/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

Maybe they get recognition at cons.

There's a girl in my comm who literally dropped out of college because "if I graduated and became a teacher, I'd have less time for cons". I don't understand it at all, and any attempts by people (friends, family, random facebook acquaintances) to dissuade her were met with an "I know best" attitude. She's actually just a huge mess all around, but this stuck out to me as the peak of her bad decision-making.

That just makes no sense to me. Like it or not, youth is temporary, and you need to focus on whats best for your WHOLE life. I recommend NEVER getting a youth based job, like porn, modeling, acting etc. It's too risky, and the money never lasts.

>>7357365

let them fail, didn't you want to be some ridiculous thing when you were young?

this is just today's youth version of "IMA BE A RACECAR DRIVER! FUCK SCHOOL!" or "IMA BE AN ACTRESS!"

but, now it's about pop culture and online fame.

I can understand the line of thinking, because I wish I could just fuck around all the time without responsibilities. Doesn't everyone? If I could go to every con and wear every costume without having to work or pay bills, and spend the rest of my days watching cartoons and playing dressup with friends around the country, I'd die the happiest motherfucker alive.

At the same time, I do exactly the opposite in practice, because I cannot realistically keep up that kind of schedule or spend that kind of money. I understand, but I think the internet makes it seem like there's always a party going on when the party is actually scarce and on the expensive side. It's not a stable life to live. I'll live vicariously through them until it breaks apart, and if it doesn't, I'll be happy for them.

Sad as shit, yes, but it's weeding out the weak.
I take 15 hours a semester and go to 3+ cons a year. I know how to balance my life.

Maybe through a series of fuck-ups they'll realize this was a bad decision and learn to balance as well. Otherwise, I'm sure people will enjoy seeing someone in a colorful wig begging for money at an intersection.
It's life.

Isn't it all about finding a balance?

It's like, cosplay and congoing should be a fun thing to do, a hobby like any other, on the side while you focus on what's important, which is your education or job.

Part of growing up and maturing is learning to balance your responsibilities (school, college, job, etc.) and the shit you enjoy on your free time (cosplay, lolita, whatever, etc.). Because living a life doing only your job or only school must be fucking boring, and living a lazy life doing only your hobby must get tiresome at some point, plus you wouldn't be able to support yourself.

So I think the person OP mentions needs to realize that a balance can be achieved. They can still attend all the cons they want, but also need to work at something to be able to sustain themselves.

I'm sure part of it is how much crap people get for being "too old to cosplay" online and the idea that once you hit 24 you're over the hill and shouldn't do it anymore. Makes people think they have to do it all while they're young instead of seeing how later on they'll have better resources for it.

>>7357373
I'm already young, 24. But I realized at a younger age, most of the things I wanted to be is just too farfetched to be achieved. I did some things in my earlier 20's that I really regret. But I know why I did them, and I had a good reason to. But now I'm completely focused on my future when I'm not going to be young anymore.

>>7357232

A prof I had a while back found time to go to cons while working all year and some. So it's possible just not with that girl's attitude.

Both sad and glad she's not a teacher.

>>7357394

Pretty much.

>>7357232
>>7357226

I can honestly say I really hate when people prioritize cons above important stuff like college or work, it's just immature and will catch up with them

I stopped hanging out with a really close friend because she ditched friends birthdays for conventions, said she didnt want to work because it would cut into con time...her pritorites were wack, but if you get attention for that homestuck cosplay from enough 14 year olds, I guess it's worth it

if they're studying something like fashion/costume design or SFX makeup, then it makes sense for it to blossom/assist with their cosplay hobby, but it does bother me when people kind of... intentionally ruin their lives for one by dropping out or going broke for it. it takes it from a harmless interest to a problem.

>>7357232
but aren't cons usually more prolific in summer... when teachers aren't usually working?

How about let people live their lives however they want?

College will always be there waiting for them, their youth will only fade.

Theatre Major in Costume Studies at Dalhousie University...not gonna say I haven't considered it

I'm reminded of the lady I shared in the weeb horror story thread. She was already in her mid 30's when I met her and the only thing she had going for her was cosplay, and her cats. She had absolutely no goals in her life. No friends. Never saw any guys show interest in her. Lived with her mother in a little house with 12+ cats. She only had a part time job at a school and she said she hated kids. Now a days she doesn't even have the cosplay community because her rotten personality drove her out.

It's sad to realize she's going to live the rest of her life as a dumpy, crazy, old cat lady.

While I think it's silly and that it's mostly come from the Heroes of Cosplay crowd showing cosplay as more than just a hobby, let her do what she wants. She'll spend a couple of years wasting money and having fun before realizing that focusing on a niche hobby like that when you don't have a lot of money in the bank to support yourself isn't a good idea and going back to school.

>>7357226
This is only an option for people who can play around with others'/inherited money.

That, or have some serious delusions about what cosplaying will bring.

Im a part time cashier and I go to school part time. It's taken me a while, but im a little more than halfway done with my first two years of college. I'd like to be a teacher, but i also dont mind being a cashier. I might stay in retail and just work all the way up the hierarchy. I dont know exactly what im going to do with my future, but I know im going to be doing something. I go to two cons a year (so far) and am still heavily involved with my family.

I think cosplay should never be more than a hobby for anyone unless their job directly connects to it. I dont think any hobby should control a person's life so much that they run themselves into the ground. Next thing you know, they'll start collecting spirals or some shit.

That's an extreme example, but the more common type I see that irritates the hell out of me is people who seem to think that the second they get into costume all sense of propriety disappears.

Being 'in character' does not excuse being a dumbfuck in a public space particularly when most people are not going to even recognize the context of what you are doing.

>>7357677

Why would you be going to college if you just want to stay in retail? What a waste of money.

i think if she's in college, she's already spent her best days for cosplaying.

>>7357696
Because the thought of being a teacher really appeals to me. So if i decide "aw yis teacher" then i already have the first two years out of the way. If i decide "aw well retail" then i still have two years of college under my belt to put me a smidge above the other high school only coworkers.

I was actually thinking of getting these first two years done and then working full-time in retail for a year or so and save up a bunch of money so, hopefully, i would borrow less when pursuing my actual degree.

it...seems like a decent plan to me.

I once heard a girl seriously wanting to have a breast reduction because of her crossplays, i dont know if that was a real idea she had or just messing, but a breast reduction because of that?
Shes does an amazing job at make up.

>>7357807
Jesus christ, that same-makeup face.

>>7357807
>amazing makeup
where are erwin's eyebrows of freedom
her crossplay makeup looks like the same as her mikasa makeup with different color eyebrows

>>7357807
Her Mikasa looks too boyish.

Sometimes I see it as this
>Are they giving cosplay an excuse to drop out of college because college is too hard/not what they wanted

To be honest not everyone is cut out for college and not everyone needs college to live a good life. I hope they look at all their options though, because preparing for the future is just as important as having fun.

>>7357601
Thats what I was thinking, what the fuck, she;s just a lazy shit isn't she?

>>7357807
>amazing makeup
>that

U srs?

>>7357609
It's just tuition and other expenses go up. While some people are able to get far in a job moving up with just their h.s. diploma or equivalent, it's not for everyone.

A lot of people go back to school later in their adulthood, but they always wish they'd have done it sooner.

>>7357902
i have went to college for 3 years including summer classes..i just am not cut out for it.

I would study my hardest and the best grades i would get were C+s and i never even had a part time job to be distracted by.
during school years i was the most depressed/stressed i have ever been in my life.
Now I have 2 jobs getting around 40 hours a week with good wages as one im a supervisor for, I have money to get what i want including cosplay and im the happiest ive ever been in my life right now

people can call me stupid but honestly their are much older people working at fast food and no one gives them shit, and there are more people out there that dont even have a high school degree
at least I finished high school and tried college...

>>7357902
i have went to college for 3 years including summer classes..i just am not cut out for it.

I would study my hardest and the best grades i would get were C+s and i never even had a part time job to be distracted by.
during school years i was the most depressed/stressed i have ever been in my life.
Now I have 2 jobs getting around 40 hours a week with good wages as one im a supervisor for, I have money to get what i want including cosplay and im the happiest ive ever been in my life right now

people can call me stupid but honestly there are much older people working at fast food and no one gives them shit, and there are more people out there that dont even have a high school degree
at least I finished high school and tried college...

I've just seen people who go off to study fashion design and to become a seamstress (a 3-year long vocational study in my country) because they want to become better cosplayers. They acknowledge it's about as credible as an art degree, but they still do it because ~then i can spend my whole time making costumes for myself tee hee!~.

That kind of naive thought process just never makes sense to me. Like I love art, but instead of getting a degree to prove that I love art, I chose a field that has a lot of steady jobs so I can live with financial security and not work freelance hours for a deviantart comission.

>>7357609
Yeah because being that one 40 year old in class is always really awesome

I'm not judging I just hear it's always really uncomfortable for them

>>7357226
Depends on the person.

Me? I got lucky and was able to get my BS with no debts in the end
>thank you deceased grandparents for your for-thought & generosity

And right now, since finding the kind of job that I can do with my degree/would not hate doing is taking longer than I expected.

I can't wait to have a steady enough income to go all-out on cosplay supplies, but until then I'm making do with what I can muster from presents money. Luckily, I have plenty of stuff to re-use from past years, and I only do one con a year, so I don't focus on this all year round.

>>7358097
I've considered doing that myself to be honest. I really want to level up my skills and start doing commissions for both cosplay and dance costumes. Of course I'd have to work a normal job as well but it's something that I want to do as I really enjoy sewing.

>>7358124
At my college, we always had TONS of respect for the folks that went to college at a later age than most. We always tried to make them feel welcome and part of the major. Plus they always had better stories to tell before class started...

>>7357692
haha remember when

>>7358124
older people in my classes always made me super nervous. they were always really rude too, and a vast majority of the men over the age of 30 on my campus would openly harass the young women

>>7358130
Yeah, well you're not everyone, deal with it.

And how do you know they're happy about it? You're like the person that tries to desperately to help the cripple of the group, and the cripple feels embarrassed regardless, because they know you're full on throwing a pity party their way.

>>7358137
that's because young people are shit and an absolute pain to be around. There really is a difference in maturity and it is really telling.

>>7358148
or because the older people were shitheels who bitched about college students sitting around studying with ipods and laptops instead of note paper?

It's all about balance, like this anon >>7357388 said.

I love cosplay and video games, but I would never be so delusional to believe I could A) get a decent job doing those things or B) completely ignore bills and responsibilities to do hobbies all the time.

I've got a B.S. and M.S. in a scientific field, working on my Ph.D. As much as I would love not actually working (being some sort of trophy spouse or trustfund kid) that's not reality.

Now, on the opposite side of this, for the past year and a half I stopped cosplaying, stopped going to cons, and didn't see my cosplay friends because graduate school pwned me. It was a tough year of comprehensive exams, dissertation, and teaching at two universities 60 miles apart from one another. I was stressed out and didn't have my usual creative outlet or group of buddies to help alleviate that stress.

I got majorly depressed as a result. I didn't realize how much I needed cosplay as a way to get my mind off things and blow off steam.

Of course a person can't just quit their studies or "day job" to focus on cosplay. That's ridiculous, irresponsible, and not a sustainable way of living. That's something a spoiled child does; not an adult. Being a famous cosplayer is a pipe-dream. No, more than that, it's worse than trying to be a famous actor or musician - it is a pipe-dream of pipe-dreams!

But all work and no play is equally bad. Without a hobby and the socialization that comes with it, it's only a matter of time before the everyday monotony and stress become unbearable.

>>7357889
You're an anime only fan, aren't you?

old people in college classes are fine... unless it's a computer course (a summer class to learn freaking dreamweaver) and they simply cannot understand how to open their file. every day. in a six week course. the professor had to re-explain how to look up your site files every damn morning.

>>7358288
Tech classes, yeah..
About 25% of my MIS class was 30+ years old, and a lot of them were struggling with how to use Excel and Access. The professor didn't mind explaining it to them, but the rest of the class was really exhausted with hearing about simple Excel formulas every fucking day.

>>7358157
There's the people in the class actually using their computer to take notes and then there's all the ones using it to go on facebook instead of paying attention. Guess which ones have caused some of my profs to forbid use of electronics in class.

Hah, I actually got a job because of my cosplay portfolio. Although, I finished school with a textiles degree, and I never really planned out that I'd be working where I am until the opportunity arose, but it's possible to get e job because of cosplay.

I work for a pretty large entertainment company, doing costuming/prop work, and I laughed the day I got the job because I knew it was because of cosplay... so it can totally happen if you actually have good work, and it's not a job for designing. (and I asked before I brought in cosplay examples, if it was kosher to use them)

I think its fine if she at least is working.

But if she is dedicating her entire non college time to cosplay: hell no.

>>7359264

Same, I got a job in theater because of cosplay, but it's shit work and shit pay. You need a degree to be any more than a stitcher where I am.

>>7357226
Nothing about your life will make you happier than just pursing your hobbies all out. No one should ever spend a moment of time or a drop of their energy on anything else, if they actually love themselves and treat themselves properly. Anyone telling you otherwise just wants to put out your candle because they never lived their own life brightly and fully and you scare them.

>>7358166
>>7358097

Can you guys say what specific magical "field" or "scientific" areas have tons of jobs because I have a science degree and I've been unemployed for months because no one will hire me....

>>7359297
Do you know what STEM is? It stands for majors that are the most useful/in-demand.
The first S is for science.
If you have a science degree and can't find work, I am insanely curious what your major is specifically.

>>7359300

B.S. in Biology.

can't even get hired at petco.

>>7359300
STEM being some magic ticket was never actually true. There isn't some kind of unlimited demand for those skills and the pool of people with them includes literally millions of international visa seekers who will work longer hours for lower pay or fewer benefits for any company willing to go through the visa process (any company worth working for).

>>7359316
PetCo, no.. They probably feel like you're over-qualified, honestly.
Teaching is a definite option.
You can also do lab research and things, but I have no idea how you'd go about doing that.
A lot of people seem to be doing some kind of Medical Technology thing with it.

>>7359327

I need a certification to be a teacher. It sounds awful and I hate kids.

Med tech at the local hospital here requires a 2-year full-time unpaid internship before you will be hired on.

I've applied to a couple research labs, but thanks to the myth that STEM is some kind of magic ticket, like >>7359325 said, I guess I'm just a small fish in a big pond. I never end up hired.

>>7359291
are you speaking from experience, anon?

>>7359297
Welcome to the club. I have an MS in engineering. Been out of work for a year. Can't get hired as an engineer or a tech, and I'm willing to relocate.

>>7359333
Not with that attitude. Just keep trying.

>>7358166
Fellow grad student (md/phd here, in phd phase) and yeah, I feel you about needing to blow off steam. I'm taking time to do a lot of work on cosplay now because my prelims are at the end of May, and once I get back from Katsucon, I need to buckle down in a serious way. Still, it's possible (and necessary) to take a couple hours out of the weekend to just sit and sew or something.

My friend inherited around 75k a few years ago, and sent about 10k to his ex and son. She spent most of it on con bullshit. She is also living with her parents, unemployed, and focusing on being a "professional cosplayer". I guess a picture of her has been floating around, she's that black chick dressed as Karma from LoL.

>>7358124
I love the older people in my class. They really add a lot of humor with their life experience. Don't discriminate.

>>7358097
Capitalism's logic and thought process boggles my mind.
>study hard
>for something you don't even like
>in order to make money
>and use said money to have fun with things you actually like
>instead of just studying said thing you like

It's like an endless circle and not even the guys on top of the pyramid have it better. They just have a little more stability, but they're still in the hamster wheel.

Polite sage for immature digression.

>>7357908
>>7357601 Except teachers work in summers you idiots. I won't make excuses for a retard who prioritizes cons over well-being and a succesful career, but you two clearly don't know what it means to be a teacher.

>>7359831
Yes, they work 24/7 all day err day non stop, Poor teachers!

>>7359836
No, you idiot.

>>7357489
>ditched friends birthdays for conventions
Sorry but I would do that too, unless I was their only friend or something.

I've had this discussion so many times with friends who've gone from cosplay being their highest priority to their lowest, while another lot of friends base their whole life around being able to fund cosplay and cons.

Honestly, I think cosplay is a black hole and anyone making it their sole purpose in life is completely wasting time and money in a totally selfish manner (this applies to many things and is a POV related to general life values).

Want to work in a creative film/design/costuming industry?
You're better off making an original portfolio and busting your ass out on internships/small set jobs before working your way up. The only person I know who is successful in film now makes props that end up on Game of Thrones... And she started in cosplay but only moved forward after someone from the industry advised her to drop it as far as her career was concerned.

Anything else is just pure escapism and denial.

All that time and money means very little other than stroking your own ego. Yes, it's nice to be able to do something you love in life, but there's ways to make it benefit other people and the world around you too. You're totally limiting your life experience and learning by pigeonholing yourself into cosplay.

>>7359858
>cant sense sarcasm
>calling other people idiots
Its true, you sandy cunt kun~!

>>7358097

Word. I love the hell out of music, but I went into engineering (mostly because I'm male and I wanna be able to sustain a family in my future) because I figured I'm good enough at understanding maths and physics to do that. And now me and my best mate are going to be studying in Japan for a year because in engineering, you actually DO get spots at Japanese Universities (as opposed to Japanology or whatever it's called in the states). So double-win for me I guess.

>>7357692
holy FUCK. between the 3 people/brains directly involved in this photo, and all the time and planning leading up to it, NO ONE thought that maybe it wasn't a very good idea?

>>7357703
some people, like myself, didn't start cosplaying until they were in college. suck it. :)

I don't get it. What happens as cons that makes them so magical for cosplayers?

>>7360094
A lot of the stories in this thread seem to suggest that these people have pretty crap lives, and cons are one of the few places they enjoy themselves/feel accepted, so they try and re-structure their lives around the cons so they feel their lives are better.

>>7359333
Have you considered vet teching? Even though there is a certification for it, a lot of places don't actually require it and will probably just take you on as an assistant (which is a paid job) until you're ready to be promoted.

>>7360245

I'd way rather do lab work if I can find it. Vet techs make fuck-all and don't have much of a future. Lots of on-the-job risk and very little pay. Most lab work I've applied to starts at $40,000-$50,000 and a lab tech makes maybe $30,000 tops. I'm leaning towards med tech apprenticeships, if I could get in after a couple years I'd be starting at $80,000.

nonetheless, I have to be hired for all of those things, so we'll see where it goes.

>>7357703
Out of college now

>Get to hang out with older con friends
>Have more money for bigger cons and costumes
>Have a more structured schedule making it easier to plan time off and cosplay work
>Able to apply any skills and knowledge acquired throughout the years in your new outfits

It's no surprise that the outfits that have gotten me the most recognition at cons and online were done after I graduated

>>7359327
Seriously? That is scary. I didn't realize places won't take over qualified people. I have a B.A. in Bio from a pretty good school, but I am going for MEd now. Grad school for bio intimidates the shit out of me, I was never top of my class, which is why I couldn't get a B.S.
Fuck me for not being very food at anything, but I LOVE kids and am really excited about getting a Master's in education!

>>7360445
>I didn't realize places won't take over qualified people

Reasons for not taking someone overqualified in the company's eye.

>You will end up leaving the job to go somewhere else thus wasting money on training
>You too expensive to hire
> You won't be challenged on the job due to it being "below" you thus you won't work as hard

Its like being a musician:
Either you make it big
Or you dont make it at all

Cosplay is a hobby to 99% of people. If she was actually bringing in profit on the cosplay, then I'd probably agree with her if it was lucrative. But if shes not making shit for money off of it, then dropping out isnt going to help.

You cant eat animu skirts, and foam weapons dont give you warm shelter. Job first, hobby second.

>>7357517
>if they're studying something like fashion/costume design or SFX makeup, then it makes sense for it to blossom/assist with their cosplay hobby,

This is actually my situation. I'm a cosplayer because I'm a costume design major, not the other way around. I'd still be a costumer even if I decided I hated cosplay and the convention scene, because it's something I genuinely enjoy doing.
It's the kids that decide, "Oh, I'll major in fashion/costume design or makeup art so that I can be an even BETTER cosplayer" that have a problem. Those fields are all about connections, and if you ruin the great chances you have in school to make those connections because you're too busy running around at cons, you're going to graduate, and realise you can't do a damn thing with your major, because you don't know anyone in the business. Chances are, you're not going to get lucky enough to get famous, and have those people search you out based on your costumes.

>>7360445
So here's the thing about grad school:
Getting a Masters or PhD says nothing about your intelligence. All it indicates is an inclination to learn more and learn how to do research properly.
Some of the most pants-on-head retarded people I've ever met are PhD's and conversely some of the brightest people I've ever met don't have a high school degree.

Don't be scared, your success will be determined by your dedication to completing your goals (in school at least).

>>7359297
There aren't any jobs.

Grant funding is at an all-time low. Something like 95% of grants to NSF & NIH get rejected. We're at an all time low for grants (speaking for the U.S.).

I'm a Psychology Ph.D., but I do basic research on prenatal development, hormones, sensory development, etc. There is no money. There are no jobs. I'm going to be teaching H.S. science.

I'm also not in a position to relocate for a job in another state, which absolutely kills my ability to get a job at a university.

>>7359369
It was around my qualifying exams that I lost touch with cosplay and conventions. Before that I was able to balance classes, research, and cosplay. Quals made me hole myself up in solitude for months, then came my diss. proposal, then data collection, etc.

I really just want to get a job that let's me have time on the weekends for me. At this point I think I'd be really happy in a cube farm or even working retail. Anything that would let me clock-in and clock-out, without taking any work home or doing anything extra on my own time.

>>7359297
>>7359300
>>7359316
>>7359325
>>7359333
>>7361245
As someone currently studying science/medicine, please stop and tell me this is all a big joke before I literally kill myself
Seriously, what's the point, I'm just going to live on the streets drowning in debt from student loans anyway

I hear some people tell me "That's where the money is!!" and then the other side saying "It's a myth, you'll never find work." If you guys turn out to be right I'm gonna have a hard time getting out of bed every the morning

>>7361245
I have a acquaintance from Serbia. She has a Ph.D. in astrophysics. She barely gets funding in Serbia, but if she moved to the US, she'll likely get nothing. At the most, she would be a professor at a university.

>>7362732
Yep. Not to mention that here you need to pay a lot of money for college, not in tuition but books and equipment as the professors sell you all sorts of shit to make a buck.
And then the govt whines how bright young people are leaving the country.

>>7362718
What kind of science/medicine. If it's chem, you're fucked for life.

Only thing I got from my PhD was a sword, cape, and a Mr Yan hat.

...Not even sorry.

Everytime I think of college and cosplay, I think back to this girl I shared Costume Design with in my very first semester. She was apparently really poor, as I overheard her say how her family of 4-5 stayed in a single room of one of her friends homes. While I feel for her situation I can't help but feel frustrated at the fact that she was so dedicated and obsessed with conventions and cosplaying when she didn't even have a job. Where was she getting the money to pay for all of her things?

I understand wanting to treat yourself, but your family is struggling financially while you are off playing dress up. My friends boyfriend has known this girl for a long time and apparently her family has been in a financial crisis for sometime. The bf's family donated money and even got the girl a well paying job, but she essentially threw that down the gutter. It bugs me so much that someone would go into such an expensive hobby while still living eith family that is struggling. That convention/cosplay money+time could be used more effectively.

>>7357914

I commend you, anon. Not everybody can make a decision like that, especially if you have a lot of pressure to stay in school.

>>7362741
Or the gov. whines about there not being enough "home grown" scientists across various fields. There is no incentive for people to go into to research - there are so few jobs and those jobs that do exist don't pay extraordinarily well. There is no respect for having an advanced degree - I think most people show contempt for people with Ph.D.'s.

I got lucky and I had a assistantship/tuition waiver to get my degree. Although I didn't pay for my degree, I'm still sour about wasting time on a useless degree. All the stress of grad school probably took a good 10 years off my life. I can't imagine how terrible it must feel to have all that AND crippling student loans.

>>7359397
Wait this one?

>>7362745
I'm barely at the beginning stages, so I haven't pinned down exactly what. I'm getting prereqs out of the way. It's disappointing to be this discouraged before I've barely started.
I'm interested in neuroscience, especially the nitty gritty brain details of abnormal psychology. I like figuring out how our brains tick and what exactly's happening when it malfunctions. I'm also interested in researching pharmaceuticals. While I'd particularly like to help put in research to find medicine that actually works for mental illness, I'm fascinated how a capsule for any condition can drastically change the human body.
But I could go other directions to. I've thought about lab tech/radiology, though that's been sat on in this thread already.
I prefer the research and labwork side over diagnosing and treating patients individually, whether we're talking doctor or psychologist.

>>7363240

Neuropsychiatry has a long way to go in my opinion. Our medications are very imperfect at best, cause way too many side effects, and the diagnosis itself is often imprecise in a lot of cases. If we could somehow find a better objective way to do this and make people better, I think that would be a huge breakthrough. I wish you the best of luck - and that we find a better way of trying to determine aspects of our mental illness than the continually fraught imaging modalities that's favored in many neuroscience studies linking x behavior to y area in brain.

>mfw my friends all come to me with so called 'positive finding' studies 'omg this must be true'

Reaction image is for above reaction to friends, not you.

>>7363269
I definitely agree. I want to get in there and put a hand in for making those changes that need to happen.
But what I want to do means jack if I'll never be able to find work or earn enough to keep a roof over my head.

>>7363283
I remember when I was a passionate little psychologist. Developmental Psychobiology is my field, specifically.

I'm at the end of the process. I just need to defend my dissertation, and I'm all out of passion. I really don't care anymore - now my project is just a means to an end. I don't give a crap about furthering knowledge about dynamic systems theory anymore. I'm over it. I'm done. I just want a stable job with an OK income that doesn't stress me out. I want a job that I can clock-in and clock-out of, giving me time to cosplay on the side.

Although I've personally lost the will to research of the past 5 years, my lab mate, somehow, still has some enthusiasm. He's doing a post-doc far away. I wish him the best of luck, but I can't do this shit anymore.

To me, academia is just a huge circle-jerk of the same old douchebags at each meeting. Nothing every gets accomplished. No information is ever disseminated to the public effectively. Everyone is STILL hung up on nature/nurture - although it has been an "interaction" for some time, the degree of various influences is still argued.

>back to cosplay

Right now I'm just having fun planning my next costume. Researching materials and sketching out patterns. Neglecting edits on my dissertation....

I think being passionate about a hobby can lead you to studying for a profession that you'll enjoy. In high school and community college I loved cosplay, still do, and it's what ultimately led me to love fashion design. So, now I'm heading to another state to get a degree in fashion design in hopes of having a chance to work for another designer (because having your own line straight out of college is unrealistic and not affordable).

Granted I'm more interested in having a job in the fashion world than the costume world (fashion>costume) I still love cosplay and it's a great hobby to have as a fashion design student. Since fashion is something that always needs to be "new" and "fresh" and "original" it's nice to just look at a picture of a character and not have to come up with a design.

Maybe her being so focused on Cosplay will help her realize what makes her passionate about it and help her wake up to realize that cosplay will not pay the bills. Hopefully she'll find something realistic to do with her life.

I'm going to be stuck in school for a long time with my major and intended career. Fortunately, it's very needed, so finding a job won't be difficult. It's just getting through school that's the issue. My school is very competitive for the field, being in the top ten, so I don't really have time to fuck around. Balance that with 30 hours working a week, I have no idea how people do it.

It's kind of sad when you watch your friends do what OP is doing. I have a friend dropping out of college and getting a full time job so that she can cosplay more comfortably and have the time and money for it. I just... Want more from my life, I guess? There's a part of me that's jealous they can live happily with the thought of that kind of future, but I guess I'm not one of those people.

I also find a lot of the "cosplay > all" people don't live adventurously (try new things, eat new foods, meet new people etc.), and are unconcerned with their health. It's kind of sad.

Kudos to those of you here who aren't like that. It's very easy to lose yourself in your escapes

>>7363548
>my major and intended career. Fortunately, it's very needed, so finding a job won't be difficult.
What is it

>>7363555

Speech pathology and audiology.

>>7362787
My friend, also Serbian (as am I, if I haven't made it clear earlier, can't remember) had to work three jobs to pay his college tuition at the Faculty of Philology (UoBelgrade). Then he ended up failing the year for not attending enough classes. It's a huge circlejerk and you get it only if you're either lucky or rich. And the rich ones, including myself, mostly go to school abroad. Friend of mine got into the govt budget and is fighting to keep her place there, and from her stories it's very tough. She broke up with her long-term boyfriend to make more time for studying. It isn't even a lucrative field or anything, just Swedish language, yet people flock just about anywhere so they could get into the school.

>>7363362
Those feels anon, I went through the same thing! I finished with a double major, Honours in Psychology and English Lit., but at the end of the day I just didn't want to do research anymore.

My thesis was published but I only got second authorship because my supervisor was desperate for another publication. My cohort was so damned competitive and willing to tell the profs that some students wouldn't be successful and should lose their RA positions/grant opportunities because of stress.

Sewing kept me sane during those years and I found that I enjoyed making costumes/clothes for others so I decided to study fashion design. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to fully support myself with commissions or a small line (I dream though), so I'm still an freelance ESL teacher and research assistant in addition to that.

Not all STEM degrees are "equal" in terms of competitiveness and hireability. Majors like Biology and Psychology are currently over saturated with bachelor's level degree holders, so you'd better have some type of research/co-op experience or a very good connection somewhere, or you're facing some seriously shit-tier positions.

>>7361245
>Psychology Ph.D
Well there's your problem.
Remember, get a degree in something useful or technical.

>>7357373

This anon got it right, right at the beginning of the thread. It's pretty much how I feel about the sudden explosion in "get rich quick with little effort by being a cosplayer" thing that's going on.

My entire family (mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, the works) always asks me when I'm going to drop out of school and focus on just doing cosplay and commissions. They don't understand that it's not a self-sustainable lifestyle. For fuck's sake, they want me to drop out of 3rd year MED SCHOOL, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

Sounds like some people I'm friends with within the cosplay community. Countless times have I seen statuses on FB about friendships and relationships end, being in financial debt and whining about not being able to make a handful of new costumes for the upcoming latest con like it's a once in a life time opportunity. It's all about balancing out.

Conventions luckily for me are a source of income for my side job which is mostly artist alley work. I can't attend them all and prioritise which ones will strictly be for selling and ones for cosplaying/freely roaming a con.

>>7362718
One of the anons you quoted has a B.S. in Bio, which is basically useless unless you're going on to vet or med school. Are you going into nursing, pharm, medical/vet school, or a related profession? Then don't worry. There's a constant demand in the medical field because people burn out constantly. If you can stomach the idea that you might go through all this school and training just to be sick of it after 5 years in the field, then you're golden.

>>7359831
Summerschool isnt really the same kind of thing, it also seems to be somewhat optional? There is no way that all teachers do summerschool as well, as their pay is balanced out throughout the year to make up for the 3ish months of no school. Some do work on top of that, but it isnt the same thing as the normal fulltime job.

>>7363715
What is useful anymore? Even the fields people like to claim are good to get into are hard as fuck to get into. At this point, getting a degree in comp sci is just as useful as an English degree. Jobs suck regardless of the path you went down.

>>7363739
Oh my god same. They're like, wow you're so good at this, you should do it for a living! Nah, I actually wanna be able to afford food in the future.

>>7363739
Ohgodwat. I know that usually when Mrs Smith has a problem with everyone, it's Mrs Smith that has the problem, but sounds like your family are the mental ones.

>>7365301
>sick of it after 5 years
That's how they get people to go into GP, and how we recruit doctors to my country!

This was kinda me for a few years after I graduated from tech school. I got a cushy and easy part time job at a small business in my hometown and lived with my parents. I spent what little money I made on cosplay supplies, cons, weed, munchies, alcohol, and girlfriends. Basically, I was living the life I always wished I could have in high school at 21. I was a huge loser, a shut-in, and friendless in high school and I never had a job before this one so I took the one time in my life that I would have spending money and no responsibilities to enjoy myself.

It was great while it lasted, but my parents got really angry at me over the years until my mom finally snapped at me for wanting to go to a con across the country. After my gf left me I decided to fuck everything and get a full time job across the country. It wasn't hard with the experience I had and my parents fully supported my move. All the "friends" I had made cosplaying didn't really care. They never visited me anyway.

I don't really know if it was worth it. At least I had a girlfriend and pseudo friends for once in my miserable life. I'm still cosplaying and this new job makes it much easier.

I'm majoring in Japanese.
My mom tells me it's a good career move but I'm not so sure, for where I live, Russian is the hip new language everyone learns because of new business investments (by Russians, naturally). And English isn't worth it since everybody and their mom is majoring in it.

I'm just not sure anymore.

It seems ludicrous that there's so much job saturation in the US, considering how big it is. Am I missing something here? I live in the UK, and I've NEVER heard of any of my graduate acquaintances having trouble finding jobs, and this includes a few Sport Science graduates who ended up in accounting.

>>7365414
>to make up for the three months off.
Which country are we talking here? In the states, it's like a sick running joke that our teachers are treated like shit and paid in rocks.
From chats I've had with previous teachers, I think they spend a lot of their summers in training, getting updated in changes in their field, making plans with the school district, and putting together curriculums.
Though I'm not sure if that's something you do in your first 5, 10, 15, whatever years in the profession. Maybe the old guys who have been there from the start can go take a three month long cruise.
But I know that at least some teachers don't get much of a vacation.

>>7365524
I wouldn't be certain about job security just because they have do many contracts. Russia is run by the mob and corruption is rampant. There's no point of getting high-paying contract if more than half of profits are seized.

>>7365583
>US
>heh
My husband's a teacher at an international school and he and his coworkers basically get ALL the holidays off. Training and seminars are done over student-free days or long weekends, curriculum writing almost never unless they're launching a brand new program, and usually during the previous school year. He's never off pay and we get our housing for free, free use of all school facilities 24 hours (gym, pool, library etc.) as well as round trip plane ticket credit equivalent of flying him and any listed dependants back to visit the US twice a year. We usually spend it on vacations though, went scuba diving during Christmas in Bali, Singapore for CNY, and going to Thailand during April's semester break. Any of our future kids will also get free schooling K-12. He's paid well enough to support me, my cosplay and lolita (about 2 new brand dresses a month?), and our six cats. We also have a maid and live in a house with a garden.

>b-b-b-ut muh ammurrca

>>7360512

This is kind of my situation too, I intend to be a fashion design/costume design major, I did kind of find this because of cosplay, but I'm not really doing it to better my cosplaying. I generally love sewing/costuming, and could honestly see myself sewing clothes longterm even if not for a costume. I wonder if I'm making a huge mistake doing this.

>>7365556

That's what we're all wondering.

>Be BSBio major from above
>Return to /cgl/ while working on classwork
>begin drinking profusely

>>7366454
You do realize there are teachers elsewhere than in the states, right
And they're usually underpaid, just like GP doctors working in health centers

>>7365556
Unless you are in one of the more in-demand majors, which are always fluctuating anyways, most people here have a really hard time finding a job.
No fucking idea why but it sucks

I can sympathize with this line of thinking. I'm only a year off from graduating with my BSc but I feel like I've missed out on doing a lot of things because I've been studying my ass off while working part-time and doing side-work to boost my resume. At the same time I'd be so ashamed of myself if I quit (especially since I'm so close to graduating) and the reality of it is that getting my degree is going to be way more worthwhile than any costumes I might make if I were to quit.

The truth of the matter is once I graduate and start working, I will inevitably have both more free time and more money to work on costumes and it's not like it'll really be terribly for me to be really getting my cosplay game on at age 21/22. I'll still be young as fuck so who cares.

That being said I know of lots of people who aren't so wise. There was a girl I drove to a con who was failing her college courses because she was more focused on making costumes and awful anime paintings. She ended up posting a facebook status begging people for money so that she could make more costumes. She was about to get kicked out of her apartment because she hadn't paid rent and could only just afford to eat, but she wanted people to donate so that the money she currently used for costumes and art supplies would pay for her rent.

There was another person in my community who took out a shitload of student loans (more than 10K per year) but only took 3 courses a semester and spent the rest traveling to cons.

People are really fucking stupid

Welcome to /cgl/. Lurk more and post in the appropriate thread (>>7354045).

>>7358097
It's not even that it's essentially an art degree - I think the problem really lies i n the fact that they are going to college to fuel a HOBBY and not a career. If they were going to fashion school in hopes of working in the fashion industry, I'd say that's valid.

Buy attending college for a hobby is just baffling.

>>7367414
well damn, that mis-fire. No idea how that happened.

>>7367416
Yeah that's really it really.
Way back when in my first year, when I took introductory computer science courses my class had a handful of people who were taking the course because they liked video games. Most of them, when asked about what they aspired to be, answered with "game tester" or "game designer" and were there to fuel their gaming addiction. Naturally when it came down to "hey you actually have to learn to write useful code and we don't get into other design elements like art of music or story-writing until you have the basics" most of them dropped the class.

There's nothing wrong with doing the things you like but you have to separate hobbies from careers on some levels. There's nothing wrong with wanting to make costumes all the time or wanting to test out new videogames but it's stupid to think those are valid career options unless you're treating them like such and not like part of your hobby project.

>>7365556
Where in the UK are you? Where I'm from, there's so many graduates that they're all either working in bars or on 'compulsory work experience' doing filing at the Job Centre.

What about Pharmacy?

>>7370511
Depends where you are but slowly, where I am, they're doing what they've done for optometry which is hire very few pharmacists and a bunch of cheap technologists to get the job done.

I don't even want to start about the people that have shown up with a degree in Asian studies. I think it's okay when you pair it with something like business but on it's own? Err...

>>7365556
Fucking hell what planet do you live on? One of my mates graduated from Oxford and still couldn't find a job for over a year.

Unless you graduated before the recession hit or something. And even then did you miss all news reports on youth unemployment?

>>7359906
>because in engineering, you actually DO get spots at Japanese Universities
It's not like that for everyone. At my university the engineering and computer science course structures are so rigid that it's pretty much impossible to find equivalent units to study overseas. Pretty much all the information the uni provides on student exchange is for arts students.

>>7362809
Yes, that one. You'll be happy to know that costume was funded entirely by child support money.

>>7357703
Ah I understand the fantasy of wanting to do this but practicality? Oh fuck no. But i get where she would be coming from. I had to do a gap year cause of some mental health shit before college, but near the tail end when things were doing better I started attending a shit ton of cons between my community college courses, and it was one of the best years of my life. I went to like 6+ cons, got to meet so many people, see so many friends, have so much fun, and best of all it was helping me deal with why I took my gap year and my mental health sky rocketed with out all the pressure I was feeling in high school.

Now I'm in in University with only a year left after this one, I havent been to a con in two years because of where my school is and I have such a god damn heavy work load I just dont have the time. But I some times wish I could go back to that yer, do nothing but cons, live the high life.

However it's just a pipe dream. I got class, work, responsibilities and a future to work towards. I think this summer I'll start attending cons again now that I have more time to, but its sad knowing I wont be able to go to as many as I could before.
>Thinking your prime time years for con going and cosplaying are in high school

Oh god no.

Not everyone going to cons is losing money. I'm actually funding a good portion of living funds + tuition through artist alleying at every con I can get to and pulling a good profit out of. It doesn't cut into class time, and I get to enjoy it while supporting myself. The "con life" isn't automatically unstable, get rich quick, or stupid. A lot of what I'm doing now has gotten me connections in ways I never would have gotten otherwise, and I feel a lot more confident in my career post graduation than I ever would have without conventions.

>>7357226

Most flogged finally gave up on trying to pass her classes?

>>7366454
where do you live?