#mastersprogram

Its been almost a year and a half since my last post. I don’t use Tumblr anymore but I decided to come back and spill my thoughts onto this platform once again. It’s been 7 months since i’ve graduated with a B.A. in Communications/Public Relations. I’m at this point in my life where Im ready to pursue stuff that I’m interested in and thats design. If you follow me before you know that my situation was that my parents didn’t approve of this field that they aren’t exposed to. They have no prior knowledge in graphic design or design in general but are quick to make judgments for what’s “best for me”. So there you have it, I went a completely different route and got a degree in something that I wasn’t passionate about. Theres nothing wrong with communications degree, I enjoyed my time as an undergrad learning about everything PR related but I wasn’t passionate. I felt like I was in a race to just obtain good grades and graduate in which i did. but whats the point if youre not passionate about it? Now I’m at a point in my life where I really want to pursue graphic design or atleast be exposed in the design field. Its tough. Many people say I don’t need a degree and that I just need a really strong portfolio. At some extent I agree but not entirely. I can go ahead and learn everything about illustrator, indesign, and photoshop, and all the tools but what I would lack is all the knowledge of composition, color theory, typography, and everything else that is needed for graphic design. So now i’m here, ready to make a decision about going back to school, except I have no idea where to start. Do I want to go to school in the US or go somewhere abroad like Canada or the UK? Finances, how am I going to financially support myself through this decision? Schools, every school that I’ve looked into has had different types of degrees but not entirely graphic design. I’ve looked into some CSU colleges like CSU Long Beach or CSU LA and they offer MFA programs with emphasis on graphic design. All these questions are unanswered and I honestly just feel like a mess. I’m ready to go pursue and expose myself to something that I’ve always been interested in but everytime I want to take that next step, there like 15 roadblocks before you can take that next step. So I guess this post is me asking for help from any graphic designer out there. If I were to go back to school, how do I create a good enough portfolio and what should be in that portfolio? Or do I really even need a degree to go pursue graphic design? Ultimately I want to become a creative director when I’m older but before I get there I have to establish my credibility and I feel like school is necessary to back up my skills and knowledge. 

When I entered the EIN course, my primary goal was to transform my business idea from a conceptual vision into a clearly articulated and defensible business model. I wanted to ensure that my venture could withstand academic scrutiny while also meeting real-world expectations from investors, partners, and future clients. More importantly, I wanted to develop the ability to confidently explain not only what my business does, but why it works.

This course fully met that objective. The requirement to produce both a formal written thesis and a structured business presentation forced me to integrate every component of my venture into a single, cohesive narrative. Rather than describing isolated ideas, I had to demonstrate alignment between the problem, solution, customer segments, revenue model, cost structure, and long-term scalability. These expectations closely mirrored real-world business planning and investor evaluation.

The most valuable aspect of the course was its emphasis on synthesis and justification. Translating prior tools such as the SMARTStart Canvas, feasibility analysis, and financial projections into a clear presentation exposed assumptions and strengthened my decision-making. The presentation component, in particular, sharpened my ability to communicate complex ideas concisely and persuasively. Research supports this skill as critical, as founders who clearly articulate their business models are more likely to gain stakeholder trust and secure support (Blank & Dorf, 2020).

Professionally, this course has strengthened my readiness for entrepreneurship and strategic leadership. I now approach business development with greater discipline, validation, and evidence-based reasoning. Personally, the course reinforced the importance of slowing down, documenting decisions, and aligning vision with execution. Overall, this experience served as a true bridge between academic learning and real-world application.