Help with education decision

samgriffiths

My name is sam griffiths, I am 18 (like it matters).

So I have a problem, I am currently on a BTEC National course for animation in the UK, the reason I joined this course was that I was planning on going to university and I needed the qualification.
I'm in the 2nd year of two, when I first started the course I knew nothing about 3D and it was pretty fun but as I grow as an artist it seems so boring and it seems like it is just wasting my time I could spend at home working on polycount, gameartisans - etc.

Everytime I go to college I am just so bored making 'interactive calenders using flash' (yey) and the truth is I am seriously considering leaving as to further my education into game art at home - this does seem quiet scary for me as I am just 18 and education does seem like solid ground or a fall-back. The level of the course is that - one of the tutors does freelance work and sometimes he asks for my help, there are some 3D lessons but they are so basic he just tells me not to come in (this is the reason I am doing the course)

I just feel like I am wasting so much time, and that now I know qualification won't mean much unless I intend to move country or relocate staying seems pointless.

I need some of that elite polycount sauce to help me through and make the right decision - at the moment my focuses in life are;

Constantly Improving my Portfolio
Re-making portfolio website
Internship/entry-level position (After those two^)

I have been doing game art for around one year now (once learning the processes) and I am constantly pushing myself and testing myself against other artists on polycount. When I see students that are better than me I think WTF THEY WILL GET MY JOB. I love learning game art and for me polycount is the guiding light and I see so much knowledge I just need time to absorb it all.

Thank-you and any advice is appreciated.

DrunkShaman

If I were you I would still attend through the course and work on my own stuff in my free time at home. Since you are half way through that is. If you drop out right now, than it will be a big time waste and you will endup no where.

Also it might effect on the percentage of your chances to get an internship if you drop out.

If you were starting up a course and were in the first week where you can just get your money back than it would've been a different story.

samgriffiths

I understand about the internship factor, also - soon I will be doing my Final major project in which I am allowed to do what I want, obviously I would do something game art related for 5 months such as ue3 environments, concept to game characters, etc.

carlo_c

Yeah, what nitewalkr said pretty much.

I can understand how you feel, stick with it and just get through it. When it's done you can spend all the time you want working on your game art.

Plus, if one of your tutors freelances and asks you for help you should try and get in on some work through him. Might not be making game environments and other fun stuff but hey, it'll be money in your pocket and some professional work for you.

Good luck with it all.

Tom Ellis

Just to make you feel marginally better, in stuck 3/4s way through a degree in.... Interior Design. Which I paid for with a personal loan ><

I got into game art about a year ago and know this is where I want to focus my efforts as I've never enjoyed another career path so much. I have wanted to bail on the degree many times but obviously a heavy debt prevents me from doing that.

I've just pretty much sucked it up and will finish the course just because hey, it's a degree. But i've just focused every bit of spare time I have on developing my game art skills.

I'd finish the course if I were you, and as is the usual (great) advice on here... Attend the University of Polycount in your spare time.

There are many examples of some incredible artists/animators/designers that have gone the 'sacrifice your social life for a while and it'll pay off' route and it can be done.

samgriffiths

Thank-you for the great advice, I think i'll stick it out.

University of polycount sounds good to me.

wait a second..