So courses have hit you like a heard of flying bricks, but don’t be worried my fellow fashion friends! Our fabulous writers Joanna Lupker and Hannah Dobbie put together their first year wisdoms and provide class by class insights on some in-class must dos.
FSN 101 Textiles (Semester 1)
Make a friend in this class. This is a good idea in general, but in the lab portion of this class many of your quizzes you can do with a buddy. Keeping your lab notes nice and neat is also key when it becomes time to study for the exams! This class is a lot of work as it has both a lecture with a textbook, a hands on laboratory component, a midterm and a final exam, but the amount of information you learn…and actually remember is so helpful, especially for design students.
FSN 120 Fashion Design (Semester 1 & continued in 2nd Semester)
If you’re an optimist like myself, then you would’ve thought that the school provided lots of supplies for students to use and share. However, I was disappointed that this was not the case. Come to class with all your sewing supplies! Only thread and machine accessories come in the sewing kit that you are highly recommended to purchase from the school. Be prepared to jump right in; you will start drafting patterns and working with the sewing machines right away (with little introduction or time to mentally prepare yourself). Stay on top of your projects! If you miss a class or don’t come in on your own time, you will fall behind and it can be very difficult to get caught up. Also, try to dress in lighter layers. The labs can get very hot especially in the winter. Be prepared to spend money on materials for projects in this course. Having good quality materials will save your sanity and reward you in the long run.
FSN 121 Fundamentals of Design & Colour (Semester 1 & continued in 2nd Semester)
Do not procrastinate! Projects for this course can take much more time than anticipated so stay on top of the course schedule. Don’t leave things until the last minute, especially printing. It’s the 21st century, yet there are always printing problems. If you can, print your projects the day before it’s due so you have time to fix any mistakes. Get ready to become a perfectionist (if you aren’t one already). Craftsmanship takes time and presentation is key, it is a huge aspect of how professors evaluate you in this class.
FSN 122 Illustration (Semester 1 & continued in 2nd Semester)
Don’t be intimidated by your neighbour’s work. If you’re like me and don’t have a background in fine art, then three hours of drawing a week can be a bit daunting. But don’t let this scare you! In fact, compliment your classmates if you like their work and ask them for tips and techniques. Explore your creativity and don’t get caught up in technique. Just try things; you might be surprised to see how well they turn out! Illustration quickly became a class I loved because I could really see the progress I had made as artist at the end of the school year. Scan or photograph all of your projects (from all classes). Not only will this help you to keep track of what you’ve done, but it will be a major time saver when your end of the year portfolio is due.
FSN 123 Introduction to Fashion (Semester 1)
In this lecture class it is extremely important to keep up with your textbook readings as exam questions are very specific! You should always pay attention during lectures, but listen up carefully in this class because sometimes instructions for projects in other courses will be reviewed which also makes it a great time to ask any questions you may have. Also many cool guests will give talks in this course. Research them ahead of time as they may work in an area of fashion you’re really interested in. You’ll even have time to go up to them personally and get the opportunity to network with them. And don’t think that having guests means less work, you’ll have to take notes on them for the exam as well. That being said this is a fun class with a great professor–Dr. Lu Ann Lafrenz. She makes an effort to get to know all the first year students so don’t be shy to visit her during office hours just to say hello.
FSN 132 History of Art (Continued in 2nd Semester)
Do not fall asleep in this class…seriously. There is a ton of material to cover and not much time to cover it. Be diligent about taking notes and make sure you can actually recognize different works and know where, when, and by whom they were made. This course sounds like tough work, but it is truly fascinating learning about art and architecture from all over the world throughout history. Knowing this information will make you a better designer and help you see how others before you have used the design skills you are fostering. Plus, you can impress your friends if you are one day lucky enough to see some of these famous pieces.
FSN 223 Fashion Concepts & Theory (Semester 2)
This course is similar to FSN 123 in 1st semester with weekly readings, guest lecturers, and an enthusiastic prof. That being said there is also a weekly participation component via Twitter! If you don’t have a Twitter account already, my advice is to get one now. You may be thinking you don’t want tweets for school on your personal account, but this will show people how truly invested and thoughtful you are about the fashion industry and it is also a great way to network, perhaps even with the guest lecturers that you’ll meet.
Lower Liberal Elective (Semester 2)
This is your chance to break out of the tight-knit School of Fashion to make friends from all sorts of different programs. It’s also an opportunity to learn material completely opposite of anything in the fashion industry. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try something new. (Editor’s note: you’ll be much happier learning about something of interest to you rather than cramming for a final in a “bird course” you care nothing about.) Don’t get me wrong the fashion students are great, but there is a whole university to discover outside of the communication and design faculty, so be sure to familiarize yourself with it!
Still have questions? Join the Facebook Group: Ryerson Fashion Class of 2020! Or send us an e-mail at [email protected].
Good luck! Xo
