<p>I'm an Animation/Game Design + Fine Art Drawing/Painting double major/freshman at Kent State University. Love the campus, love most of the academics, the small group of friends I hang with all the time; hate the stereotypical amount of jockheads and ditzes who like to be loud till five am in the dorms who all look and act the same. </p>
<p>My career interests major-wise include Animation, Game Design, (including concept art by digital painting etc; career options=Pixar, Ubisoft, InfinityWard etc.) and fine art/event photography (kind of more passionate about since I have more experience, but I have pretty much decided to get the degrees in Animation/Game Design and continue with self taught photography as also a huge part of everything I do; career options=weddings, creating fine art prints etc).</p>
<p>The problem; Kent's Animation/Game Design program isn't the best I thought it would be. Just starting to be its own 4yr degree next year. Not as many game design classes. I, at first, planned on doing these two majors for the four years-six years at Kent, then going to a SCAD/MICA/USC (even though they're 30k/40k/50k :| ) for graduate school in game design. I decided to tack on the Fine Art major to strengthen drawing skills so I can teach myself digital painting to use for concept art in any potential career portfolios. (Which I'm unsure about if I should continue that or not if I even went to MICA/SCAD) BUT I did not realize how different the curriculums are until recently when I compared the classes side by side. SCAD/MICA seem to have such a more in-depth Animation/Game Design/Interactive Art degree class-wise, and I so afraid that by doing the two less in depth majors at Kent, I'm wasting time when I could be doing more career/art oriented classes that are serious and more enjoyable. </p>
<p>I am just so torn between all the possible decisions because I'm such an indecisive person and no matter how much I ask around, nobody can give me any good advice ): So this is pretty much my last straw in finding good advice... and if anyone has any, I would honestly appreciate it like no other. Should I be transferring to SCAD or MICA by my junior year if accepted, or wait it out and skip their great education, make the best out of Kent, always wishing to be elsewhere, and have the greater possibility of not even making it into those places for grad school because of the possible lack of skills learned from the Kent education... :|</p>
<p>To get into SCAD all you need is a darn good portfolio that has to be major specific... I'm experienced in every other medium though thanks to making a fine art portfolio in high school ( w/graphite drawing, acrylic paint, printmaking) but not animations. So that intimidates the heck outta me but then again I am only a freshman and though we don't seem to be doing a lot right now, (minus REALLY pointless and boring and frustrating CAD work) I know we'll learn so much more and hopefully I'll start to do more things on my own with it... so that's those requirements. </p>
<p>I mean, I may be overthinking it and all, but to "help someone help me", here is a link to Kent's coursework for the Animation/Game Design..
<a href="http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/collegesprograms/ct/ug/tech-2p2-progreq.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/collegesprograms/ct/ug/tech-2p2-progreq.cfm</a></p>
<p>And here's SCAD's BFA and MFA coursework for Animation....
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/animation/bfa.cfm#programButtons%5B/url%5D">http://www.scad.edu/animation/bfa.cfm#programButtons</a>
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/animation/mfa.cfm#programButtons%5B/url%5D">http://www.scad.edu/animation/mfa.cfm#programButtons</a></p>
<p>And BFA and MFA for Interactive design and game development...
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/interactive-design-and-game-development/bfa.cfm#programButtons%5B/url%5D">http://www.scad.edu/interactive-design-and-game-development/bfa.cfm#programButtons</a>
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/interactive-design-and-game-development/mfa.cfm#programButtons%5B/url%5D">http://www.scad.edu/interactive-design-and-game-development/mfa.cfm#programButtons</a></p>
<p>The 2d animation and things like claymation stopmotion don't really interest me as much as the Pixar-ish and video game aspect of the technology, though if I go just for MFA it hopefully is more concentrated with 3d... I also don't know if it's worth double majoring in both things at SCAD if I transfer and leave out the fine art degree...which I still feel would help with practice because I'm also extremely interested in being able to be a great digital matte painter well for concept art. SCAD does have a concept art "minor/concentration", though I there looks to be only two 'concept illustration' classes where digital painting would come into play..... I also may have to wait a few years for grad school afterwards, I don't mind having to pay off loans and stuff, but there's just so many decisions ):</p>