Thou Shalt Make A New Friend.

I will be returning to the university this month to start a new semester. As I greet my eager students’ faces I thought it appropriate to address them directly, like God to Moses from Mount Sinai. If this isn’t you, you may still follow along. Who knows, some of these things may just apply to you too.

Behold, my classroom commandments. It is for your good. They are things that you can do to improve your experience and get the most out of your education. I mean, heck, you are paying for this and you may as well get your money’s worth.

1. Thou shalt make a new friend. On the first day you should make a friend in the class that is not me. This is a person you can contact when you are stuck looking for parking and are worried you will be missing stuff. They are great for running things past as you work on projects. They are helpful when you miss anything and need more info. And if your experience is going to be like mine, you will create a community of like-minded individuals that will continue long after you have received your diploma.

2. Come forth and say ‘hi’ to me in the first two weeks of the semester. Either at my office or before or after class. Why? Well, I get to know you better. We might have a conversation. I will probably remember you. It might be easier to ask questions when not in front of a full classroom. Bonus points for showing me something that you have been working on.

3. Arise and show up. Weird, I know. School is designed so that you improve with an instructor present. It’s like that ‘coach’ thing I talked about a few weeks ago. If you aren’t there then you miss out. Show me that you care enough by simply being present. Oh, make sure you are on time, maybe even early.

4. Read thy syllabus. I know it seems like a silly thing. Plus it is a boring document. However, it is also your contract with me. You will find everything from the grading policy, materials list, course calendar, university resources, and on and on. The time for pleading ignorance is over. You must be responsible for yourself.

5. Thou shalt take notes. Not on your phone or laptop. Take handwritten notes in your sketchbook. Your notes should be an amalgamation of words and pictures. You are going into art, so act like it. Drawing is your form of communication, use it.

6. Ask me thy questions. Not just clarifying questions about project specs. Questions about the reasons why. Ask questions about how. Ask about my experience or the experiences of your classmates. Keep it on topic, obviously. You are responsible for your education and just taking what I give you is not enough, and frankly it’s lazy.

7. Get thy work done. We are helping prepare you to succeed in a very competitive marketplace. We want to see you succeed. It might not feel that way sometimes, like when assignments seem over the top hard or deadlines impossible. Push through. We did it and so can you. They call this the refiner’s fire.

8. Push thyself, for in you is the power. It does you no good to stay in the safety of what you have done before. I would rather see someone flex their creative muscles with a challenging project and fail versus a polished safe work that you have done a million times.

9. Judge thine own work, but not in a harmful way. Being critical of your work means asking yourself what needs improvement. Your list may be long, but as the semester wears on, it will get shorter. Take notes about what your projects need. Make plans to get better. Be open to criticism — unless the person is a sociopath. Noticing what people say or how they react to your work can tell you volumes. Plus, it’s just your work. It isn’t you. It will be frustrating. That’s ok. It is all part of your journey toward betterment.

10. Thou shalt draw from a full well. School is school and not life. You need a balance. Don’t just hide in your cave and make stuff — it’s a quick way to burn out. You need to find time to fill your well. So participate in the culture around you. Read, watch movies, listen to music, take hikes, ride bikes, go to parks, play games, go to concerts or plays, attend parties, visit restaurants, and go on road trips during the semester breaks. Now, obviously, you still need to follow commandment 7, but all work and no play makes for dull minds.

If you follow these and other things that I will say unto you — you will assuredly prosper in the class.