Happy Monday, ladies! This is a HUGE Monday…. Well, I wasn’t expecting this day to come when the year started. This is something I had been considering for years, but I didn’t think it would happen. And it is – I’m going back to school, for interior design. My classes start today and I spent the weekend looking over the materials. Probably as you’re reading this post today, I’m working on my first assignments. My first classes are art school fundamentals, not focused on interior design, but I should be digging into those classes within a year. Luckily I had a ton of transfer credits from UCSB so a lot of the non-art classes are covered. I also have a highlight on my Instagram where you can follow along and find some inspiration!
But for right now, I want to talk about the details of the program I chose, how I got in, my portfolio, and my expectations from the coursework! Also, this $15 H&M skirt is linked. It’s amazing.
This post may contain affiliate links.
RMCAD SWEATSHIRT (A CUTE OPTION!) // H&M SKIRT (SOOO AFFORDABLE!) // TORY BURCH SANDALS // SIMILAR CHOKER // SIMILAR PIN // PANDORA RING
WHY I CHOSE RMCAD
So I chose RMCAD because I wanted a program that was both local to me and online. With Chris in the military, we never truly know where we’re going to end up. But he does have more control than traditional active component so I can be relatively sure that we’ll spend some time in Colorado. The degree program (and most that I looked into) were four years, so it seems likely that we’ll spend a couple of those at least in the state.
THE NCIDQ EXAM
I also looked at the NCIDQ exam results, paying attention to online programs, and seeing which schools tended to have the highest success rate on the exam. Surprisingly, or maybe not, many people don’t take the exam – and those who do struggle to pass. I didn’t do any hard calculations, but my general presumption is that about 75% or less pass. RMCAD didn’t have the most data, the program is small so few students take the exam, but those that took the exam often had success.
Here’s the thing – I’m a good test taker. I can take a test on a subject I know little about and do okay. I don’t know why, it’s just not a stressful experience for me at all. And I have good friends who truly struggle to take tests – despite the fact that they are far more intelligent than I am. So it was important for me to go into a program with a decent success rate on the exam, but I didn’t need one with the highest because I know I can make up the difference.
RMCAD
What ended up selling me on RMCAD was how attentive the staff were from the start. I got a call within 30 minutes of requesting information, and financial aid was crunching numbers for me within a few days. The school is definitely able to do this because their program isn’t the size of say, UCSB, but their online program is quite hardy so it wouldn’t be surprising if they didn’t take the time. But they did – and there was always someone there to help me throughout the application process. It was easy and stress free.
THE PROCESS
The process for applying was super easy. Once I decided to take the plunge, I had to put together a portfolio and write an essay. I also had to submit some financial aid documents (I’m using part of Chris’s GI bill). I also needed an intent to apply. There was a fee for the intent to apply, but they waived it because of Chris’s military status.
Let me take a quick break here to explain something. Chris and I essentially eloped last year with just a few family members because we knew we wanted to do life together, and I didn’t want to be rushed in my wedding planning. We’re still planning a ceremony and reception where we can invite our families and friends and celebrate us together. That’s a project I’m working on now and will be sharing details on the blog as we go.
Anyway, back to applying. The application fee was really inexpensive, so it wasn’t a put off even before I knew it would be waived.
THE WAITING GAME
For me, the hardest part was waiting for the VA to approve my funding. We actually hoped that I would have been able to start my classes in May, but we didn’t get approval until about a week after classes started and by then it was too late. So I’ve basically been ready and waiting since May 13th.
The rest, putting together a portfolio (see below), filling out the paperwork, was really easy. And if I ever had a question, someone was there. I did get to see a sample of the online system to make sure I would be comfortable with it and able to navigate it. Course content is the priority for me so the system would have to be super wonky for me to have that be a dealbreaker. Luckily it looks pretty good!
INTERIOR DESIGN PORTFOLIO
According to RMCAD, a portfolio is not enough to exclude you from admissions – so if your work isn’t brilliant, it shouldn’t affect your chances. But it is an important part of the process the staff to understand where you are and what skills you need to learn to succeed. I know that not all schools are that way, though, so take that with some salt.
I did receive a ton of compliments on my portfolio though so I do want to talk you through it – in case you’re interested in building your own.
My portfolio requirements were as follows:
- 5-10 pieces of work
- 1 drawing from observation
- Showcase your creative and technical skills (color theory was emphasized for me)
- A statement of intent (the guidelines here were pretty explicit)
I originally had lofty plans of creating all new pieces for this portfolio, but with some help from Chris (he actually started college as a graphic design major before switching!), I realized bringing in my old pieces was much more representative of me.
MY PORTFOLIO
So for the pieces focusing on rooms, I used a CAD app available on the iPad. Originally I created a mock up of our house before we moved in to get a sense of furniture arrangement. Because we hadn’t seen the house at that point, my window heights, closet dimensions, and other minutiae were a little off. So I went back and updated all the measurements, added in our new pieces, and included some of the pieces I’m wanting to add. We currently only have one curtain hanging so lots of imaginary curtains were added. (I’m picky – okay.) I combined those with the notes I gave to Chris for helping arrange the furniture to fill up space in the collage and show my thought process.
I created a few other digital pieces as well – namely, moodboards. My brain is pretty much a functioning moodboard so I don’t often create them in life, unless I’m trying to get other people on board to my thinking. But RMCAD can’t see into my brain, so I wanted to show what I was thinking about in terms of textures, colors, and use of space when I was designing my home. I used my actual rooms in my actual house.
For the artwork, I decided to incorporate a few watercolor pieces I did a couple years ago. In particular, one I’m obsessed with of giant leaves in a monochromatic scheme. You can see this one and a few others on my RMCAD Highlight on Instagram. I also created a few pieces. First, I did a sketch plan (I had to learn the name for that) of our bedroom, so it complemented my CAD illustration and moodboards. I also did a digital + marker drawing of our bar cart which I think came out so dang cute, I kinda want to frame it. That one is also on IG.
MY EXPECTATIONS
The main thing I expect to learn is vocabulary, to be honest. I mean, there’s a lot more, but vocab is a huge priority for me. I love interior design, I’ve always had a sense for it. But trying to explain what I mean is soo difficult and probably the biggest struggle for me. So I’m most excited about being able to eloquently express my ideas and what I want in a design. I’m actually really excited about building code as well. I’m not really sure why, there’s some contractor in my blood I suppose.
I am also expecting a lot of help getting to work in the industry. Part of the reason why I chose RMCAD was that it is a part of the curriculum to get an internship. There’s also a ton of work portfolio-centered classes which are meant to help with getting a good old fashioned j.o.b. in the industry post-grad. My biggest expectations relate to post-grad productivity. I’m expecting a program of this size, with the focus on portfolio creation and interning that they have, to be focused on helping students get employed right away.
Are you a fan of interior design? It will probably be awhile before I get into the core of those kinds of classes, but I will be back to sharing more interior design related content soon. In the meantime, check out the archives.
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