Yan Zhang, Graphic Design Major

I come from China and, for myself, studying at Adelphi and living on campus has been a lot of fun. Before I took my first graphic design class, I thought design was nothing but clicking some buttons in Photoshop or InDesign. I also thought I had enough creative ideas to solve any problems. I was wrong, and the speed of my realizing that came as fast as cutting layout paper with a knife. I’m learning a lot. Not just skills for designing, but also the skills of “talking” and “presenting myself.” I’m also better at sketching and thinking, which are more important. When my professor compares my early drawings with the latest one, we both see the difference. I feel proud of myself.I’m lucky that my academic major is also my interest.

I’ve learned there are so many great museums and galleries in New York City, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, Queens Museum, Brooklyn Museum. They’re easy to reach from Adelphi. Our art professors lead us to these places and connect us to the greatest artwork in the world.

The only thing I regret about New York City is the traffic. In New York, cars are our legs. Without cars, we can barely go anywhere. However, the freedom, passion, delicious food, beautiful weather and brilliant artwork in the city are enough to make me forget the traffic.