College vs Fashion School

I have spent the previous 2 years of my college career studying and living my life at Purdue University, a huge Big 10 University back in my home state, Indiana. I have spent (roughly) the past 5 months studying and living life at The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, New York. When I first tell people this, the first question I am always asked is, “Which one do you like better?” My answer has always been that they simply aren’t comparable, because Purdue is “college” and FIT is “fashion school”. They are so beyond different. I like to think that this range of lifestyles and experiences makes me a very well rounded person though! I’ve learned so much from both schools, and I know that they both still have a world more to teach me before I graduate (a little over a year from now!!) 

My life at Purdue has been something very close to what I think the typical college experience is expected to be. And if you know me, you know that saying “I loved it” is quite an understatement. It was finding a balance between work and play for the first time (in a big way), finding friends that I know will be in my life for a long time after we graduate, finding who I wanted to be and how to become that person, and, obviously, making a million mistakes that have shaped me into who I am and what I value. It was a mix of creating a million social circles, attending my beloved frat parties, balancing two jobs, restarting a small business I never stopped talking about, and always making sure I was where I needed to be with my schoolwork. Although let’s be honest, it took quite a while for me to find out what the correct balance of those things was.

The time I’ve spent so far at FIT has held similarities to my time at Purdue, but has been so different in the biggest ways. Yet again, if you know me, you know saying “I love it” is a huge understatement. Purdue was the social life I craved for so long, as well as the academic challenges I needed, but FIT has been the work I’ve craved even longer. Not to say the work I did at Purdue was irrelevant, it wasn’t. It challenged me so much and I learned more than I can believe. But at FIT, I’m passionate about the work I’m doing. Every class, every assignment, teaches me more about the industry I’ve been obsessed with for so long, and that I can’t wait to enter when I graduate. It has been this place of endless opportunities for me, even outside of the learning I do in my classes. I’ve been able to see the fashion world in a real way, something I never could have achieved from Indiana. I’ve explored the fashion capital of the country, I’ve attended fashion shows (I’ve worked them too), I’ve met or seen people that I’ve admired the work of for ages, I’ve met people that have changed my perception of the industry completely, and that have inspired me beyond words. I have seen these infamous places that have been the inspiration behind not only fashion, but art of a million different forms. I wake up every morning with a million opportunities at my fingertips. The social aspect was a change for me, yes, but that part of the change I’ve gone through seems so miniscule in comparison to everything I have been given by this place. It’s been challenging to find a new, and different, balance between work and play than I had at Purdue, but I’m loving every second of finding it. 

There are a million differences between the life I lived at Purdue and the life I am living at FIT. But truthfully, I wouldn’t change a thing about either of them. I am someone with so much love to give, and I’ve never given more and received more in such a real way than my time at both of these schools. They both nurture the educational (and social) journey I am on in such a real way, and I have always been so grateful for that. I am so excited to be graduating with a degree from both schools, as I am so beyond proud to be able to say I have attended, loved, and found so much success at each of them. 

What do you love about your school? Whether that’s Purdue, FIT, or anywhere in between! If you’ve graduated, what did you love? If you haven’t made it to college yet or chose not to go, what do you love about the school you have attended? Comment, or send me a note on my contact page to let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Love 4ever!!!

Kiki in nyc<3