Agnes Tai: An Inside Look of what it’s like to be a BA/BFA Student
A Profile Comparing a Fine Arts Degree to a Liberal Arts Degree
Agnes Tai is a sophomore student at the New School pursuing a dual BA/BFA degree in fashion design and psychology. Last Sunday, I got in contact with her to ask some questions.
Allison Griffin: How many classes are you taking this semester- how many at Lang and how many at Parsons?
Agnes Tai: Three at Parsons — core classes and Two at Lang.
AG: What made you decide to pursue both a BFA and BA degree?
AT: I think that taking liberal arts courses in addition to art courses helps expand your thinking. Using ideas learned and discussed from liberal arts courses can be integrated into your work, since I have an interest in both. I enjoy mind-stimulating things.
AG: Approximately how many hours do you spend on your homework for your Parsons classes and for your Lang classes per week?
AT: Parsons — most of the weekend (about 8 hours a day), a few hours (maybe 4-ish on average) on weekdays.
Lang — 4–6 hours, unless there is an exam/paper then I spend more.
AG: How much money do you estimate you spend per Parsons class and per Lang class?
AT: Per Lang class — none, besides textbooks (under $40 for the whole semester).
Parsons — per project (creative technical studio), about $20–40 at most for fabric. A textile project I did [cost] $100+ for 20 textiles. For supplies, definitely over $100 for the whole course of the semester.
Way too much money!
AG: Which school do you find more time-consuming?
AT: Parsons definitely.
AG: Which school do you find more difficult and why?
AT: Parsons, because of all of the labor and thinking it involves. the professors push you to think outside of the box and want you to be innovative. Once the concept is done, we have to think about how we are going to translate our ideas onto paper (initial sketches) and ultimately how to construct it (thinking three dimensionally). It requires a different type of creative thinking that is unique from most of the classes I’ve taken. Plus, the labor involved is very tiring, and frustrating at times.
AG: How does your experience- learning experience and social experience, differ between schools?
AT: The students have different views about certain things and think differently. Lang students love talking about politics, social issues, etc — which I like because those are issues I enjoy discussing and, like Lang students, want to make social change. Parsons is definitely more arts based, obviously. As a fashion student, we are all consumed by fashion. It’s become what we live and breathe. At Lang, it’s mostly just reading, lecture, class discussion, papers, exams.
Also, the way that the curriculum is structured differs immensely. The parsons curriculum is way more structured — you need required core classes, which provide certain skill sets, in order to be able to move up a grade level. At lang, I feel as if the curriculum is very unorganized, which some people like but I personally hate. In a Psychology class I’m taking right now, there are freshmen who have never taken a Psych class to seniors who already know how to do labs, research experiments, etc. I find it unbalancing because then the teacher won’t know exactly how to teach the material to cater to the students’ needs, since every student is at a different level.
AG: How do Lang students differ from Parsons students?
AT: Lang students love talking about capitalism, social justice (feminism, #blacklivesmatter!!!!), and intellectual political issues.
Parsons students are fashionable and posh, for the most part and people say that they come off as bitchy or stuck up but I don’t think this is entirely true — people probably only think this because the fashion majors are always stressed out.
AG: Further comments?
AT: So since i’m no longer doing BAFA starting this spring semester, I guess I will discuss that a little.
I initially only applied to art schools when I was applying to college because I knew I wanted to pursue something in the visual-arts field. I thought the BAFA program was great because I also enjoyed all the “intellectual, mind stimulating” conversations and debates that were in Lang classes. I enjoy taking liberal arts classes and getting an education from it. Last year, it was great and I loved it.
However, starting Fashion Design this year, I’ve learned that when you do Fashion Design at Parsons, it consumes you. (props to people who can still do BAFA). It’s very hard for me to focus on things other than fashion design because ultimately I know that’s what I want to do. I want to work in the fashion field and design (or at least work in some creative, hands on aspect). I’ve realized that my commitment [between schools] has shifted 70/30 instead of 50/50. It’s also just super stressful to have to worry about exams and projects at the same time, when I know in my heart that I’m more emotionally and mentally committed to these fashion projects.
“[Parsons] requires a different type of creative thinking that is unique from most of the classes I’ve taken. Plus, the labor involved is very tiring, and frustrating at times.”
