"Should I go to college?"

This is commonly an artist question, but I also hear it from programmers. Just about anyone I know interested in the programming, animation, game development, and filmmaking industries has asked this question at some point.

So, what’s the answer?

Like most questions, it depends. I went to college. I have seen some not go to college, and their careers and lives turn out perfectly fine. Others didn’t, and fell on rough times without a safety net of a degree.

So let me share my two cents with my own experience, and you can see which benefits are worth it for you.

Benefits of College, in my Experience

Built-in networking

You get to meet up-and-coming artists and programmers. Fellow students. Your peers.

As a timid introvert, having this framework made a big difference. A circle of friends who can follow you through your classes and degree is a strong bond, extending after college.

Some peers have had stunning careers and be important parts of my network: film directors, animators, product owners, and senior software developers.

And at many colleges, the professors often worked in the industry themselves and came back to teach. So they would have hands-on experience with what it’s like in the industry, what recruiters look for, and how to boost your resume and portfolio.

Collaborative Projects

I got to work on a multitude of collaborative projects with students and even alumni. Would you believe me that, during my time at college, I:

• Supervised or otherwise made visual effects (VFX) for half a dozen short films

• Helped as a pipeline developer for an animated short

• Created two Android apps

• Created a multiplayer web game

It’s true! And those weren’t even paid. More than half of those were from college assignments. That’s it.

Yes, you can do all these projects on your own. Yes, I’m sure there’s a cheaper paid or even free course online.

But the benefit for me is the in-person curriculum. Professors could facilitate these educational environments, answer questions, uplift collaboration, and make sure you are not led down distracted paths that may not be worth traveling.

Access to equipment and software

Gotta love those student licenses! Maya, Houdini, Adobe, they all have student subscriptions that are highly discounted compared to normal rates.

While you can get these installed on your personal computer while paying tuition, most colleges buy their own licenses. So you can just go to any college computer lab and whip up Houdini and try it at your watermark-free pleasure.

This gives you opportunities to have real experience with a full software package. You may make a recruiter swoon when you say, “Yeah, I can use Houdini. I’ve been using the full version at my college for the past few years.”

But on a serious note, recruiters often already know this about the college - that’s why they do career fairs or otherwise seek out recruits if they know the college has access to the same software packages.

A (college) name to live up to

As briefly noted in my article getting feedback from a recruiter, a good college name is a great indicator to have on your resume. My recruiter knew about my college and degree, so they had an understanding of what kind of quality education I got.

For many jobs, portfolio and demo reel is still king. Those are still worth developing.

But a good college can indicate to recruiters that you have a solid foundation from a learning standpoint, that a portfolio may not otherwise demonstrate.

The “Experience” of College

Now, this will seem like I’m contradicting what I said above, but remember this:

Yes, you can go to college, pass the (important) classes, and still not have enough experience.

Because, as much experience as my college gave me — and I’m very grateful for it — I also had many amazing career-enriching experiences outside the classroom.

While the amazing college-age accomplishment I said earlier were in a classroom setting, these ones were not:

• Visual effects for 2 more short films (one of them, I got paid!)

• Work as a compositor at a local TV network

• Developed a website and fixed bugs for one of the colleges

• Coded Blender add-ons and sold some online

• Sang and played piano at local senior homes, as well as with an a capella group

So even if you go to college, expect to work on related work. Either at a job, or on your own time. These look great on a resume, just as impressive as the college degree itself in my opinion.

It shows your passions. Your initiative. Your determination in growing your career.

Why not college?

Some benefits of not going to college then? Well, a few:

• The curriculum structure is not for everyone; some struggle with that environment

• More time to work on those extracurricular projects (depending on your life situation)

• More projects and jobs can be done “in the field” instead of in a classroom

• More flexibility in work-life balance

• You can save a lot of money!

It is your decision, after all. You (hopefully) know yourself best. Take advice from people who know you well. Ask your high school teachers too.

Overall, don’t take college thinking homework will save you from needing real world experience. Don’t skip college thinking there are no worthwhile benefits.

There are benefits. Sometimes, it’s worth the tuition and then some. But it may not work for everyone.

If you are going to college, pick a good college worth its tuition so it can be both a strong safety net and a buoy for your career.

If you skip college, take time to thoroughly plan your career and participate in projects and collaborations to expand your network and grow your hands-on experience.

Let me know how your college experience (or lack thereof) influenced your career. Or if you have trouble deciding whether you should go.