8 Walt Disney Quotes That Define What It Means To Be An IMM Student
I stumbled upon my major at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) by complete accident. I transferred into the school last fall with the expectation that I would be learning about video production and video production only. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Within my first semester, I had learned how to use all of the Adobe softwares, coded my own website, and learned how to make an interactive greeting card. I was shocked at the idea of having a career where my life wouldn’t just be the “same thing, different day” but rather full of variety and unexpectedness as technology evolves more and more with each year. I suddenly became obsessed with learning as much as I could about every area of the Interactive Multimedia (IMM) department. I took classes in animation, spent some time learning how to mix music in the recording studio, was trained on how to 3D print in the Maker Space, and so much more, stuffing as much as I could into my two years in the program.
So, what exactly does it mean to be an IMM student?
You keep an open mind.
“Around here, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” — Walt Disney
When you make a mistake, pay attention long enough to learn from it but don’t dwell on it. There are so many opportunities laying ahead of you and you can only uncover them by jumping in with the courage to lose. Don’t be afraid to explore, experiment, and maybe even fail. If this major has taught me anything it’s that behind every successful project sits one hundred broken ones. When you become too attached to your work, afraid to let go of what isn’t working, you lose the ability to happen upon something new and better. You close yourself off from the doors of possibility. Be open to change and keep testing the waters, you never know what you might find.
You‘re you.
“The more you are like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.” — Walt Disney
Something I truly love about the IMM department is that we have such a diverse family. Everyone has their own niche and represents their passions in their work. Each student is original and throughout their time in the program is able to develop their own unique style. With a major that encompasses so many different subjects, we are all able to cover a wide skillset and come together to form a strong team.
You don’t believe in the impossible.
“If you can visualize it, if you can dream it, there’s some way to do it.” — Walt Disney
There is no such thing as limitations in this department. I have never heard a student share an idea that was turned away because it just “wasn’t feasible.” People want to see dreams come to life which is why when ideas are shared, they are nurtured. A lot of great ideas don’t see the light of day because they are half-baked ideas that people shut down far too quickly. As Disney shares, if you’re able to dream about it then there is a way to do it. You need to actively seek out the resources (people, equipment, etc.) to bring the idea outside your head and into the world.
You’re brave enough to follow your dreams.
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney
Getting started on a project is always the most difficult part. It’s scary, overwhelming, and requires a lot of bravery (especially in those cases where you are the only one believing in that idea!). With a career in IMM, you have to be someone who has the strength to keep trying despite the odds. Like any design/art related major, feedback is being thrown at you 24/7. Let the critiques guide you rather than scare you away from your dreams. Take risks and chase your idea even though you know it might fail or nobody else may care. You owe it to yourself to follow your passions.
You work hard.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney
People don’t care enough to hear you talk about a great idea for four years. It’s all about action. Show me what you have done, don’t tell me what you think you could do someday somewhere. Ask yourself: are you the type of person that can work hard enough to take an idea and transform it into something tangible? With 3+ hour long classes, we are able to spend class-time creating, you never leave an IMM class without a project.
You enjoy a challenge.
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” — Walt Disney
We have fun in IMM. We seek out problems and discover creative ways to solve them. We bring back old failures and find new ways to reconstruct them. We collaborate and build off of each others ideas. A lot of our plans may sound crazy to others, but that’s the fun part. There’s nothing more rewarding than finishing a project the world thought could never be.
Learning is fun.
“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.” — Walt Disney
You pay a lot of money for your education, you should enjoy it. I grew up believing that the only way to learn was sitting at a desk, listening to a lecture, and praying I absorbed something by the time I left the room. I honestly couldn’t tell you half the information I “memorized” during high school and early college. My favorite question was, “Is this going to be on the test?” In IMM, my grades are based on projects and progress. My professors want me to learn the skills I am going to need to succeed post-graduation. I leave my classes with a stronger portfolio and I have a lot of fun along the way. Getting to do hands-on work, having the opportunity to work with clients off-campus through classes, helps me switch my mindset from student to professional, a lot of majors aren’t so lucky to have that.
You never settle.
“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.” — Walt Disney
Nothing in this world is concrete. 2020 has proved to all of us that you never know what life is going to throw at you. Before IMM, I was pursuing a degree in psychology. I loved dissecting human behaviors and trying to understand why people would act in specific ways. Eventually, that passion ran dry and I realized that major just wasn’t for me anymore. If something doesn’t interest you, drop it. Do what makes you feel most alive. This major has given me the chance to live my dream and not be tied down to one career for the rest of my life. I have so many doors to open now thanks to IMM, and I can’t wait to watch my goals change and grow as I begin to open them.
My hopes are that this article offered some perspective into the life of an Interactive Multimedia student at TCNJ. We are the dreamers and the doers, the innovators, and the designers of a world to come.
This major is and will always be fluid, encompassing new topics every year. I look forward to watching this major evolve post-graduation. These creatives are going to do big things.
