Augh! Too many choices! I'm going crazy!

[Harmony]

I need advice. (Don't worry, I'm asking "real" people, too! )

I am currently about to enter grade 11. I have chosen photojournalism as my future career (almost 100% sure of it, too!).

While there are future options, the most immmediate decision (in the next 2 weeks) that I must make is whether or not to enter IB for my last 2 years of highschool. IB stands for the International Baccalaureate program, I'm sure if you google it you'll get way too much information. Basically, it's an accellerated course where in 50% of your classes you'll have finished first year of university by grade 12. Needless to say, its intense. The program has good rewards – guaranteed scholarships, early acceptance, skipping first year uni in some of the courses. Nice perks, overall. (Let's just try to not think about the other side – the fact that IB students have no life. I mean, they get all of May of grade 12 OFF so they can study for IB exams.)

The only problem is that I'm not planning on getting a BSc or what have you... My plan is to go to Brooks Institute for General Photography studies - or RIT - (and get a BA of Fine Art) and then go to ICP for a year for studies in Photojournalism.


My parents favour another course of action: Get a BA of (written) Journalism so that I have something to fall back on in case photojournalism doesn't pan out, and then take the Photojournalism course at ICP.


The only thing I feel is that the Photojournalism course for ICP is for advanced photographers, with background, etc... which I don't have.


So I guess I need thoughts and experiences from you guys to mull over. Any ideas or suggestions appreciated!

 

[Kegger]

Sounds a lot like our AP program. Same thing as IB.
I did it in high school so I wouldn't have to take math, history or science courses my first year of college. It's difficult, yes, but totally worth it IMO.

I say go for it, and for the photojournalism course; by the time you get to it you will have plenty of experience in photography. And you will also have improved on everything pertaining to it. So it shouldn't be too big of an issue.

 

[clarinetJWD]

I did that...ours was the AP program, as well, not IB, but I had 5-6 AP classes every semester through all of high school. It is a TON of work (I was doing 4-6 hours of HW every night), but it was worth it. Also, If you can double major in college, written/photojournalism, do it. THere's no harm in learning more skills than you need, and you become a much more desireable candidate.