[flickr id=”9718420375″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

I’ve said this before but it bears repeating. Take advantage of all the resources Columbia College Chicago has to offer. It’s a no-brainer…right? I don’t think so. When you are focused on your work it’s sometimes difficult to see what’s going on around you. Therefore, I thought I’d rattle the old brain cage with a little reminder.

The best thing about going to a graduate school like Columbia College Chicago is that you are surrounded by professionals whose job it is to help you. I’ve gotten direct exposure to resources by working on campus. This semester I was hired by the post center. It’s great to be surrounded by students that know their stuff when it comes to the editing process.

[flickr id=”9718395617″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

Whether you are a first, third, or fifth year grad student, it is your obligation to utilize these resources. You are paying for the use of this equipment and the expertise to help you learn it. Go. At the post center they have workshops to familiarize students with Avid, Final Cut 7, and Final Cut X. Go.

Another resource is the screenwriting center. Their job is to help you with your projects by providing scripts to read. Did you also know they will read your script pages and give you feedback? What a great service! So hurry up and drop off material.

With that being said I find the greatest resource at this school to be the community itself. Teachers and students are going to be your sounding parts. Maybe rubbing your audience the wrong way is the reaction you want. Maybe you want a pat on the back for motivation. That doesn’t matter. What matters is you’ve got a built-in audience that wants you to succeed. Why? Because when you succeed they succeed. So be sure to take advantage.