GEP

My ceramics education was not formal. It consisted of informal recreational classes, plus some excellent workshops, lots of reading, plus the most important element which is years and years of hands-on experience and practice. It can be done, but it certainly takes a lot longer than 4 years. And you need to put together your own "curriculum" so to speak, and research where to get the training you want. Even advanced topics like kiln-building and fuel firing can be learned this way, if you search for it. On the plus side, it's a lot cheaper than college tuition. You can also be working full-time while you do it. 
I recently gave a throwing demo at a local community college. The classroom and facilities were beautiful! I was a little envious, and wished I could have learned in a setting like that. But at the same time, Mark mentioned this above too, if you get a college ceramics education, you are still short of the years and years of hands-on experience and practice that it takes to realize your goals. So condensing all the education into 4 years doesn't get you there any faster. 
I have a college degree in design, and I would not trade that educational experience for anything. It transformed me from a talented but naive/immature high-schooler into an adult who could navigate the professional world. This is not something you can teach yourself. It takes role models and a lot of guidance. 

My ceramics education was not formal. It consisted of informal recreational classes, plus some excellent workshops, lots of reading, plus the most important element which is years and years of hands-on experience and practice. It can be done, but it certainly takes a lot longer than 4 years. And you need to put together your own "curriculum" so to speak, and research where to get the training you want. Even advanced topics like kiln-building and fuel firing can be learned this way, if you search for it. On the plus side, it's a lot cheaper than college tuition. You can also be working full-time while you do it. 
I recently gave a throwing demo at a local community college. The classroom and facilities were beautiful! I was a little envious, and wished I could have learned in a setting like that. But at the same time, Mark mentioned this above too, if you get a college ceramics education, you are still short of the years and years of hands-on experience and practice that it takes to realize your goals. So condensing all the education into 4 years doesn't get you there any faster. 
I have a college degree in design, and I would not trade that educational experience for anything. It transformed me from a talented but naive/immature high-schooler into an adult who could navigate the professional world. This is not something you can teach yourself. It takes role models and a lot of guidance. 

Formal education is  a key element in the whole process. I was raised in a art friendy home by educators. I was exposed to ceramics in 5th grade and again in high school. It took hold of part of me and I do not know why. I went on and got an art degree in collage over a 5 year process. I happened to learn from recent graduates from the golden age of Alfred graduates who got their 1st teaching jobs. They learned from the greats-like Rhodes etc. I was at the right place right time. Also one could find materials on the cheap and build kilns and obtain permits may back then. Thats all changed now.
Back in school I fired gas and electrics worked as a tech and fired kilns for work study money-built kilns-made bricks learned clay and glaze formulation
did low fire and high fire and raku and pit firing-made sculpture and made functional wares. Only in school is one exposed to it all and to get all the knowledge one needs to see it all.U-tube cannot hold a candle too this experience.
School was the beginning of my learning experience -Really just a jump off point looking back. Its the foundation of my career but the real learning was in the real world of business and the sheer number of years it takes to get good and succeed .Throwing really well takes everyone different amounts of time to master-for me it was about 7 or eight years to get handles and forms perfected and have then sell well.
I'm a big believer in formal education-our society improves with formal education.
The only downside these days is ceramic education has been slashed nation wide and there has been at least a twenty year bias towards sculpt vs functional wares in many collage programs. You can now get a degree in what I call (jar opening) where you learn very little except low fire sculpture making.Finding a good school these days is work.

Without formal education I wouldn't be where I am now in my skill level and vision with regard to Ceramics. I have completed 3 courses at Sierra College and aced all 3 leaving me with a 4.0 average. The stuff that I learned in these courses has brought me to a place where I am doing custom orders as well as being able to donate to my local PBS station KVIE/ juried Art Auction

There are many people who worry that learning common ways of doing things, or other people's ways of doing things, will keep them from discovering uncommon ways of doing things or a unique personal style. 
These are often the same people who believe that small children have better judgment and instincts than people who have been exposed to a range of other people's ideas.
I don't think there is any evidence that exposure to a range of ideas or techniques is stifling. More likely it is stimulating.
There are others who loathe formal education because they were either bored or humiliated by the particular education they received and generalize that to all formal education.
I have also encountered people who are convinced that formally educated people are less disposed to becoming life-long learners than people without formal education. I don't think there is any validity to this assumption.
The question of how much it is reasonable to go into debt or how much time it is reasonable to devote is entirely legitimate. There will also be people who have an exceptional alternative resource available to them that is uncommon, someone who is willing to devote all the time it takes to teach them privately. Most people will not have this option. 
I have taken two ceramics classes. One was an open studio sort of thing with lots of studio access but little instruction. The other involved formal instruction but no access other than during class time to practice space or equipment.
I learned much more from the second than from the first, but these experiences made me wish I had had an opportunity to take a class from a teacher over the course of a three or four month term in which I also had access to the studio to practice. At this point I am unlikely to be able to do that.
 
 
 

My gravy boat needed a redesign, because the other one was too fussy. So I made a thing. 

We need to add the bling to these jewelry pendants.

Load was in night before last, cut it back to go to bed as it was not reaching temp. . . heat color was around 1900F., Woke yesterday morning early, 4am. Thought it is too early it won't over fire as I had cut it back to 65%. Got up at 7 and checked to find all cones FLAT! Unloading today. First look says someone was looking over me. .. no crawling, no pinholing and the color is muted, but acceptable.  Should have paid more attention as I knew it was firing better after changing a bad element.
Grinding today, and glazing next load.
 
best,
Pres

Glazing today as the weather is clear and sunny. These have been base glazed, and there are 7 more boards like this one, some with honey jars, and teapots.
 
 
best,
Pres

The tool that I made which probably gets about the most use are the small sieves. I use them to sieve my glazes before spraying. Local place charges $27- for one of the Talisman test sieves which I have a problem with since I was going through quite a few every year. (plus they are a little small for what I was using them for) I prefer the first one as it will sit in a container without me having to hold onto it. Other one was faster to make though.
 
 

WOW...where do I start? At this point I can't say that I have a favorite...actually, I think the splash pan is the fave since it keeps the throwing mess to a minimum...
I've built a heavy duty extruder and use 1/4" Lexan salvaged from a Sub-Zero refrigerator door to make the dies, a half dozen or more hacksaw blade trimming tools, a chattering tool from a piece of 1" heavy duty steel banding from a lumber yard, scratch tool from a piece of 5/16" brake line tubing, various cut-off wires, various bamboo/squirrel tail brushes, splash pan from the bottom of a plastic trash barrel, 3 banding wheels made from recycled ceiling fans...and these are just what comes to mind. I think my next BIG project will be to get an old trash masher and use the motor and screw drive to convert my extruder. As I spend more time in the studio with winter coming on, I'm sure there will be more things to fabricate to make my clay work easier.
I'll soon be posting a video showing how I made my last banding wheel from a ceiling fan. I'll also post pix to my gallery album of some of the afore mentioned tools.
JohnnyK

Homemade cutoff wires, made from fishing line and fender washers. Taught to me by the marvelous Nan Rothwell in Charlottesville VA. I love that these can be made to any length of your choosing. Storebought ones are always too long.
The first one is for cutting pugs, the second one is for cutting off small pots like mugs, the third one is for everything larger than a mug. They break every so often, but it takes only minutes to make a new one, and that one spool of fishing line will probably last a lifetime.

Homemade cutoff wires, made from fishing line and fender washers. Taught to me by the marvelous Nan Rothwell in Charlottesville VA. I love that these can be made to any length of your choosing. Storebought ones are always too long.
The first one is for cutting pugs, the second one is for cutting off small pots like mugs, the third one is for everything larger than a mug. They break every so often, but it takes only minutes to make a new one, and that one spool of fishing line will probably last a lifetime.

2 inch tall elephant figurines, and 4 inch wide dishes.

2 inch tall elephant figurines, and 4 inch wide dishes.

2 inch tall elephant figurines, and 4 inch wide dishes.

Mine are mini vases and mini bowls-sponge holders and spoon rests -small cat bowls-extruded soap dishes. Smalls are where I make the most money selling as they sell to everyone.

Thanks for posting my question Pres.
Mark, do soap dishes sell better for you than your soap pumps?
My kiln fillers are quite small, between 2 - 3" tall or wide. Teabag/ring dishes, mini bowls, and no trim mini tubs and mini jugs. The jugs and bowls sell the best for me. Jugs for warming up maple syrup, melted butter, cream, salad dressing etc.
 

 
 

Art teachers are really good at three-dimensional Tetris!
The worst however, is when you get so far in loading, and find something that  either; A. Would fit better on a different spot, or B. You forgot about all together, because you had it sitting aside (Sometimes sitting aside, so you didn't forget about it...)
I have had to unload, just to reload before.  A lot of heavy sighing is involved...

2 inch tall elephant figurines, and 4 inch wide dishes.

2 inch tall elephant figurines, and 4 inch wide dishes.

I have an extra day off this week, so I am exploring some of the ideas that have been rattling around in my head. If possible I like to introduce new designs at my open studio in december, which means I need to start figuring them out now.
Edit:  ....aaaand now that I’ve studied this photo a bit, I’m going to erase the “7” on the brown one, and try to put it in the right place.

I have an extra day off this week, so I am exploring some of the ideas that have been rattling around in my head. If possible I like to introduce new designs at my open studio in december, which means I need to start figuring them out now.
Edit:  ....aaaand now that I’ve studied this photo a bit, I’m going to erase the “7” on the brown one, and try to put it in the right place.

I have an extra day off this week, so I am exploring some of the ideas that have been rattling around in my head. If possible I like to introduce new designs at my open studio in december, which means I need to start figuring them out now.
Edit:  ....aaaand now that I’ve studied this photo a bit, I’m going to erase the “7” on the brown one, and try to put it in the right place.

I have an extra day off this week, so I am exploring some of the ideas that have been rattling around in my head. If possible I like to introduce new designs at my open studio in december, which means I need to start figuring them out now.
Edit:  ....aaaand now that I’ve studied this photo a bit, I’m going to erase the “7” on the brown one, and try to put it in the right place.