Honestly the only thing I really took note of from Rob Hodgson's Big Heads talk was right at the end when he said no-one really cares in the industry if you went to university or not, or what grade you got.
Sounds like I'm being cynical, but I have thought about this quite a bit before. Creative subjects like Illustration, Graphic Design, Animation etc., can't really be graded or quantified. Creativity and talent is so subjective. In some respects, Maths and Physics are a lot easier than doing a creative subject (or at least that's what I shout at my brother every time he tells me I'm not doing a real subject) because there ARE right answers. You can look up the answer and it's easy to quantify. In the creative industries you can't really be right or wrong! Some people will like your work, some won't. If they don't, it doesn't mean it's bad work.
But back to Rob; if you don't succeed at university in a creative subject, it's not necessarily representative of you talent and passion. There are so many boxes to tick and hoops to jump through in order to try and make sure everyone is graded fairly, but in the end, once you get a job or go freelance, all consumers (and bosses) care about is the end product. They don't necessarily care how you got there and how many hours it took you, just that they get a pretty picture out of it.
Again, not being cynical!
However, university does obviously have a point. I've already learned so much only being here a year and a half, things I wouldn't and couldn't have learned on my own, but sometimes I do find it stressful constantly ticking boxes and jumping through hoop after hoop. Sometimes it takes the fun out of drawing.
I do think I've picked the right course for me though. I do love it, even though it kills me sometimes, but if things are worth having, they shouldn't come easy. I hate to be cheesy and add a quote, but,
"If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough." - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
(and I'm scared every day!)
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