<p>Looking at a lot of what CCers say, they seem to think that taking an art class (or any elective, for that matter) is dangerous or something and look bad for college. Why do they think that? What’s wrong with taking a class you enjoy that’s relaxing and isn’t an ap class? Granted, there is AP Studio Art and AP Art History, but what’s wrong with being enrolled in Art I or Drawing or Ceramics? (they are often the prerequisites).</p>
<p>Probably because colleges don’t know your motives for taking a particular class, and a lot of people do take art classes because they believe it will be an easy A. </p>
<p>(At a lot of schools science, math, English, etc. are also “joke classes” taught at a low level, although they aren’t necessarily perceived that way by the students because of the “Honors” and “AP” labels attached to them. If someone says a class is a joke, that’s generally a comment on an individual class, not an entire subject.)</p>
<p>Because it’s usually a really easy class and a lot of students at schools take them for an easy A, not because they actually enjoy it (at least at my school)…take it if you like it.</p>
<p>Because high school art classes are a joke, basically. I mean, I’ve taken art class all three years and thought they were fun, but no one’s going to take a high school art class as seriously as, say, chemistry or English.</p>
<p>You can’t grade on ability at this level. As long as you turn in something that looks like you put in some effort, you’re guaranteed an A.</p>
<p>Also, you never really learn anything or gain any significant artistic ability there (at least in the schools I’ve been to).</p>
<p>People treat art as a joke and say it looks bad on college applications because it IS a joke and it DOES look bad on applications for anyone not going to school for some sort of art. Tons of high schoolers take art so they can screw around for a period instead of working, and a college is going to assume you’re one of them if you don’t have a serious passion for art.</p>
<p>Pretty much everyone in the art class at my school have A’s. It’s not particularly difficult. The grade is almost entirely based on participation. </p>
<p>If you are seriously interested in art as a career, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking it as a class.
However, it just looks so much better to have a full academic schedule rather than have art as a class if you’re not seriously passionate about it.</p>
<p>Depends on the level. In high school and lower-division college classes, you basically “learn” how to appreciate art and write about it. But in upper-division college classes, you specialize and actually learn the techniques of artists, spending long hours pursuing the impossible.</p>
<p>Art is an accomplishment; perception, documentation, and criticism of art is not.</p>
<p>Of course, the ultimate kind of art class is the [master</a> class](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_class]master”>Master class - Wikipedia). Those things can be more prestigious than medical school neuroscience programs.</p>
<p>I have a serious passion for art, I am not kidding, and it’s annoying for me to have people in my art class who don’t take it seriously and colleges better not think this way as well.</p>
<p>Well, I’m afraid that many colleges do.
Are you planning on majoring in art?</p>
<p>I definitely have a great interest in art- if I get into an art school it would be great! However there is a societal stigma against artists because of they “aren’t as well paying”.
To be honest, I’m not really sure what I want to do as a career. I’m also interested in the medical field.</p>
<p>Never give up your art… whatever type of art it is … and whatever you end up studying. Art is a gift and an expression of yourself and is very cathartic and satisfying, even if you are not earning money from it. Art for art’s sake is wonderful. If you can make a decent living for yourself from it, good for you. Being an artist is a gift, and those who cannot appreciate it, just do not understand. Even if you end up working in another field to earn a living, your art is a friend that brings out your inner spirit and is something you can always enjoy.</p>
<p>Typically a beginner’s art class usually denotes “filler class” but intermediate and advanced art classes probably show how much art actually means to you.</p>
<p>I found this with theater arts so I assume that the same applies for this.</p>
<p>For the most part, at my school, art is a joke. Like, a huge joke. I know a girl enrolled in Studio III Honors who literally doesn’t show up to class 60% of the time and still pulls of A+'s. I’m in Studio II in order to fulfill a graduation requirement - and though I find it fun, I can acknowledge how big of a joke it is… I literally spent all of art class today walking around the school with my friend looking for my guidance counselor so I can discuss class rank… I also get straight A’s in that class… lol.</p>
<p>At my school art classes are considered equal to academics for the most part. Though I go to a magnet school for the arts (think Fame), we spend three hours a day in art classes, we sort of have no choice but to take it seriously. All though good grades are common (my teachers generally try and grade on effort and not quality since it is so subjective), but I know of people getting Ds or failing art classes.</p>
<p>People think art is a joke because most of the people who take it are only filling in their A-G requirement, either that or they want a period filler. I hated the idea that we needed to take a year of a “fine art” class, what a waste of a freaking period! All we did was learn how to create a point of perspective and create shadows. The rest of the time we were do homework from other classes and playing temple run or playing cards.</p>
<p>Bottom line, waste of tax payer’s money and my time.
By the way, if you take more than one year of art, don’t even look at the competitive schools. You should’ve filled that period with a more practical class.</p>
<p>@AznSkyDragon It is a misconception that if you take lots of art classes you cannot get into top school. You need to still take rigorous academics, but you can absolutely get into top schools. At my school (where people graduate without at least 20 or 30 elective credits in the arts) we consistently see our top students get great acceptances. Yes, some get into top art programs like Juilliard and CMU, but we also have acceptances to places like University of Chicago and Brown.</p>
<p>This thread just makes me sad. 
I love art!</p>
<p>I do to GoldenRatio, but some people on here are ignorant.</p>
<p>Thank you marybee333 for your support. I plan on keeping this a lifelong interest.</p>
<p>Because it is. To me at least. I’m only taking it because I need the credit to graduate.</p>