<p>I'm not entirely sure where this thread should go..</p>
<p>Currently I am attending UCSD as an ICAM major. This is my first quarter here and actually attending lectures and hearing what the professors have to say, I don't feel like this school is the best fit for me and what I want to do in the future. I want to transfer to either CSUN or CSULB as an animation major. </p>
<p>I do want to work in the animation field in the future and I don't think UCSD will be able to prepare me to enter that major as well as CSUN or CSULB as UCSD seems to me more of a university that teaches students to create new innovations and expand research (well it is a top research university). I hadn't expected this when I chose this university in spring. </p>
<p>I'm wondering if it's best to drop out of UCSD before the quarter ends or to finish this first quarter (although I doubt any of my courses will be transferable to CSU). And if I should apply for CSU fall 2015 term OR attend CC for 2 years and transfer. Is one choice particularly better than the other?</p>
<p>
According to the CSU Admission Handbook
Now let me stress I am not a counselor. If I were you I would talk to someone at CSU right away to see if there are any other rules that apply in order to qualify as a frosh applicant, and to make sure you meet all of them. In writing, if you can get it. </p>
<p>Why is this so important, why this talk about “freshman”? Turns out neither CSUN nor CSULB accepts lower-division transfer students. So for sure if you complete this quarter you will need to go to some other college (such as a CC) to earn enough units to xfer to those schools as a junior.</p>
<p>To answer the next question that usually comes up – there is a national student database. You can’t just “forget” to list prior colleges and hope they don’t find out, because they will.</p>
<p>I spoke with an admissions person and I would need to withdraw from all my current courses before completing them in order to apply still as a freshman for next year, as you’ve said. If I do so, then there will be no record of any of the units I’m currently enrolled in. </p>
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Okay, one question out of the way.
IMHO college is about more than just the classes on your transcript. It is about new experiences, making new friends, finding what might be termed mentors as you emulate the examples of students older than you in terms of what they do to make the most of their college years and career prospects, getting to know profs who can similarly advise and direct you, taking part in links that may exist between the department and industry for internships. My point, then, is that this is all compressed in time if you enter college as a junior transfer. Not that its impossible to do so, plenty of people are successful in this path and have no regrets, but absent strong constraints to the contrary my advice is to find a 4-year college and see it thru.</p>
<p>Also, and I have to admit I have no personal knowledge here about art, for some majors it is just easier to attend the same college for all 4 years since the lower-division classes teach you what they know you’ll need in the upper-division classes. At LB, for example, they publish a suggest animation pathway at <a href=“http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/catalog/current/roadmaps/cota/art/art_bf04-ANIM-4yr.html”>http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/catalog/current/roadmaps/cota/art/art_bf04-ANIM-4yr.html</a> It might be worth calling up the art department advisor or animation program head at the colleges you are considering and spending a few minutes getting their advice on this choice.</p>
Hi
I have been accepted to the ICAM art major for class of 2019 and have acceptances from RIT FOR 3DDD with a good scholarship , UT austin and UMass Amherst. I was extremely excited with the curriculum at Icam. I would love to have some pointers about how to go about this and stressed out like hell getting all the various conflicting views on either programs , colleges or the weather ! Luv to hear your views…
Hey rockyhoudini!
ICAM isn’t at all like what RIT’s 3DDD (at a glance). ICAM is very theory based and there are little to no classes focusing on animation and design. The major is still fairly new, and I think that’s why the actual scope of the major is unclear. I’ve heard there are juniors in ICAM who still don’t really know what the major is about. I took my first ICAM intro course last quarter and dropped it… haha. The material and programs seem cool to learn and play with but the professors are not great at all and they don’t really teach you in the technical sense or provide very good feedback. Art isn’t huge at UCSD and I think if you want to tackle animation and 3D design, ICAM isn’t for you. It wasn’t for me, as I ended up switching out of the arts department. I might have jumped the gun since I haven’t had a taste of the upper division classes (which are apparently not too bad) but the major is a lot of work (you take Computer Science courses and math and it all totals to about 20 major requirements), the direction is misleading, and I’m honestly not sure what kind of job you can get with ‘ICAM’ on your resume.
Hope this helps!