It was a huge deal when Pam left art school in season 5 of The Office. When it was revealed in season 2, episode 15, "Boys and Girls," that Pam really enjoyed doing illustrations, the writers decided to explore this skill of hers in depth to see if they could try and find a way for her to make a career out of it. While it did take a while, her first real opportunity arose in season 5, episode 1, "Weight Loss," when Pam left Scranton for a three-month art program at the Pratt Institute.
At first, Pam thrived at school where she made friends and learned things she was interested in. However, the hardest part about art school was being away from Jim. While their relationship initially flourished after Jim proposed to her at a gas station in season 4, small issues began to emerge as work began to take up more of their time. Pam's worries got even worse when she found out that she failed one of her graphic design classes and would have to stay for another three months to retake the class. Knowing how much she missed Jim, Pam had to decide if she should go home to her fiance or give art school another try.
Pam Quit Because She Had A New Dream
In season 5, episode 8, "Business Trip," Pam showed up unannounced at Dunder Mifflin to surprise Jim. She had quit art school and wanted to go back to her life in Scranton because she missed it. She also realized that digital design wasn't what she was passionate about. Considering The Office ended with Jim and Pam together, her decision to focus on her relationship instead of a career as an artist was the right choice. The debate on whether Pam should have quit her dream for a man, however, was often discussed outside the show as many were disappointed she quit her dream for love.
Pam had a list of things in her life that she never followed through on. Outside of art school, Pam called off her relationship with Roy multiple times, she impulsively quit being a receptionist for a startup with Michael, and she quit being a saleswoman once she realized how hard it was. Because of how comfortable Pam was with quitting, leaving her passion (yet again) felt wrong. At the end of The Office, Pam and Jim were happily married and Pam continued painting for fun instead of as a career, but it really did feel disappointing that she never got to graduate from art school since this was an opportunity to do more for Pam.
Jenna Fischer Was Happy Pam Quit Art School
While many were bothered that Pam quit yet another thing on the show, the actor who played Pam, Jenna Fischer, was happy Pam left art school to be back in Scranton. In an episode of The Office Ladies podcast, Fischer said, "The truth for Pam was not that she was giving up on her dreams for Jim but that she was distinguishing what her real dreams were." Fischer felt after Pam broke up with Roy, she did what "a lot of artists do" and attempt different avenues of their craft. Just because she failed graphic design didn't mean she had to stop being an artist.
Fischer continued saying that Pam would rather be somewhere she loved than do something because she was supposed to. "But what she definitely does not want to do is spend 12 more weeks studying something she doesn’t love," the actress said. While understandable, it's not the popular opinion. Although Pam left art school, she continued painting and drawing throughout The Office. Doing art as a hobby was hard to accept but proved to be a better fit for Pam.