Confessions From a CID/IDT Student: “IDT For You and Me”
Introduction: “Reflections and Motivations”
To those of you reading this, whether it be a fellow student, a member of faculty or staff, or even some outsider who just so happened to come across the article; looking at the title, you’re probably wondering “why am I writing this?”. After all, what type of student willingly vocalizes their academic experiences unless in the midst of some scandal, tragedy, or otherwise momentous event? However, perhaps the best counter lies in this response: my devotion to the SUNY Poly Community.
Being a highly eager and involved member of SUNY Poly over the past 3 years, I owe a lot of gratitude to what college has done for me. I’ve met some amazing people inhabiting the same classrooms as me, I’ve been taught by some truly outstanding professionals with a multitude of stories to tell, and I’ve even been a part of several amazing opportunities such as partaking in designing, writing, and even managing The Factory Times. The following community has invited me in wholeheartedly and allowed me to grow both physically and mentally - more so than I ever thought possible - and for that I will always remain thankful. But with this gratitude comes a sense of shock.
Ever since I’ve officially enrolled in the BS/MS CID/IDT program, with the hopes of achieving my master’s after my undergraduate graduation, I’ve come to realize that so few students take full advantage of the opportunities the IDT program can offer them. With so many undergraduates in both the Communication and Information Design and the Interactive Media and Game Design majors, it’s rather shell-shocking to see so few of them wanting to be a part of one of the very few media studies graduate programs out there. While I’m still relatively new to the program myself, I can’t help but notice the lack of communication provided, that chance to advertise just why the MS in Information Design and Technology is a great advantage for careers out there. With better chances at jobs and positions, greater average wages, and the ability for advancements, graduate programs such as these can be a steal.
So, to reach out towards potential enrollees, and possibly address some concerns associated with the graduate program itself, I’d like to present a few crucial points from my perspective, demonstrating why IDT can be of great benefit for you, just like it has for me.
“Throw Me a Loan”
One of the biggest skepticisms I’ve heard in regards to signing up for the IDT Program are the expenses that come in the form of tuition and billing. It’s true, college is expensive - goodness knows I know this to a tee - , but if you think you have to break the bank to continue your education, then you’re wrong.
In a study I’ve done, comparing graduate tuition prices between various universities, I found that SUNY Poly costs $5,655 per year, whereas private colleges come in at an average of $18,847, almost a $13,000 difference! While $5,000 may still seem like a hefty amount for the average college student, especially if one already has undergraduate loans, is that really a lot compared to that same $13,000 difference that can be earned in average wages between bachelor’s and master’s degree holders? For a brighter future, it sure doesn’t. Indeed, I’m going to have some finances to pay later on, but with college degrees slowly becoming more of a common requirement in the workforce (especially in technology-based fields), it is an investment I’m happy to make.
And for those of you currently in the CID program, you can always sign up for the BS/MS degree option your junior year or later (provided you have an appropriate 3.0 GPA). With the opportunity to take up to 12 credits of graduate courses at an undergraduate level price, this allows for those, like me, to save both time and money while working on both degrees.
“Crossing the On-Line”
Despite the fact that we are technologically-inclined students, there’s a certain comfort to having on-campus classes, having the option to physically seek your professors or classmates for guidance. As such, I can imagine a few developing some anxiety seeing that all IDT courses are online. However, allow me to relay my current course experiences.
While I am indeed one of those people who have become used to the atmosphere associated with physical classrooms, I quickly realized that my online education was not much different. Even though I cannot directly ask a question, online education allows me to both have all the content and material needed, while also allowing me to email my professors anytime. Whereas papers and other handouts can quickly become lost and forgotten about, having everything right at your screen really allows for one to focus on seeking guidance if desired. Indeed, I cannot express enough how convenient it is to have access to projects and assignments anytime and anywhere, all while being able to contact instructors and even other students at anypoint.
And yet with such freedom and accessibility comes the double-edged sword that is responsibility. While having asynchronous online courses can be difficult to keep track of, they can also be easily managed, provided you are willing to organize a schedule. What I’ve personally done in the past is assign different classes/projects to different days of the week, allowing me to focus on specific things at a time while getting everything completed. Whether this system works for you or not is all dependent on how you react to it, but I feel the stigma of an online class module is more negative than in actuality.
“Job and Seek”
The last point I want to bring up probably reflects the biggest concern seen by students, both current and prospective, job searching. Most college students, I feel, relate to the question of what or where their next step will be. “Will my major get me towards my goal?” is a statement often echoed internally and yet vocally at the same time. Personally, I have felt, and still feel to a certain extent, this growing build of paranoia more often than I’d prefer, but thankfully, the IDT program has helped relieve a majority of these concerns.
The fact that IDT is rare in that it is a media design/studies program in New York State is not a point lost on me. Doing some searches for institutions, both for pursuing my undergraduate and graduate degrees, it’s quite surprising to see how scarce communication majors are within both the public and private sectors. What I think makes IDT really stand out however is how broad of a degree it can be. Quoted from the “Career Opportunities” tab of the IDT page of SUNY Poly’s website, “Graduates of the M.S. Information Design & Technology program have the opportunity to pursue a number of career paths in a variety of settings. Our alumni tell us that they gained many valuable skills as part of their academic preparation at SUNY Poly, including information design, technical communication, strategic planning, social media, teamwork, troubleshooting, graphics, project management, leadership, technical support, customer service, technical writing, time management, and editing…” and with the variety of different courses and topics taught, I have to say this statement holds true.
From talking to various students in my IDT classes, I can’t tell you the number of different goals/skills they possess. From graphic designers, to video producers, to bloggers and script writers, to sound designers and musicians, to game developers and producers, the IDT courses are offering me the chance to branch out my interests for a variety of potentials in the future, but are also introducing me to many incredible people that have allowed me to gain valuable perspectives in both assignments and critiques. While I can’t say where exactly I’m going, I’m confident that the IDT program will allow me to venture out into a slew of different competitive fields, depending on where I choose my next step to take.
Conclusion
I hope my provided insight was able to showcase some of the reasons why I’ve chosen both SUNY Poly and their IDT graduate program respectively. I’d like to stress once again that this is by no means some sort of publicity stunt or advertising campaign, these are truly my thoughts and intakes on the subject(s) at hand. I sincerely hope those of you currently in your later semesters of CID/IMGD, or perhaps a freshman or prospective student preparing ahead for the future, consider choosing SUNY Poly for your advanced education. With this program, I see that same, warm, inviting community that has allowed me to learn and grow over the last 3 years. I’m truly excited to continue my Poly journey and see what lies ahead, growing my skills as a designer and writer, and maybe even inspiring others to do the same.
