I think that everyone now knows that getting in a degree in this day and age does not mean the same thing as getting a degree "way back when." Nowadays, almost everyone has some sort of degree in something, so having a degree doesn't make you stand out that much. On top of that, because of the Internet, people can learn so many things on their own, or from non-degree online training programs. So will a degree help?
The answer is that there really is no answer. The answer will vary based upon your field, your skills, and your goals. A great self-taught animator is going to be hired over a mediocre animator with a degree. But a lame self-taught animator isn't going to be given a second thought if an awesome animator with a degree shows up. It will all depend on you.
But before you decide to let a coin toss choose whether you go to college or not, consider these pros for getting a college degree in your art field.
#1- You'll get great training (for the most part). How well you will be trained will depend on how good your professors are and how much you apply yourself. Don't think that you won't get a good education at a cheaper school. Even fancy art schools can have so-so professors, just as cheap art schools can have awesome professors. There's no way to know for sure until you step into the classroom. Reading college reviews can help, but you may not agree with the masses (some people love professors who don't give much work, which you may not like if you want to learn a lot). Also, the more you practice on your own, and the more you go "above and beyond" (a favorite phrase of my professors) with your assignments will factor into how much you learn.#2- Some art jobs actually do require degrees. I have come across some animation jobs from studios that ask that applicants have a relevant degree. I haven't seen this all the time, but I have seen it. If you just want to work freelance, you shouldn't have to worry about that as much.
#3- You get a broader education. It doesn't matter what your degree is, trust me, you'll be taking some general art and education classes. My college has writers taking drawing classes, simply because a number of drawing classes make up the required foundation classes for all the majors. Also, I'm majoring in animation, but I have to take many other classes related to other parts of CG animation production. You may either love or hate this.
#4- You'll get industry experience and information. This will come as a result of your professors (who have always worked in the industry in some fashion or other) telling you what it's like "out there." They can help teach you important work practices that will allow you to mesh more easily into your first real industry job. They, or your school's career services department, can also help you get important industry connections.#5- You'll have someone helping you get a job. Colleges like to boast high post-graduation employment numbers. They're going to do their best to help you get some type of job, either through their alumni website, job fairs, or other sort of student-only perks.
#6- You'll have a degree. If you're a bit old-fashioned when it comes to education like I am, you'll be happy with the feeling of security that will come with a degree. I would have loved to try some non-conventional education methods, like doing the Animation Mentor program, but I don't have the courage. I get really nervous at the idea of not having a degree. I've seen those charts that compare the income of a person with a degree and a person without a degree. I worry about being part of that lower line (though those charts never seem to show the incomes of people in art fields).
Tomorrow I'll discuss the cons associated with getting a college degree in art.
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