’t want to make a waste of myself. That was until an admissions counselor came to my photography class and introduced me to Montserrat College of Art. A small college, a nice area, and an emphasis on more than just “learning to draw”. Montserrat is run by artists who want to help other artists achieve their dreams. It was the only college that stood out to me. So, after several discussions with my friends and family and a lot of thinking, I made my choice. I’m now two full weeks into my freshman year, and I’m still happy that this was what I chose.

My biggest fear was homesickness. I’d never lived away from my parents before. I was surprised to find that settling in was…easy. My roommates were friendly and we had a lot in common, so we clicked almost instantly. I brought some stuffed animals and decorated the walls around my bed with various posters. It wasn’t the home I grew up in, but it didn’t feel like a strange new place, either. It felt normal. The mornings and early afternoons were occupied with orientation activities, so the rest of the days were spent exploring Beverly and adjusting to my new living space. Classes hadn’t started yet, so I only knew my roommates at the time, but the fact that we clicked so easily – and the fact that there were six of us – meant I already had a group of friendly faces. I do miss being home, but it’s not something that consumes my every thought and makes it impossible to function. It just makes it sweeter when I go home for the weekend and it makes me proud of myself when I stay on campus instead.

Montserrat also fosters a fantastic sense of community. We’re treated like adults, but we’re allowed to enjoy ourselves and have fun with what we’re doing. My contemporary frameworks teacher played a game with those who stayed in the classroom during our lunch break. My orientation leader held a huge game of Uno for our group after we finished the day’s activities. In research and rhetoric, our conversations comfortably straddle the line between genuine discussion and friendly banter about what parts of the book made us laugh. None of my classmates went to high school with me, and seeing as I’m not from Massachusetts, I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in. But any preexisting friend groups are very welcoming and everyone is generally comfortable with reaching out to someone new and getting to know them. It’s not something I encountered a lot in high school, but it’s a pleasant turnaround.

One of the most exciting things, though, is my animation class. My dream is to join an animation team someday. For a long time, that sounded like an impossible feat. I didn’t have much experience with animation and I couldn’t afford to try out any of the good programs. I didn’t know other people who aspired to become animators. It felt like all I could do was watch cartoons and daydream about how fun it must have been to be the team behind it. At Montserrat, though, things were a lot different. I’m in a basic animation class, so I’m able to figure out how the process feels without feeling pressured to make anything too complex. I’m surrounded by other people who share my love for animation. I’m working with industry-standard software that would have otherwise been way out of my budget. Taking animation at Montserrat finally provided me with the opportunity to experiment with animation, and I’m excited to see where it takes me over the next four years.

All in all, Montserrat is a big step up from high school and I’m glad I chose to attend here. I’ve had an amazing experience in my first few weeks; I’m excited to see where it goes next!