General
- I've never taken an online class before. How does Schoolism work? Is it live?
Because Schoolism teaches students from time zones all over the world, the courses are pre-recorded, so you won't have to worry about scheduling your life around your subscription (self-taught).
The pre-recorded lectures work like YouTube in the sense that you can watch them whenever and from wherever you want, provided that you have a high speed internet connection. You can fast forward, pause, rewind, and watch the lectures in parts if you can't watch entire lectures all in one sitting. We offer classes in 3 formats: LIVE Classes, Lifetime Access, and Subscriptions.
- Do I need a fast internet connection to use Schoolism?
Yes, we highly recommend streaming from a fast, reliable internet connection. The video player will auto-detect the connection speed and play at a resolution to ensure smoothest playback. For an optimal learning experience, we suggest that students view these videos in HD, if possible.
A minimum download speed of 3.0 Mbps is recommended to stream the lectures smoothly at SD, and 5.0 Mbps at HD. If your connection downloads at less than 3.0 Mbps, please be aware that your lesson viewing experience may be affected.- Do the lecture videos work on mobile devices?
Yes! To ensure a smooth playback, we recommend that browser app being used (Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge) is up to date.
- What type of software or materials will I need?
When taking courses in Subscription or Lifetime Access form, please feel free to use any material you’re comfortable with, or that would benefit you most, as these assignments aren’t reviewed. For LIVE Classes, we do suggest sticking with the method of drawing specified by your instructor. Most assignments are expected to be done digitally using Photoshop unless otherwise stated.
LIVE Classes VS. Subscriptions
- What are LIVE Classes?
LIVE classes have set start dates (which you can find on the ‘LIVE Classes’ page) and run between 9 to 14 weeks, depending on the course you’re taking. One lecture is activated every week and includes a mandatory assignment, which is due on the same day of the following week that they’re assigned.
The LIVE classes require weekly meetings with the instructor and participating classmates, in which the assignments will be reviewed by discussing what you did well, what you can work on, and how they might have handled certain elements of the assignment differently.
When a lecture is activated, the video lesson will remain open for the remainder of the course so by the time the final lecture is available, you will have access to the video lessons of the entire course. If your assignments are submitted on time, you will receive a final grade and a digital certificate of completion. Once you have received your final grade, you will have a 14-day review period where you’ll be able to:
- Download the recording of each weekly meeting to keep for future reference, and
- Re-watch the lesson videos for review and to take supplemental notes.
Your access to the course material will then end, and your seat will be cleared for the next session of students coming in.
- For my LIVE class, I won’t be able to turn in my assignment on time, what should I do?
Unfortunately, late submissions will not be acceptable, however, we understand there may be special circumstances so we suggest reaching out to your instructor to discuss and find a solution that works for both of you.
- If something unexpected comes up during my LIVE class and I am unable to finish the course, can I get a refund?
Full refunds via PayPal/Stripe are available up to 2 weeks before the start of the session. Within 2 weeks of the start of the session, we can issue a full refund minus a $25 admin fee. Once the session starts, refunds will be issued on a prorated basis depending on how many classes have already been activated for you. The $25 admin fee also applies in this case. Once lesson 7 is activated, we can no longer issue refunds.
- If something unexpected comes up and I am unable to finish the course but I don’t want a refund, can I be moved into my instructor’s next session?
You can be rolled forward into a future session of your instructor’s class if there are still open slots after the course has begun. You can be put on standby, and we’ll be happy to contact you if any open slots become available at the start of the course, or if a spot opens up while the course is in session, for you to continue from where you had left off. Please be aware that you may need to act on short notice if you’d like to complete the course in this way.
- What are Schoolism Subscriptions?
A Schoolism Subscription offers access to all the video lessons in a course of your choosing. You’ll be able to view, rewind, or fast-forward the material at your own pace! Although subscriptions do not include personalized video feedback or contact with the instructor, you will be able to access video feedbacks of past LIVE Classes students. When you wish to move on, simply switch to a different course!
- When will my subscription start?
Like most other subscription services, from Netflix to World of Warcraft, your Schoolism Subscription will start as soon as you sign up for it.
- Can I pause my subscription part way through?
Generally speaking, again, like Netflix, once your subscription starts, you won’t be able to pause it without canceling it altogether. However, if you feel that you have a very good reason for pausing your yearly subscription, you can email us to consider your case.
- How do I cancel my subscription?
You can cancel your subscription and stop automatic payments directly through your Account Settings. Go to Account Settings > Subscription (under Billing) > Cancel Subscription. If you have any difficulties please email us at info@schoolism.com and we’ll take care of the rest! Your subscription will end before your next billing date, and your credit card will not be charged for the next year.
Please be sure to contact us at least 3 days before your next billing date, as this can take some time to process. If you shoot us an email within 3 days of your next billing date, unfortunately, we can’t guarantee the cancellation of your subscription for the next year, but we’ll do what we can!
- Can I subscribe to TWO (or more) courses at the same time?
Yes, you can! After you have subscribed to your first course, you can subscribe to a second course simply by going to its course page and purchasing a separate subscription to it. You will then have both classes in your dashboard to watch as you please. You can do the same thing to subscribe to a third or fourth course, etc.
- Do Schoolism Subscriptions include LIVE Classes with personalized feedback?
Unfortunately, no, with the number of active subscribers, it would be physically impossible for instructors to teach, view, and critique assignments submitted by every student.
However, if you’re interested in joining a LIVE Class, a subscription to that course would be a great way to check out what you’ll be learning before plunging into the full LIVE Class (which is a whole other stratosphere of learning altogether).
- I have a Schoolism Subscription, can I still submit assignments?
Schoolism Subscriptions do not include assignment submissions. However, you are more than welcome to share your completed assignments with fellow subscribers on our dedicated Schoolism Study Club on the Lightbox Expo Discord. There will be plenty of students there to see and hopefully comment on what you’ve learned.
Even though I won’t get personalized feedback with my subscription, will I still be able to see the feedback videos of past students?
- Yes, you will! :)
- Is there a limit on how many times I can switch classes?
Nope! As long as you have an active subscription, you can switch classes as many times as you’d like!
- Can I request a refund for my Schoolism Subscription?
Like other subscription services such as Netflix, we don’t generally offer refunds for Schoolism Subscriptions. However, if you believe you have a valid reason to request a refund, please email us at info@schoolism.com where we will review each request on a case-by-case basis.
- Do you offer corporate discounts on Schoolism Subscriptions?
For studios or artist groups, we’ve recently launched a pilot program called Studio Subscriptions, which offer complete access to our entire current course library via a single master account for easy management by your HR or Training Administrator.
The value of the Studio Subscription is in the convenience of your artists being able to access all courses at the same time, the equivalent of having multiple individual subscriptions per person. Pricing is tiered based on the number of individuals who will be accessing the course material. For more information about Studio Subscriptions, please contact us at info@schoolism.com.
Payments
- I tried to purchase a class but my card was declined! What happened?
Sorry for the inconvenience! If your payment was declined, it might have been for a variety of reasons. When our payment processor submits a charge to your bank, your bank has automated systems that might decline the charge for your protection based on various triggers, such as:
- your spending habits (i.e. you don’t normally spend this much on an item on the internet)
- account balance (i.e. this purchase puts you over your credit limit)
- card information like the expiration date and CVC (i.e. the information you entered was incorrect)
- you are attempting to make your purchase from a location outside of the state, province, or country where your card is registered (i.e. you are trying to purchase while away on business or vacation)
Since these triggers are constantly changing to protect you from fraud, a previously successful card might be declined at a later date. Even if all of the card information is correct, and you’d previously made a successful payment, a future charge can still be declined by your bank’s overzealous fraud systems. If all of the card information seems correct, please kindly contact your bank for more information, and ask for future charges to be accepted.
Again, we apologize for the inconvenience! Unfortunately, this is the age we live in. If your bank is unable to authorize your purchase, please contact us at info@schoolism.com and we will try to arrange an alternate payment method for you.
- My payment failed and the error was "Your card does not support this type of purchase." What does that mean?
There are a few different reasons that you might get this response when a payment fails:
- Some credit or debit cards require a PIN to be entered, which is to say they will block any purchase for which a PIN was NOT entered. If you’re trying to use one of these cards, we’re afraid not even your bank will be able to circumvent the security so you will need to use another card to make the purchase or contact us for an alternate payment method.
- Some cards have restrictions on cross-border usage. This isn’t a common occurrence, but some introductory credit cards can only be used to make purchases in the same country as where they are registered. We are a Canadian company, so this might apply to you if your card was issued outside of Canada. If this is the case, please contact your bank to see if they can lift this restriction.
- Some cards such as corporate expense cards can only be used for certain business categories, such as travel or health care. If this applies to you but you believe your card should be usable for our classes, please contact us at info@schoolism.com
We apologize for any inconvenience during the purchasing process! Unfortunately, security measures vary throughout the world so we can’t account for every scenario but if you have trouble completing a purchase, we would be happy to do whatever we can to help. Simply email us at info@schoolism.com and our Help Desk will get in touch with you ASAP.
Lifetime Access
- What is Lifetime Access?
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Lifetime Access allows you to purchase a single course and enjoy unlimited, indefinite access to all its content for as long as it's available on Schoolism. Pay once and learn at your own pace without any recurring fees.
You'll also receive any future updates and additions to the course, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date information.
- How does Lifetime Access work?
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Once you purchase a course with Lifetime Access, you will be able to access your course through your Dashboard after logging into your Schoolism account.
You can access your course from any device, whether it's a computer, tablet, or smartphone, as long as you have an internet connection. There is no limit to how many times you can view the course content.
- Are assignments included?
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Yes, you will have access to all course assignments and can complete them at your own pace. However, please note that these assignments cannot be submitted for instructor review.
If you would like to submit your assignments and receive feedback from the instructor, you can enroll in one of our LIVE Classes.
- Do I receive a certificate upon completion?
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No, Certificates of Completion are only provided upon completion of one of our LIVE Classes.
- Can I request a refund for Lifetime Access classes?
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You may request a refund for your Lifetime Access course within 1 day of your purchase by contacting us at info@schoolism.com.