Anyone planning to go to Full Sail?

[A Weary Exile]

When I graduate high school I plan to move to Orlando and attend Full Sail University (You may have seen the ads) I'm going to study Game Design and hope to become a creative director or producer for a game company or something of the sort.

My questions are: Who else plans on going to Full Sail? I'm sure there are some people planning on going there on this site. How are you going to raise the money? What course are you going to take?

No trying to convince me not to attend either my mind is made up.

 

[Bat Vader]

I have never heard of full sail university. It sounds like a Navy school. They have students programming torpedoes. That would be funny.

 

[TheSunshineHobo]

Full Sail is not the university you're looking for.

 

[Mcface]

I saw a full sail add on a myspace ad area. therefor destroying any creditability.

 

[Jak The Great]

you have to start at the bottom before you can get to those positions.

The real question is what do you like about games? level design, coding, art, animation?

If you want to do animation, there are wayyy better schools to go to. The animation ad with the guy breathing is utter crap

 

[A Weary Exile]

Full Sail is not the university you're looking for.

Read the damn post! You can't convince me otherwise!

My parent's friend is a recruiter for game design companies and she told me that Full Sail is number five out of the top ten best game design schools and that's good enough for me.

 

[TheSunshineHobo]

Full Sail is not the university you're looking for.

Read the damn post! You can't convince me otherwise!

My parent's friend is a recruiter for game design companies and she told me that Full Sail is number five out of the top ten best game design schools and that's good enough for me.

"Waves his hand before your face" Full Sail is not the university you're looking for.

 

[ThaBenMan]

I entertained the idea for a little while, I gave them my name and address and they sent me a package of enrollment info and all that. But I decided that it would probably be way too expensive and too much of a pain in the ass to move to Florida (from here in Maine).

 

[Mookie_Magnus]

Is that like going the Full Monty? Oh... You mean game design. Nah... Not artistic enough... Except like maybe as a story writer.

But it's not likely.

 

[A Weary Exile]

you have to start at the bottom before you can get to those positions.

The real question is what do you like about games? level design, coding, art, animation?

If you want to do animation, there are wayyy better schools to go to. The animation ad with the guy breathing is utter crap

Trust me I've done my research I'm working with a school representitive. I'm going to take the Game Design course (Which is a master's degree) the school has a recruitment system that ensures you get a job with a game design company.

Ideally I'd like to be the creative director, dictating the art direction, gameplay style, storyline, etc. of a game but I'd be happy with a producer job as long as I'm helping to create a quality game. I'm already writing full-length games and outlining their basic structure.

Hell I'd empty trash cans for a living at 2K Games and I'd be happy, but let's hope that's not the case.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

I'm from Orlando, Florida, and one of my friends wanted to go there. Now, let me say that, having researched the school both through the syllabus they sent my friend and looking at online reviews, Full Sail is not the right choice for you. Here's why:

1) If you decide to transfer, your credits won't move with you.
2) Full Sail is incredibly expensive. If you plan to come to Florida to study game design, you'd be better off going to a (credible) state university.
3) The schedule is whack. You essentially only take one class a month, and then get a new class the very next month. Sound good? It's not. Your hours will vary wildly, and your classes and labs can be anywhere between 12 noon and 12 noon.
4) No on-campus housing means you'll need both an apartment and car to go to this school. Since it's near UCF, traffic may be a problem.

If you really want to come to Florida to study game design, either go to UF or UCF. Items 1 and 4 don't apply much (if you live on campus), #3 can be controlled, and #2's a toss up.

Now, before I finish I will say this: I am going to UCF, and you can learn how to design videogames through the Digital Media major. Just to let you know.

EDIT: Also, a lot of the professors (from what I heard) usually don't give a damn about your success. And, if you decide to drop out, your tuition is non-refundable.

 

[A Weary Exile]

Full Sail is not the university you're looking for.

Read the damn post! You can't convince me otherwise!

My parent's friend is a recruiter for game design companies and she told me that Full Sail is number five out of the top ten best game design schools and that's good enough for me.

"Waves his hand before your face" Full Sail is not the university you're looking for.

*Eyes vacant* Full Sail is not the University I'm looking for *Shakes head* Damn Jedi!! I'm not falling for that.

 

[Clashero]

I have never heard of full sail university. It sounds like a Navy school. They have students programming torpedoes. That would be funny.

A sailboat that fires torpedoes? Now there's a kickass idea.

 

[A Weary Exile]

1) If you decide to transfer, your credits won't move with you.

If I get into Full Sail I will definetley not transfer.

2) Full Sail is incredibly expensive. If you plan to come to Florida to study game design, you'd be better off going to a (credible) state university.

Full Sail is accredited by the board of something or other. The course I'm taking is around $29,000 and with Bright Futures Scholarship (75% of tuition for a 3.0) and the Full Sail Merit Scholarship ($5,000 for a 3.0) I've got most of the money covered.

3) The schedule is whack. You essentially only take one class a month, and then get a new class the very next month. Sound good? It's not. Your hours will vary wildly, and your classes and labs can be anywhere between 12 noon and 12 noon.

Meh. Who sleeps nowadays? I'd probably switch between full-time work and taking classes it will take a while but I'm dedicated.

4) No on-campus housing means you'll need both an apartment and car to go to this school. Since it's near UCF, traffic may be a problem.

I'm going to try to room with my semi-rich friend, but I'd live in a box if I could go to Full Sail.

 

[Bigeyez]

I'm from Orlando, Florida, and one of my friends wanted to go there. Now, let me say that, having researched the school both through the syllabus they sent my friend and looking at online reviews, Full Sail is not the right choice for you. Here's why:

1) If you decide to transfer, your credits won't move with you.
2) Full Sail is incredibly expensive. If you plan to come to Florida to study game design, you'd be better off going to a (credible) state university.
3) The schedule is whack. You essentially only take one class a month, and then get a new class the very next month. Sound good? It's not. Your hours will vary wildly, and your classes and labs can be anywhere between 12 noon and 12 noon.
4) No on-campus housing means you'll need both an apartment and car to go to this school. Since it's near UCF, traffic may be a problem.

If you really want to come to Florida to study game design, either go to UF or UCF. Items 1 and 4 don't apply much (if you live on campus), #3 can be controlled, and #2's a toss up.

Now, before I finish I will say this: I am going to UCF, and you can learn how to design videogames through the Digital Media major. Just to let you know.

EDIT: Also, a lot of the professors (from what I heard) usually don't give a damn about your success. And, if you decide to drop out, your tuition is non-refundable.

Pretty much everything this guy just said. I know people going to Full Sail and that have graduated from it is definitely not what it's cracked up to be. It's not that it's a bad school because it isn't. It's that UCF or the other state colleges in florida actually have better digital media programs then Full Sail does.

Being private also means it's hella expensive and your credits most likely won't transfer to a state university if you decide to switch at some point.

Oh and this

the school has a recruitment system that ensures you get a job with a game design company

IS NOT TRUE

Seriously don't believe that shit. You have absolutely NO guarantees to land a job through the recruitment center of the school. All the recruitment centers do is set you up for possible interviews (ie. they basically show you where to apply) whether you get the job or not is totally dependent upon your resume, work portfolio, and your abilities...and thats even IF you get the interview. And for the record all state universities in Florida have recruitment centers as well.

You need to shop around and find actual info, remember the schools representitive is going to paint a pretty picture of Full Sail while neglecting to mention that everything they offer is offered at the state universities for cheaper and most of the time at a better quality then Full Sail offers them.

Edit: Not to mention again what the guy I quoted said but yeah no housing on campus means you either have to know someone to bum off of or your gonna need a full time job. Especially with prices right now in Orlando on the rise the cheapest your gonna find a one bedroom apartment within city limits is 1k+ easy. You can always move to the suburbs but then your gas costs will rise and you still won't be able to find one bedroom apts for less then 700 a month. And thats IF you can even find one thats hasn't already been booked months in advance.

 

[Bat Vader]

I have never heard of full sail university. It sounds like a Navy school. They have students programming torpedoes. That would be funny.

A sailboat that fires torpedoes? Now there's a kickass idea.

Sounds like a good video game idea.

 

[Clashero]

you have to start at the bottom before you can get to those positions.

The real question is what do you like about games? level design, coding, art, animation?

If you want to do animation, there are wayyy better schools to go to. The animation ad with the guy breathing is utter crap

Trust me I've done my research I'm working with a school representitive. I'm going to take the Game Design course (Which is a master's degree) the school has a recruitment system that ensures you get a job with a game design company.

Ideally I'd like to be the creative director, dictating the art direction, gameplay style, storyline, etc. of a game but I'd be happy with a producer job as long as I'm helping to create a quality game. I'm already writing full-length games and outlining their basic structure.

Hell I'd empty trash cans for a living at 2K Games and I'd be happy, but let's hope that's not the case.

I think you're mistaking "creative director" for "idea guy". There are far too many eager idea guys out there. I did a short internship at an indie company creating a game, and I can tell you this: A creative director needs to know about art, music, programming, game design, level design, marketing, writing and many other tasks. From what I've heard, FS gives you a degree, but doesn't quite prepare you for all of that.

 

[Jak The Great]

I'm from Orlando, Florida, and one of my friends wanted to go there. Now, let me say that, having researched the school both through the syllabus they sent my friend and looking at online reviews, Full Sail is not the right choice for you. Here's why:

1) If you decide to transfer, your credits won't move with you.
2) Full Sail is incredibly expensive. If you plan to come to Florida to study game design, you'd be better off going to a (credible) state university.
3) The schedule is whack. You essentially only take one class a month, and then get a new class the very next month. Sound good? It's not. Your hours will vary wildly, and your classes and labs can be anywhere between 12 noon and 12 noon.
4) No on-campus housing means you'll need both an apartment and car to go to this school. Since it's near UCF, traffic may be a problem.

If you really want to come to Florida to study game design, either go to UF or UCF. Items 1 and 4 don't apply much (if you live on campus), #3 can be controlled, and #2's a toss up.

Now, before I finish I will say this: I am going to UCF, and you can learn how to design videogames through the Digital Media major. Just to let you know.

EDIT: Also, a lot of the professors (from what I heard) usually don't give a damn about your success. And, if you decide to drop out, your tuition is non-refundable.

That says everything. The only other thing I can add is that what happens if you don't get a job or if you get laid off or the company goes under? Obviously you would start looking for another position in the gaming industry however, if something happens where you can't find a position, your degree would be next to useless as most companies do not like specialized degrees like that.

Or even worse, you decide that you don't like the gaming industry at all. You would be totally boned.

you have to start at the bottom before you can get to those positions.

The real question is what do you like about games? level design, coding, art, animation?

If you want to do animation, there are wayyy better schools to go to. The animation ad with the guy breathing is utter crap

Trust me I've done my research I'm working with a school representitive. I'm going to take the Game Design course (Which is a master's degree) the school has a recruitment system that ensures you get a job with a game design company.

Ideally I'd like to be the creative director, dictating the art direction, gameplay style, storyline, etc. of a game but I'd be happy with a producer job as long as I'm helping to create a quality game. I'm already writing full-length games and outlining their basic structure.

Hell I'd empty trash cans for a living at 2K Games and I'd be happy, but let's hope that's not the case.

The thing you need to see is that you're trying to do too much at once. In order to direct the art, you need to understand art, which means spending time with art, both traditional and 3D.

This also means having experience doing the grunt work on the production so you can understand how the process works. As you work your way out of grunt, you can get to the point where you can start making some meaningful decisions. From there that responsibility will grow to the point you will start making an impact on other departments, such as the ones you mentioned. once you spend some time doing that, then you will have the knowledge that you need to do the position you want to occupy.

(BTW I'm picking from an artists perspective, as that's what I'm working through right now. The same would apply to any other 3 departments you had listed)

 

[Heart of Darkness]

1) If you decide to transfer, your credits won't move with you.

If I get into Full Sail I will definetley not transfer.

2) Full Sail is incredibly expensive. If you plan to come to Florida to study game design, you'd be better off going to a (credible) state university.

Full Sail is accredited by the board of something or other. The course I'm taking is around $29,000 and with Bright Futures Scholarship (75% of tuition for a 3.0) and the Full Sail Merit Scholarship ($5,000 for a 3.0) I've got most of the money covered.

3) The schedule is whack. You essentially only take one class a month, and then get a new class the very next month. Sound good? It's not. Your hours will vary wildly, and your classes and labs can be anywhere between 12 noon and 12 noon.

Meh. Who sleeps nowadays? I'd probably switch between full-time work and taking classes it will take a while but I'm dedicated.

4) No on-campus housing means you'll need both an apartment and car to go to this school. Since it's near UCF, traffic may be a problem.

I'm going to try to room with my semi-rich friend, but I'd live in a box if I could go to Full Sail.

1/2) At 35k, good idea. But, since you live in-state, you could get tuition for a full four years...for considerably less.

3) Yeah, you probably won't be able to hold down any kind of job while at Full Sail. Your schedule will change every month, and you might have 3am labs.

4) Meh.

 

[A Weary Exile]

you have to start at the bottom before you can get to those positions.

The real question is what do you like about games? level design, coding, art, animation?

If you want to do animation, there are wayyy better schools to go to. The animation ad with the guy breathing is utter crap

Trust me I've done my research I'm working with a school representitive. I'm going to take the Game Design course (Which is a master's degree) the school has a recruitment system that ensures you get a job with a game design company.

Ideally I'd like to be the creative director, dictating the art direction, gameplay style, storyline, etc. of a game but I'd be happy with a producer job as long as I'm helping to create a quality game. I'm already writing full-length games and outlining their basic structure.

Hell I'd empty trash cans for a living at 2K Games and I'd be happy, but let's hope that's not the case.

I think you're mistaking "creative director" for "idea guy". There are far too many eager idea guys out there. I did a short internship at an indie company creating a game, and I can tell you this: A creative director needs to know about art, music, programming, game design, level design, marketing, writing and many other tasks. From what I've heard, FS gives you a degree, but doesn't quite prepare you for all of that.

I'm more than an "Idea guy" believe me I'm studying every possible subject that I can think of: Classical art, programming, writing, philosophy, physics, etc. I need the degree so companies will give me the time of day instead of shrugging me off as just another "Idea Guy".

On another note: Does no one read the damn original post?!