I'm looking to start art school for graphic design in the fall as well, so I can't really give you any advice, but i'm curious-- what schools are you looking at?
I'm going to agree with the above who said if you love doing something, and do it a lot, you will become good at it- so don't worry about comparing yourself to others. At its best, design is not a commodifiable thing that lends itself to direct comparisons anyway. There are some rules of color theory, cognitive science, info design, etc... that hold true across the board. But everyone learns to apply them in different ways. So what makes one designer's work compelling is totally different from another designer.
Also, while a handful of computer programs are industry standard, and knowing them cold is an important part of your learning, it's not the most important thing. Knowing Photoshop doesn't make you a great photographer any more than knowing Microsoft Word makes you a great novelist. Look at a lot of design- good design, bad design, all of it. Try to understand why this works for you and that doesn't; all of those things. And do a lot of design yourself. And have fun.
All you really need to have before going to school is an understanding of what the field entails, and the desire to be part of it - the rest just comes from hard work and repetition.
Personally for me (graduating in 4 weeks) school has helped me improve in a huge way - but I can't credit my school entirely, you get what you put into it.
One thing I notice is that people are always willing to give up pretty easily, sure the field isn't for everyone - but the people who make it look easy are usually the people who've worked the hardest and saw things through to the end (usually)
You have a leg up on most 17 year olds, I think, just having an idea of what you want to pursue. Yes there are a lot of very talented, intimidating people out there (and its very good for you to look at their work and be inspired), but there are so many people your age who haven't a clue what they want to do. So congratulations for having an inkling
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Also, while a handful of computer programs are industry standard, and knowing them cold is an important part of your learning, it's not the most important thing. Knowing Photoshop doesn't make you a great photographer any more than knowing Microsoft Word makes you a great novelist. Look at a lot of design- good design, bad design, all of it. Try to understand why this works for you and that doesn't; all of those things. And do a lot of design yourself. And have fun.
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Personally for me (graduating in 4 weeks) school has helped me improve in a huge way - but I can't credit my school entirely, you get what you put into it.
One thing I notice is that people are always willing to give up pretty easily, sure the field isn't for everyone - but the people who make it look easy are usually the people who've worked the hardest and saw things through to the end (usually)
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