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Accounts from those who experienced Fullsail's Computer Animation Degree Program (CADP)

Comments:

I was seriously thinking about attending Full Sail. So much so that I was literally in the process of actually finding housing and such to go down there. I thought it was an easy in for me to get into a college such as this because I did not do to well in school. Now that I realize there is no easy in, I was better off attending TCC and then going to FAMU once I obtained my AA degree. I guess that I need to take more math oriented classes and apply to Digipen or another school, but thank you once again for exposing Full Sail for what it is a Diploma Mill.

Comments:

If you are an intelligent individual, you should know that the Behind the Scenes tour is all glitz and glam. If you actually do your research before attending, you should know that they include jobs at EB games as "placement". You should know that they really don't help when it comes to placement. You should know that Full Sail is not an art school. It's a technical school, thus the reason they don't require a portfolio. You can't expect anyone to sit down with you and transform you into an artist. You have to do that yourself. "Full Sail teaches you how to push buttons." True. YOU have to do the rest of it yourself. There is no way you are going to make it by doing the bare minimum.You have to take what they give you and run with it. Say good bye to your social life for the 14 months you are in computer animation. But hey, everyone that I've talked to that has the drive doesn't mind it. The only times I get to go out and enjoy myself are on the few and far between breaks. But that doesn't bother me, because I'm dedicated. Which is what you need.

Oh, and of course they view your demo reel in fast forward. We've been told that from the month we got into core classes. I would do it too if I got hundreds, or more, a month. You have to make your work stand out for them to want to view it normal speed.

I poured over FullSailSucks.com before coming. But then I realized everyone is saying the same thing. People who do the bare minimum and people who party are all left in the dust. Whining and complaining that they failed or that Full Sail sucks. And people who focused on their work for whatever amount of time did well.

14 months is NOT long at all. One of my instructors told us that it takes 2 years to learn Maya, and that that is longer than the time we have. "So go to every open lab you can get to and work." is what he said.

The reason they only teach Maya is because it's the hardest one to learn. And therefore if you know Maya, you know the basics of every other program. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's frustrating. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's completely and utterly worth it. Every month I look back at what I've learned and it's astonishing.

I'm appalled that people actually change their mind about a school because of a website. Don't let a website turn you away from school. Don't let Full Sail's gimmicks sucker you in. Look at it intelligently, and you'll see Full Sail for what it is. A business that gets your foot in the door in "the business."

FullsailExposed Note: This post about Fullsail has been categorized as neutral.

Why would anyone on this site leave comments if they havn't attended the school?

First off, I'm one of the "lucky few" that landed a studio internship 2 months out of FS. I was later hired fulltime and in the last year I have been my studio's lead environment modeler and Texture artist for game cinematics and TV commercials. ( www.studiopendulum.com )

I certianly don't feel "lucky"- I earned it. I have dedicated myself and kicked and scraped for everything I've gotten this far. Thats the only way to do it. The school really doesn't make much of a difforence. I could have gone anywhere and done just as well. Its true that the industry is flooded with new students from the diploma mills, thats no lie; believe me. But you can't very well blame the school- their business model is certianly not unique.

I got everything I needed from FS. Now I work among other grads from places like Scad and Cal Arts- we work roughly the same jobs and we talk about how less than the top ten percent actually get industry jobs from both our schools. But the biggest difforence is that I'm only 21, i have almost 3 years less school and roughly a quarter of the student loans that these guys paid. So FS worked out pretty well for me in that respect. I see very few good reels- coming out of FS, Scad, Ringling, Calarts, Art Institute or any other diploma mill. So its clearly all the slackers and not the schools.

The biggest misconception about FS's curriculum is that passing is suffiscient. Its not, just becuase you get good grades while most people are failing doesn't mean your good. I got awful grades- But enough to pass each class without retaking anything. and i still landed a job without sending out a single demoreel. Just bare in mind that industry standards are a helluva lot higher than FS standards and you are competeing directly with VFS and all the industry veterans out there. But at the same time, FS fails huge amounts of people already, how can they raise their standards without people getting more angry and bitching on sites like this? what do you expect them to do?

FullsailExposed Response: There are several shortcomings about Fullsail addressed in the articles. Taking any measures implicitly suggested therein would be an excellent start.

FullsailExposed Note: This post about Fullsail has been categorized as neutral.

Well, I am currently attended FS, and umm, I am in my 3rd month, and at this point really not happy. Not because of the crazy schedule, well thats probably because its only my 3rd month. Anyways, I have only forked over 16k already, and really not wanted to give out anymore for such a poor education. How sad it is to see instructors playing Doom during class! Simply unbelievable! Its a fuckin joke completly, I have learned some useless crap so far, but nothing that really is all that great to me. I guess want to much, or I have a negative look on things at FS, or maybe just a realistic one. I am 2 months behind in my payments, and I really don't want to give them anymore of my money! What a rip off. Again, I really just wanted to puke on this school. Maybe because its costing me so much money and I could probably learn more at a General College.

I am not sure? I don't really know what I want, and this school, well, I am crasping my money for dear life. I really don't want to hand over anymore money to this scam school. Even though my parents are helping me, I have a respect for money. Which I can say alote of kids (that don't take showers)do not have at FS. Its doesn't seem like my cup of tea, alote of kids are just their to get a job with their parents money, and smoke weed. I feel like I don't fit into that area.

They have immature grads teaching class at times, while the instructors fuck around. I kinda of didn't want to see it, but I kept in mind what your said before about the school.

Its only my 3rd month, but I have been very judgemental so far, and I really hate the way it is everything is going so far. Again, alote of these kids are just living off parents' money, and not serious about what they want. Again, simply said, I don't see how its worth anymore of my money.

On the other hand, you really can't soak in information all that well if your brain is on overload. I have been up for a almost 2 days, thats nuts. But, live and learn. Everything that I have heard bad about this school is true so far. Maybe because I am looking for it, I don't know. But, I rate is 3 out of 10 on a grading scale. Being 24, and only having restuarant experience, I ask myself, was I destined to be a manager or possibly start my own restuarant.

This FS thing is like starting from the very bottem of the TOP is , well, very distant. My god, if the instructors are making below 40k a year, and working 2 jobs, thats pretty lame.