VFS and Gnomon from High School or after College?

[WeezTheJuice]

First off gnomon and vfs are both great programs, but I think you might want to consider other options that aren't so short and demanding. What I mean is, if you're coming straight out of high school, I'm assuming you're 18 or close to it. VFS and gnomon are both very intense and will leave you with little time to pursue other hobbies and social aspects of your life. At 18 years old I think you still have a lot of growing to do and a lot to figure out about yourself before you jump right into the grind to get into the industry as fast as possible.

Traditional 4 year programs seem to get a bad rep from some but I think a 4 year degree program will not only give you time to grow and mature before you jump into the workforce, but it will also give you the security of the degree itself which will provide, if nothing else, a backup plan, as well as make it a lot easier to obtain work visas here in the US if that's what you interested in. I guess really what I'm trying to say is don't be so anxious to get into the work force. I would suggest taking more time to explore other aspects of life and even other aspects of cg before committing to very specific programs in specific fields. The percentage of people who are doing what they thought they wanted to do for a living at 18 is very low, as they have since grown and expanded their horizons, and as such I think you should definitely pursue a program in the field that you want, but don't rush it, and don't be so quick to shut the door on all of the other options you have ahead of you, which is what I fear would happen if you joined one of those programs.

This is all just one person's opinion though, and ultimately you're in the best position to make the best choice.

[gawl126]

I believe UBC has a better rep than USC in terms of computer science and computer graphics, but USC probably has better access to industry folks. There is a Professor at USC who also teaches at Gnomon and who is also in charge of Digital Training over at DreamWorks. UBC does great work in computer graphics research. I think they specialize in more physics-based animation work so if you're into effects, you might want to check out their classes and also their research labs which focus in that particular area.

If I were in your shoes and you don't mind finishing up a 4 year degree at either of those prestigious schools, then I would do that followed by going to Texas A&M VizLab for grad school instead. Apply for a bunch of internships while you're in school too. If you just want to take a very direct path, then do either VFS or Gnomon. Know what you're getting yourself into for any school and know what you want to do in the industry.

[Rebeccak]

Don't pass up the chance to have fun in college, I wouldn't jump into any of these short term training courses straight out of high school.

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.