Cheaper ways to learn digi-design

If being able to type 90WPM is the most impressive computer skill you have, it may be difficult (i.e. impossible) to stay competitive in today’s hyper-digital workplace. Knowing how to use Photoshop, InDesign, FinalCut Pro and other programs can be beneficial when applying to jobs or landing freelance gigs. Though Pratt has an amazing list of computer graphics courses for the serious (and well-funded) student, some of us just want to dabble. So we did a price check to find the best rates on digital-design and video-editing classes around town. Got another lead? Please let us know in the comments.

Brooklyn College
2900 Bedford Ave. 718-951-5000
This local haunt for higher education offers several computer courses–including intro to Flash and Intro to Photoshop–for $145 a pop plus a $20 registration fee. The courses consist of 12 classes over six weeks and you need to have the programs you want to learn on your computer (or the friend’s computer you plan on borrowing).

Kingsboro Community College
2001 Oriental Blvd., 718-265-5343
Here, $125 will buy you 30 hours of  of beginner or intermediate Photoshp instruction at this Manhattan beach campus. This comes out to about $4 a class, which is our most frugal find. and, if you need to catch up on the basics before accepting an adminisrtative assistant-type job, one-day crash courses in Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) are offered for $75.  Registration for the next round of courses starts in early April.

3rd Ward
195 Morgan Ave. and 573 Metropolitan Ave. 718-715-4961
Members of this Williamsburg-based learning community are privy to reduced rates on a number of design courses. A package of four Photoshop or InDesign classes is $245 for members and $295 for non-members. Members pay just $80 for the three-hour intensive Photoshop class while non-member dole out $100. And members get to ride to class on one of these.

Craigslist is crawling with design students and freelancers who are willing to tutor locals on all things Adobe, and old faithful (You Tube) has tons of unstructional videos for the best price of all–free! Meetup.com has all kinds of groups for swapping tips on Photoshop and other programs. And you can also check out CreativeCow.net. Try not to be turned-off by the 12-year-olds on there–they know more than all of us.