Your education is important – especially if you want to succeed in a creative field like audio or music production, filmmaking, or graphic design. We know you have a lot of options when it comes to preparing for your career, so the question stands – is F.I.R.S.T. Institute right for you?
Hearing from Our Students
The best way to learn about a school is to hear from the alumni. This collection of student testimonials provides perspectives from graduates of all three of F.I.R.S.T. Institute’s programs: Recording Arts, Digital Filmmaking, and Web & Graphics. Tune in to hear how they learned about F.I.R.S.T., what they thought about their time spent in the courses, and how they feel now that they’ve graduated and found jobs in their industry.
“I found F.I.R.S.T. Institute when I was Googling different schools that specialized in what I wanted to do,” says Recording Arts graduate Andrea Sanjuro. It all became clear to her during her campus tour. “Students were here working the same time I was touring. I was like, ‘this is the school. This is what I want to do.’”
Many prospective students find that the on-campus tour helps confirm that F.I.R.S.T. is the school for them. Seeing attendees working in groups and using professional equipment makes it clear that this is not your average educational experience.
“I saw that people there were excited to teach. People were excited to be learning. It made me feel like, ‘oh, I belong here!” recalls Web & Graphics student Ashley Scott. She found that the small class sizes and relationships between the students and teachers made the environment feel like a family.
F.I.R.S.T. is Family
Misael Munoz, a Recording Arts graduate, felt the same way. “I felt at home here. This is where I feel I can excel and grow.” This type of learning environment was further enhanced by the faculty. “The staff makes a difference,” he continues. “When they showed up to work every day, they wanted to be here. They wanted to teach you, they want you to grow.”
Great teachers go a long way in helping students find success in their education. At F.I.R.S.T., all the instructors have years of experience in their industry, and continue to work professionally as producers, filmmakers, and designers even as they teach.
Jessi Tobin appreciated the straightforward nature of the Web & Graphics program, where she felt no time was wasted before she started pursuing her interests. “To be able to jump into what you want to do and learn it… this is what I want to learn. I want to learn how to get the things in my head onto a computer screen, and that’s what I was learning!”
There are no general education classes at F.I.R.S.T. Institute – each program is an intensive 11-month study designed to get students out of the classroom and into a recording studio, film set, or design space.
F.I.R.S.T. is Fun
“It didn’t feel like work. It felt like something fun. Something I could do every day and not get bored.” Andrea felt that the focus on hands-on, experiential learning was more exciting than a traditional classroom environment. This sentiment has been echoed by many F.I.R.S.T. alumni.
Misael elaborates, “When I was at F.I.R.S.T., I had the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. I had fun every step of the way. Every day I was here was a good day!” When you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Louis Gonzalez, a Recording Arts grad, also enjoyed the hands-on learning. “Working on the boards, learning what to do and how to do it… that’s what I love the most.”
“I don’t want to sound like a nerd… but I loved it all!” Jessi jokes.
F.I.R.S.T. is a Future
At the end of the day, F.I.R.S.T. Institute prepares students for an entry-level career in their industry. So, how do students feel about their prospects after graduation?
“I feel overprepared. I feel more prepared than if I had gone to any other school,” says Ashley Scott. Similarly, Jessi opines: “I feel I have the tools where I can have a career that excites me.”
Recording Arts graduate Jia Manning has been setting the stage for major audiovisual events and working as a solo musician for several years. She credits much of her success to her time spent at F.I.R.S.T.: “It’s such an important stepping stone as far as the direction you go in your career.”
Misael concludes that F.I.R.S.T. Institute was “the first step and the most important step” in his career, and that without the school, he wouldn’t be where he is today. Angela even says that going to F.I.R.S.T. was the best decision of her life!
F.I.R.S.T. is Accepting Applications
Like what you’ve seen? Feel free to apply to our school, or schedule an on-campus or virtual tour to learn in-depth about our programs. Thanks for considering us as part of your journey into the digital media industry!
