I am in need of some guidence
I been in this art school for about 2 years now, and until recently i been happy to an extent. They opened my eyes to the arts and made me appreciate a lot of things but at the same time i can't help but feel they are no longer teacher me or satisfying my urge to learn and expand.
In the 2 years i been there, I've only learned the basics. In 6 months, with some of my 2d artist friends, I have learned 10 times more than the school has bothered teaching me about 2d and 3d. Not saying the school has been a total waste of time ... but when they are teaching "game artist" how to prepare for a tough industry to get into by showing us, the students, how to use unreal 2004 ... it just seems like a waste of time to me. I learned mostly by my self, and this is now how it's been for the past month or so when i stop relaying so much on the school.
I now find myself now at a fork in the road, not knowing if i should continue in this school that seems to have run out of new material for me to learn or drop school all together and practice on my own. By dropping the school, I lose any and all support my family have been giving me and for all intensive purpose, I'm "on my own" but i get to practice my art and improve and expand. If i stay in school, I'll will retain my family's support but i would have to continue in a school which seem to have sucked out all my motivation at moving forward, and more than likely drain me of my income for the next 600 years.
Its not impossible for me to stay in school and practice on my own ... I mean its not like i work or have any commitment to anyone ... I'm just trying to figure out if it's really worth it.
Any advice?
In the 2 years i been there, I've only learned the basics. In 6 months, with some of my 2d artist friends, I have learned 10 times more than the school has bothered teaching me about 2d and 3d. Not saying the school has been a total waste of time ... but when they are teaching "game artist" how to prepare for a tough industry to get into by showing us, the students, how to use unreal 2004 ... it just seems like a waste of time to me. I learned mostly by my self, and this is now how it's been for the past month or so when i stop relaying so much on the school.
I now find myself now at a fork in the road, not knowing if i should continue in this school that seems to have run out of new material for me to learn or drop school all together and practice on my own. By dropping the school, I lose any and all support my family have been giving me and for all intensive purpose, I'm "on my own" but i get to practice my art and improve and expand. If i stay in school, I'll will retain my family's support but i would have to continue in a school which seem to have sucked out all my motivation at moving forward, and more than likely drain me of my income for the next 600 years.
Its not impossible for me to stay in school and practice on my own ... I mean its not like i work or have any commitment to anyone ... I'm just trying to figure out if it's really worth it.
Any advice?
Replies
In either way, you can always practise your art beyond school hours. It's up to you to extend your knowledge, this goes no matter what type of your school you are in. If you want to know more, you have to do it by yourself. In the 5 years I read my masters in mechanical engineering only one tutor actually knew how to make you work hard. But I never cared about the tutors, I only worked hard cause I never trusted them :P.
But I got the masters and that's worth on paper. What you CAN and CAN NOT do will show no matter school, it's all up to you.
I haven't discussed this with much with anyone, not my parents nor teacher, just some close friends. Most of them tell me what a waste school is, how pointless the degree is, all the matters is the work, so on and so forth. very few of them tell me to actually stay with the school.
Does %90 of the student body draw shitty anime still?
You grad and get that degree will help you out eventually. Not so much versus a good folio for entry level, but getting promoted or hired into lead positions and above...a degree is gonna give you an edge.
Could be a selling point to discuss in future interviews (just don't say your program sucked or you learned more outside, etc. 'cuz that would just work against you).
i think that goes for every art school O_o
I'd say about 73% now ... then there the 15% that don't really practice to improve and say "That's my art style, you must be able to understand it, I'm not going to change it", and then there's like the 12% that actually do some good work ... but i think that 12% might have graduated already or are close to finishing.
It's a bachelors in Game Art and Design. I can safely say i don't like the programming aspect of Game Art ... not my thing.
I guess in the end, that piece of paper that says i did something for the past 4 years of my life, might serve useful.
I'm wired on like 4 cups of coffee and 2 monster energy drinks!!! my legs won't stop moving! o.O
If you were just starting I'd say to drop it, but you're 2 years into a 3 year program. It's great that you're going above and beyond what the school is teaching you, as that'll allow you to get where you need to be by the program's end. Try to find an internship somewhere in your last year, and make sure you're working on projects outside of class.
If having a degree means nothing to you, then dropping out isn't a horrible option. You don't NEED that piece of paper to get a job, however, it may keep you focused on the prize. It's very easy to get distracted and procrastinate when you don't have to do something, so if you decide to leave make sure you stick to some sort of schedule and post things for critique regularly.
Ya know that's what i plan on doing ... 1st thing i posted was some random girl i was working on but it was also for class so i had to half ass it near to end to get a grade for it ... i still need to rig her, skin her and animated her but i am not proud oh how she came out, i just needed a grade for that class. But i am going to post more stuff as the years go one and hopefully show some improvements.
I consistently put new techniques to use in my class assignments that weren't taught to me in the classes I was taking, and used my assignments as simply an opportunity to practice what I was trying to teach myself. In the long run, it was this method that helped me learn more than anything else.
TBQH a school wont teach you shit. It really comes down to YOU to learn it on your own anyway. I know it's easy to just skate through AI classes and end up with a degree, but push yourself to be the best student in your classes... the on that teaches himself.
I know a graduate from the ft. Lauderdale school who is a very VERY talented animator, currently working on ice age 3. Not a game artist, but nonetheless, a student that worked hard, much harder than he was challenged to work while a student, and is now extremely professional and talented.
p.s. I'm still a student at AI and fortunately out here the curriculum has really ramped up in the last 6 months... hopefully your school will do the same for you. good luck man
I think they have a few more things to teach you
and yes I am no help....
Hey and just to not be a dick and say LOL,
I think you made the right choice by staying in school and practicing on your own. If you have been going for 2 years it would be a shame to just up and leave.
The effects of the 2 energy drink and 4 coffees are wearing off ... drifting off to my happy place.
I think any school can be worth it if you look at it from the right direction, unless the instructors are incapable of demonstrating and helping you go the next step. I would worry if you look at your instructors' professional portfolios and find they aren't equal or better to what the industry standards are. And by standards, I mean look around, here, on the web, real life professional studios.. We all know what's coming out of studios right now, so it's up to them and yourself to step it up. If they are incapable of doing so for the amount of money you're giving them, then maybe it might be time to move on.
I'd agree. You've already invested 2 years of time and money. Wrap it up and leave with a degree.