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Fashion Design at Ryerson University
Anonymous (Year 2)
What did you wish you knew before going to your university? What made you choose this institution over all others? What are advantages and disadvantages of your institution or campus? List any advice for incoming first-year students about your university.
I wish I knew about the work load. Though it all depends on your instructor and is often manageable, it often feels like a heavy burden especially when you’re straight out of high school. I wasn’t prepared for that constant work environment at all but got in the habit of it quickly. Be prepared to work hard and be constantly involved in school work.
What did you wish you knew before choosing your specific program? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your program? List any advice for incoming first-year students about your program of study.
I wish I had basic pattern drafting skills or a general understanding of it. First semester was heavily based on pattern drafting and so I fell behind because I was unable to understand most of what was happening.
What was your favourite university experience?
Some of my fondest memories took place in the SLC. It’s a very chill environment to either study or just hang and is a fun place to destress after class. Some other good experiences were during labs, where we were able to go into different classrooms and work on our garments with friends. In general there wasn't much stress to be taken on, classes were very smooth running and open.
What was your least favourite university experience?
Late night classes were the worst. Having to walk through Victoria street at 9pm was not a fun experience. Another bad experience was the beginning of first semester on my first year, I was way unprepared and find that Looking through the syllabus, checking out your teachers ratings, and coming to class with all Necessary equipment will make the new environment easier to get a grasp of.
What is the hardest part about your program and what were the steps that you took to overcome any difficulties?
The hardest part was definitely the long work hours. You’re given a substantial amount of time to work on garments, but it can still feel like a heavy weight. Learning all the necessary sewing methods, and perfecting each takes a long time and so the garment work can become somewhat stressful.
If you were able to take electives, what was your favourite elective? If you were not able to take electives, what was your favourite course and why?
My favourite course was Intro to Fashion and History of Art. Intro to fashion was fun because I was able to write essays about celebrities, fashion trends and pop culture. The lectures was easy to follow, and it was a light weight class which didn't feel like a burden. I would say it's a bird course, but only if you enjoy fashion and writing. History of Art was another fun class and another very easy class. The weekly quizzes are easy and a good mark booster, the exams weren’t hard at all and the content taught was a great source of information.
Additional Comments
Ryerson has a lot of programs set to help you, but they aren’t evidently present. For example, Ryerson has a room for napping during exams, you can bring dogs, they have a system in place so you can be walked to a destination at night by a security guard and many more but I would say search for what you know you’ll struggle with and there should be a solution in place already.