to college or not to college?
polycounter lvl 7
Hey everyone,
Well, I know similar questions have been asked before, but now I have a big decision and would be so grateful for your guys' opinion on my specific situation. If you don't care to read my background then just skip to the main questions in bold
.
I'm about to finish my Associates degree for community college and want to be an environment artist for Games (what's new
). However I've read many times over that most employers could care less about academic credentials and it's all about the skills you can show. I feel like I'm constantly progressing skill-wise right now and am almost certain a degree in traditional arts or game art would not help me any more than I can help my self via self-teaching. But I've been looking at job postings from relevant companies in my area (Seattle) and the majority have a 4 year BFA or equivalent as a prerequisite. If my skills are up to par, do you guys think that not having a degree will limit me? Do you guys think it's worth spending the extra 2 years and 20 some grand? I'm burning to just be done with school, and take a year hammering at my portfolio and sending it out.
My parents are willing to support me for college, as well as they are willing to support me living at home jobless for some time while I build my skills and portfolio. They would also support my living costs for 6 months while I take a full-time unpaid internship if necessary (or if someone would take me).
So my main questions in a nutshell:
1. Do you guys think an art degree is worth getting if it's strictly for credentials, because I don't feel it will help me personally skill-wise?
2. Do you guys think offering myself for free as a full-time intern (granted I have skills of some value) will help me break into the industry?
Thankyou so much for your time guys. I realize questions like this can be annoying especially if they asked the wrong question in the first place (I try to research as much as possible before I resort to writing a novel on a forum.)
Well, I know similar questions have been asked before, but now I have a big decision and would be so grateful for your guys' opinion on my specific situation. If you don't care to read my background then just skip to the main questions in bold
.I'm about to finish my Associates degree for community college and want to be an environment artist for Games (what's new
). However I've read many times over that most employers could care less about academic credentials and it's all about the skills you can show. I feel like I'm constantly progressing skill-wise right now and am almost certain a degree in traditional arts or game art would not help me any more than I can help my self via self-teaching. But I've been looking at job postings from relevant companies in my area (Seattle) and the majority have a 4 year BFA or equivalent as a prerequisite. If my skills are up to par, do you guys think that not having a degree will limit me? Do you guys think it's worth spending the extra 2 years and 20 some grand? I'm burning to just be done with school, and take a year hammering at my portfolio and sending it out.My parents are willing to support me for college, as well as they are willing to support me living at home jobless for some time while I build my skills and portfolio. They would also support my living costs for 6 months while I take a full-time unpaid internship if necessary (or if someone would take me).
So my main questions in a nutshell:
1. Do you guys think an art degree is worth getting if it's strictly for credentials, because I don't feel it will help me personally skill-wise?
2. Do you guys think offering myself for free as a full-time intern (granted I have skills of some value) will help me break into the industry?
Thankyou so much for your time guys. I realize questions like this can be annoying especially if they asked the wrong question in the first place (I try to research as much as possible before I resort to writing a novel on a forum.)
Replies
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=65758
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=67067
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=66044
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=64763
Unfortunately I kind of just passed a plateau in CG, and all the work I do have is from before that (which means it sucks pretty bad, hah) and it's before I decided for sure I want to do environment art for games (so the models don't have game specifications). I'm reluctant to show because it's such a misrepresentation of my style and skill but here's some of my old stuff:
17th Century Ship
Another Angle of ship
Microphone
Secret Attic with really atrocious lighting
I'm much better now, and all my new stuff will be game engine specific. Also if I decide to take the non Uni route I plan on practicing art and CG 6+ hours a day for at least 6 months.
2) I don't think so but I'm not an employer.
Alex
I've been through 2 schools and still have no degree. I have 3 months of classes left, and I cannot get any money to finish. I have been waiting for loans for almost a year now.
I took programming classes in high school and honestly, I learned nothing in college because of everything I learned in high school (which was a little more than basic).
The best place to learn for me was mods, forums, and contacts in the industry (mentors if you want to call it that).
If you do decide to go to school, do a ton of research. Don't take any advice from the reps from the colleges (they will sell you anything). And don do nything drastic to your credit wile in school (I bought a car and that's why the loans stopped coming).
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=68593
I still gwt federal and other school loans but its not enough to cover my classes. Its the private loans I cannot get. Thanks for hoping it gets better, I'm trying real hard to get a job in the industry and even if its not going to help, I'm so close, ill still finish school
A few months ago, I had been telling myself that it would get better and my skills would jump through the roof, unsure, I went to talk to the seniors. I had been studying 3d by myself for about 4 years previous, but without much direction, I had slowly put together my skills. I was a second year student and I was already surpassing the seniors!
I quickly dropped myself out of the next semester and am planning to go to VFS in a few years.
The point is that even though the school was horrible, and the students had no ambition, I was immersed in a 3d art environment every day. I talked to the two good teachers I had constantly, and I learned a helluvalot in traditional art. which has made my texturing and anatomy skills shoot though the roof.
I am now working on a few projects professionally, and paying off the 35,000 in school loans, till i can go to VFS, if anything for the degree and the polish that will take my skills to the next level. I know I will learn a lot there, and the piece of paper some companies require will only take a year and 45K to get.:) im excited:poly142:
I can't speak for the quality of education at vfs, but they don't offer degrees there, so you won't be getting the "piece of paper some companies require". Of course, most places don't require any sort of degree anyway, but the ones that have it listed as a requirement almost always ask for bachelor level or above.
From what many of you have said, at this point I'm leaning towards just finishing my AA (6 months left) and then try to get into the industry via job or internship. Although in Talbot's thread stoofoo mentioned an upstarting program in my area that looks very interesting.
If any other students/aspiring artists are reading this thread and are interested:
http://www.futurepoly.com/
Good and bad
here it goes
Good:
You meet people who will more or less Might or might not make it
They will push you and you will probably bounce to each others when working getting ideas etc
THE Bad:
Useless degree, you can work the same shit jobs you would get with that degree without that paper (IM talking if you lets say dont get a career job in the games field and are looking for BS work, that fancy paper dosent make a BIG lick of difference anywhere and I still have yet to have a game studio tell me you went to "so & So school we want you")
BIG FUCKING TUITION FOR A USELESS FUCKING DEGREE THAT WILL HAUNT YOUR BANK ACCOUNT FOR A GOOD 10 + YEARS , (I WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING LARGER AND BIGGER THEN CAPSLOCK TO GET THIS POINT ACROSS)
and usually 1/2 the time when you realise the things you learned in a school you could have learned online for free (which usually a good 75% of the schools I knew of Did just this and gave links to polycount related tutorials etc) Its just cheaper to work a BS job and learn privately on your own. Unless if you REALLY are intimidated about learning the softwear in which would be the only reason I recommend to look into the college
ANYWAY im speaking from PERSONAL experiences of big let downs and BIG tuitions so if other people have pleasnt things to say about a school then by all means go ahead
But I will say honestly usually every time these threads come up people usually give there 2 cents and ive seen more people suggesting the not going to college reference more then going to it
Besides once you see your bank account being slipped of your little money im sure something like this might happen
then take that education,
but remember
be hardcore, school has lots of illusion of flattery, you d think that you are good already
but in real world is different.
be better than anyone in this forum or other community is your goal,
use your classmate as big discussion group to improve your class art quality, rather than individual rivalry ( im tired of this -_-)
that all means, straight A wont be enough.
good luck
I made a bit of a mistake with that, having gone to an art school kind of blindly. The education wasn't entirely wasted as I got some traditional art and figure drawing skills under my belt, as well as some basic photography lectures that (I reckon) improved my eye for lighting, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted to learn, and the 3D lecturer was embarrassingly fail. The vast majority of what I learnt in 3D I had to teach myself by lurking on various CG forums and such.
I reckon that the learning that one gets from an internship is by far more practical (and thus more useful) that the stuff schools usually seem to teach. You'd become more accustomed to the requirements of a game studio, you'd learn what kind of things they may be looking for in an employee, and thus you'd be able to create a portfolio/showreel/resume that'd match those needs. You'd also build up contacts with folks in the industry, who may put in a good word for you or something if they see that you have the passion and work ethic.