Online colleges worth it?
Does anyone know from experience (or perhaps from a family member or close friend) if online colleges are really any good for furthering your learning in the 3D art field and are they thought of as reputable or credible?
I've always wanted to take classes but I'm housebound and something about online colleges always reeked of scam to me. Especially these days with so many advertisements on television about online degrees and game design degrees, etc....
So anyone have related information to share?
I've always wanted to take classes but I'm housebound and something about online colleges always reeked of scam to me. Especially these days with so many advertisements on television about online degrees and game design degrees, etc....
So anyone have related information to share?
Replies
http://www.animationmentor.com/
It also depends on what type of education that you are after (modeling, animation, etc.).
Escape Studios, for example, has some good training for CG (Maya modeling, etc.), but it there are no "grades>" It is "self-study" whereby you learn only if you complete projects (rather than just watch lessons). They have "student" discounts. Overall good quality training.
Gnomon Online has some good courses (about $1680 each for 10 weeks). You have to turn in assignments each week and finish a final project by the end of the course. You get weekly critiques from instructors (all working professionals). You do not get a degree, however.
There are many other online options (self-study or mentored/critiqued). CG Society has workshops (but there are no grades). A working professional will critique your stuff if you stay current and post it, but there is no program (just various CG courses).
If you want a "degree" or certificate you have to be careful (some "degrees" are not accredited by regional accrediting agencies and would not be able to transfer to 4-year colleges or universities). Some online offerings are "programs" and require commitment to a set of courses. You may find, for example, that you don't want to be an animator once you begin.
I would suggest narrowing your selection down to a few and then ask about them in particular. People that have experience with them can then answer your questions in detail.
With that said, save yourself a few thousand dollars and go for some tailored (choose your own) online training rather than a full on course.
If you're brand new to 3D, grab yourself a subscription to Digital Tutors and Eat3D, and go through as much as you need to until you feel competent. Then it's just a case of making your own stuff, and posting it here for feedback. There are plenty of great people here willing to help you improve through constructive criticism.
www.digitaltutors.com
www.eat3d.com
Hmm... perhaps continued self-learning might be best for me after all.
I've been self-taught thus far through books and online tutorials. I only know enough to create and rig characters and do some morphing and skeletal animations though. And that's within the limits of what can be used in IMVU program, so there's definitely a lot more that I want to learn...
I know there are much more efficient ways to work as well since I don't know how to use many of the modifiers that would probably make life easier.
Been working with Max 7 for about 3 years now, but I've been so busy using what I learned in the first few months that I've neglected digging much to learn more since then. I was never able to really find much detailed information on how each modifier works.
Haven't worked at all with cameras and light sources yet.
I'm kind of scared to post any of my IMVU work here because it totally pales in comparison to ... well... probably everybody here lol.
Never let your insecurities get in the way. Go ahead and post your work. Getting critical appraisals of it is the best way to improve on your future efforts.
Polycount is home to some all-stars when it comes to 3D modeling. You could work tirelessly for the next decade and still not manage to reach the level of polish and expertise that is regularly on display here. It is not reasonable for you to use some of the better pieces on display here as a yardstick.
For a masters degree I could imagine online classes to work, especially if you already bring some industry experience and know how things are supposed to work. Then you can really just focus on gaining more knowledge.
The only reason I joined was on the recommendation of a friend and other issues.
A plus to the experience was with my experience here and in the past I was able to achieve extremely high marks in every module which looks nice on paper but their marking scheme was archaic and honestly a cube made them proud of you.
Working at your own pace while being a part of communities like these and following the plethora of online videos and tutorials will get you further and save a ton of money.
Believe me,
An in the classroom experience has one thing that you can't find anywhere else: Communicating with people directly, or "soft skills"
^^^^^ x1million
Hope this helps.