Happy April Fools!!!!

Well time for an update.  I got an acceptance letter from the Herron School of Art & Design at IUPUI campus in Indianapolis. I am one of six candidates they have selected for the program.  Good news!!!   Now I don’t feel so uncertain of the future.   Of course the big decision now is this the program I want?

Some of my goals are to work at an IT company say Google leading in visual design AND to become a tenure track university professor.  Also to do creative volunteer work for the greater community.  I believe Herron’s MFA program will provide those desires.  Herron’s program is a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Communication focusing on what they call Design Leadership.   I like Herron because their MFA program prepares you for both academic and a working professional track.   You can read more about it here.   One of their sayings is “Creative Solutions to Complex Problems”.   A Masters level degree in the School of Arts is the highest degree you can get.  I like to called it an uber Masters or a Ph.D light.  Unlike other fields or schools like English or the Sciences.   This means the MFA program is 60 credit hours and often takes three years while other master level degree program are 30ish credit hours and take only two years or less.   Herron’s program is quite intensive and focused to be completed in two years.    Which is a good thing for I rather do a faster pace curriculum and receive the degree quicker so I may join the work force earlier.  I am already 32 and will be 34 years old when I am done.   I feel like I am getting a late start a restart in life and want to move faster to make up time for it. 

Another program I applied at is a Master of Science (MS) in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at the school of Informatics which is also at IUPUI.  This Master’s program is 36 credit hours.  While I can not be a tenure track professorial with only the Masters of Science it is a good program with an emphasis programming skills and a field I am really interested in.   They also have 90 credit hour Doctoral program which looks good but I felt it would take too long to complete.  I still have to wait to see if they will accept me.

One question is the cost.  Herron’s MFA program is new this year and for some strange reason their tuition cost is the most of any public university I can find.   Even more costly than several private universities.   For being a brand new program it seems a little presumptuous.  A public university at that.  Of course I do feel a minor ego boost to be accepted to the most expensive public university MFA program.  Yet, I dislike people or institutions who proclaim self importance and act as if they are better than others.  The question is Herron being egotistical and is the extra cost worth it?

To to Herron I will need some form of aid.  I will not know until mid April on what aid or scholarships Herron will provide.  I will wait until I hear from them and other schools before I make my decision.   

Categories: Chris Blogs
2 Comments »

Its March 1st and I don’t know what I have been doing for the past 3 months.    I got back from my travels in in December of last year.   Sure I hung out,  played with friends, watch TV but mostly I am not sure where the time is gone.  I still have not completed those big projects I have always wanted to do.  I guess when one has too much time on their hands it can be over whelming.   I get lost in it.  One could say I get lost in time.  Funny when I was working, fixing up my house to sell by owner, preparing to quit my job of 4 years and planning my 3 month trip around Europe I was felt focused and efficient.  My future is uncertain and vague.  It is a scaring feeling at time.   A limbo.   Right now, I am waiting for replies from graduate schools and see if get accepted.  Till then its a limbo.

After 6 months of not working I have returned to the work force, at least part time.  Instead of doing my usual IT support thing I have taken a different path.  A road less traveled if you will.  I decided to become a substitute teacher of young impressible line.   Scary eh?   Specially, I am planning to sub at all the schools I used to attend as a child.   That includes my 2nd grade school at Walt Disney Elementary, Schmucker Middle School and Penn High School.  Its a unique opportunity to return to ones root and I hope to make the most of it.

Tags: lost
Categories: Chris Blogs
No Comments »

Happy new years all! It has been a while since our last posting. After much relaxing and thinking Becky and I have decided not to travel for another 3 months at we originally plan back in august of 2006. Primarily due to money running out plus we not felt that wonder lust desire again. We may still go somewhere for a couple of weeks. For now we plan on getting jobs by February and yours truly is applying to graduate school for august of 2007. Lots of exciting and scary changes ahead.

I am hoping I will get accepted to an Informatics or Visual Communication Master Degree program with an emphasis in HCI (Human-computer interaction). My dream job would be to work with a cutting edge international IT company like Google. Designing the best software and/or Web 2.0 product that is not only easy to use, but highly useful. There is a saying in design that I firmly believe in “Less is more”. The iPod design is great example of that philosophy. Now if only I get my house to be not so messy. =)

Tags: HCI,Human-computer interaction,Web 2.0
Categories: Chris Blogs
No Comments »

Well we are alive and well back home in Indiana. After 3 months of traveling Europe we are burned out. We are looking forward to doing almost nothing and going nowhere. In fact we are excited about watching TV again in English and catching up on our favorite shows like Battlestar Galactica and Lost. Normally I don’t care or watch very much TV but I after such a long spell I really miss it. I just want to fully stretch out on my nice clean microfiber couch in only my boxes and veg on my favorites TV in peace. I don’t have to share a dirty hostel couch with several other people or fight for the TV remote. Plus I get to watch shows in English!! Don’t get me wrong watching Simpsons in German is a hoot especially since I don’t know German. =)

Best of all, we plan NOT to see any remarkable architecture, museums, and ancient ruins.

Categories: Chris Blogs
1 Comment »

Ciao! Happy Thanksgiving video from Rome.

Here is a link to the better quality but slow download video. 4.5megs

Categories: Chris Blogs, Italy
6 Comments »