When you asked a question, I gave a non-thorough, non-fleshed out, somewhat sarcastic answer. When you accused me of bandwagoning, I backed up the fact that statistically, the three states I listed do reliably rank very low on the national average in almost every category.

Personal question, personal answer.

Ter13 wrote:
Also... If it were me, I'd rather go to college in North Korea than Florida.

Kicking Kangaroo wrote:
Can I ask why?

Can we re-rail? Apparently I was not abundantly clear that it was personal bias not meant to be taken seriously when I wrote this:

Ter13 wrote:
Just a personal bias that you shouldn't take too seriously.
Guys if you don't mind can we please come back on topic...

Although I am glad that you guys are concerned for me and my future, I can assure that most of the time I will be in Campus as most of the graduates have said that it has a strict and tight curriculum. Moreover if anything negative will happen, I am sure it'll happen for good. I will get stronger as a person and so on. Moreover I will finally be able to tell Indians the truth about America which they dream of as paradise, lol!

Anyways, Ter's suggestion is to take school but with it take a degree that will be much more helpful in future and for better jobs. Solomon suggests that I should do whatever makes me happy. Well as Ter has terrified me already, I had to take action and I have talked to current students who have knowledge about graduates and stuff. They said that many of them are making good living and were hired by Marvel, Disney, Cartoon Network and other such companies. I have sent messages to few Students who are working as a freelancer as well.

If I end up choosing Illustration, I'll take animation later on from Sheridan. Also, I'll have Pixel Art as a backup, always.
In response to A2J2TIWARI
Your heart really seems to be with the arts. I am sure you will do find no matter your choice and if you take anything away from me just remember networking, networking, networking! :D
If you are chasing your dream, do it, bro.

Just making sure you've considered the possibilities. And yeah, college in the states isn't often a very tight curriculum.

You'll find that you have a lot of free time to just explore your focus (depending on how you load your coursework), and it's nothing like what you are used to in your country... Unless you go to some very specific colleges.
In response to KickingKangaroo
KickingKangaroo wrote:
if you take anything away from me just remember networking, networking, networking! :D

I was never good with it but I guess I will have to develop this skill.

Ter13 wrote:
If you are chasing your dream, do it, bro.

Well I am not sure if I am chasing it, but I definitely want to be in Arts field. Hell thats why I am even Pixel Artist at the moment :D. But about chasing dream, that's why I started this thread, to know which option is better for me Illustration or Computer Animation.

Computer Animation: I applied for it but have got rejected. I didn't like animation as I was afraid of hard work but when I animate in pixel art, I like it. And as I got rejected I am feeling more inclined to it; must be my psychology though. So Ringling provided me two options: Illustration or Motion Designing. I am considering Motion Designing.

Illustration: I searched a lot for it and came to know what it really is - you make concept art basically for book covers, magazines, children books, video games or animation industries or toys etc. You can even work in Studio. Your pay as an illustrator starts at $27000 per year(pretty good in India). Ringling's Graduates earn $41,302 as starting salary(average). I have also sent message to graduates and current students to know their situation and if they are regretting it. I am waiting for their replies. Some of the hopefuls this year have said that Illustrators earn good but as this is art market, you can't be sure of anything.


And here is where comes the stumbling block and the reason for starting this thread: I applied for CA program, got rejected and now got Illustration or Motion Designing to choose. I have more interest in Computer Animation I think but if I have to get accepted into it I will have to wait for another year and prepare myself for it. However I am not too sure if Art teachers in my city are good enough to make me so good in an year to get accepted into Computer Animation program where acceptance rate is only 15%. And that's why I don't know what to do. I have talked to my parents about it and they say I should apply for Illustration and once I am done with it and still want to do animation I can choose Sheridan to get my Masters there.

Also they expect me to return to India once I have gained some work experience in America. Can't be certain of future though.
college dropout for life.
Hold up wait D: @KiickingKangaroo you said Graphic Design makes just a little over min wage? (I don't goto a art only school.) And you made me think about changing my major thats a def no thank you for me I need more then a little over min wage.
In response to Ganite
Ganite wrote:
Hold up wait D: @KiickingKangaroo you said Graphic Design makes just a little over min wage? (I don't goto a art only school.) And you made me think about changing my major thats a def no thank you for me I need more then a little over min wage.

Well not always, there are exceptions to almost everything in life. I just have worked alongside a lot of people who go to those programs throughout my runs of minimum wage work. Could be for other reasons but certainly a pattern I picked up on personally.


Already damaged my mind now I must find a new major. I want to make at least 80k+ a year.
Since we talking about life changing decisions. Anyone got any suggestions on the correct way to go about a complete career change? I don't want to work in an office and I seem to be stuck. I can't afford to leave my job to do training for a new career.

Just to help some, I am currently working in the accounts department for a construction company. I want to be a joiner/carpenter (I enjoy that kind of work). It's not really about the money for me, I just want a job that I will enjoy so I don't wake up each morning dreading work.
Search for computer jobs that allow you to work at home? But I've changed my major once already know I have to rethink what else I would like to do and I'm not sure.. :(
I am just 17 years old and I haven't seen much life. But I have somewhat experienced it in Pixel Art career. Others say the same:

I have been talking to Jalonso, one of the best pixel artists on PixelJoint about the same - Ringling courses. And I quote him: "I think that you will never be the level of artist you wish yourself to be if you always focus on how much money you will make out of art as you always seem to do.

Artists are most successful when they focus on expression, creativity and satisfaction and let monetary incentives follow."

"Its good to have finances and rewards in mind just not the #1 reason you create, k."

Same said Cyangmou, another famous Pixel Artist: He said that I should work on what I like instead of thinking about money because that is what will be good in the long run.

I can't deny the fact that I have been thinking about my future and if my future will be secure if even a bit from both the Majors - Illustration or Computer Animation. I see both can make money, and pretty good amount too. The greater artist you are the more money you'll make and of course, you have to be famous by building contacts.

I am sure this thinking will take concrete form once I begin to face real life, it's challenges and successes, failures and other lessons of life.
Agreed. I'm actually an example of that. When I first started making games, I was completing them. This is also because when I first started making games, I didn't have profit on my mind. I was 12 or 13, money usually isn't on the mind as much as it is when you become an adult. I just made games because I wanted to make a fun experience for myself and others.

As I got older, and started wanting things, and realizing it takes money to get those things, I went from "I want to make fun experiences" to "I want to make something that will sell". So I began sacrificing things that I thought were fun and unique, and started focusing on quick, "tried and true" methods of making games, just because I was purely focused on making something that would be a top seller.

I never finished anything after adopting that mindset. The fact is, when you do that, you discard the passion aspect - which is the biggest motivator there is. If you're not passionate about what you're doing, you will fail a lot more often. You have to be in love with your project, so much that it's always on your mind and when you're doing other things, you can't wait to get back to it.

That's why this summer, I'm going back into game development. And I'm not making a game because I think others will play it, or because I think it'll make millions. I'm going to make a game solely for me. My ideal dream game - the experience I've always wanted in a game. Maybe it will sell, maybe it won't, but I know if I'm making the game I've always wanted to play, and not entirely focused on the dollar signs, I'll be twice as motivated than I have ever been to complete the project.
In response to EmpirezTeam
So true.
Sometimes it is easy to forget how the world works outside of The Netherlands. A2, all I can add to this, even though i probably have no right to speak, is to do something you are willing to work hard for the coming years. You need to be motivated, even if the course you'll follow doesn't seem up to the standard you'd thought it would be.

Go for your arts degree, make sure you don't swamp yourself in responsibillities. In the Netheralnds, and most of europe, if you've gotten a majors oversea it is not as difficult as you might think to get a job. Thats to say, if you can motivate yourself, half of the job interviews you will do after college or university will depend on how motivated you are to work in your chosen field.

I have seen you grow as a person and artist on this site for quite some years now. I think if you keep motivated you'll reach your goals. Just stay true to yourself, listen to the advise of others but don't follow it without thinking it over.

Good luck.
Thanks Pandora, for your advise as well! And I am sure that if I find happiness in this field, I will get a job easily as my work will prosper!

I have asked the admissions office to change my Major to Illustration and I am now just waiting for my Acceptance Package to come and make arrangement for funds.

And @Ter13: I think I just found some examples of Racism, and I literally laughed. People make fun of Indians based on the 'Curry'(I didn't know meaning of curry and had to google it -.-) and their odor(might be true). Indians are also considered the lowest of all the races that exist(WHY?).

If there is anything else about Indians, please let me know so I can prepare myself or try to overcome the problem(if they exist..)
In response to A2J2TIWARI
Well, like I said don't focus on racism so much, there will always be idiots in the world.

I don't really know the examples of racism so I would still wait on Ter13 to clarify that but where I've been in Florida (lived here my whole life) most people equate people from India as being small business owners/successful so I wouldn't focus too much on:

A2J2TIWARI said:
Indians are also considered the lowest of all the races that exist(WHY?)
In response to KickingKangaroo
KickingKangaroo wrote:

where I've been in Florida (lived here my whole life) most people equate people from India as being small business owners/successful so I wouldn't focus too much on:

Same here in Indiana lol. They own a lot of gas stations, hotels, corner stores. There all pretty successful.

A statement like "Indians are considered the lowest of all races" just isn't true. Maybe some specific group of racists believes that, but normal human beings don't seem to. As the two above me said, Indians are generally seen as successful small business owners in the US. Everywhere I've lived here for any amount of time has the stereotype of gas stations and other small stores being owned by Indians.

And they make really good food, too.
Thanks for info guys! I am relieved!

Anyways, I figured it's more about belief and mindset than reality, so I should just get rid of all that racism crap.

And my goal should be to become one of the best!

Ty guys!
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