Former design students pass on advice for newcomers

At some point in our lives we've all thought 'if only I knew then what I know now...'. With any luck this is because we've gained experience over the years and developed as people. For College of Art and Design at RIT professor Mitch Goldstein, looking back on life as a design student revealed shortcomings in work ethics and how to network.

Now, we're not knocking design schools for a second. However we're aware that they're not necessarily suited to everyone. And even if you thrive in structured education, this doesn't mean you're on the fast lane to success as a graduate.

So, to help up and coming designers get the most out of art college, Goldstein took to Twitter to hear from his followers who have already come out the other side.

To get the ball rolling, Goldstein chips in with a common problem among undergraduates: not knowing when to stop talking.

Goldstein's followers, which number in the tens of thousands, didn't disappoint when it came to sharing their thoughts. Touching on everything from self-esteem to portfolio advice, there was no shortage of advice to learn from.

So, if you're about to head into design school, or perhaps you're already there and finding it a bit overwhelming, we've rounded up some of the top responses. Check them out below, and if you've got any wisdom of your own that you think could help undergraduates, be sure to head over to Goldstein's thread and post a reply.

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