When I was looking for a college to go to (back in highschool) my family and I were invited to take a tour of Collins College. My mom and I were quite ignorant of what a good art school was so we were easily impressed with the facilities (now I know that they are less than decent).
We decided to give it a chance. (as an ignorant highschooler i really had no idea of what i wanted to do with my life although I was a skilled artist). Soon after, I was interveiwed (over the phone...) and I was tossed into the BA of Animation degree program (I had assumed it meant I got to learn 2D animation which I was always interested in).
I was quickly accepted after they had learned of the money i had invested in the stocks and a trust fund (from my father's death years ago due to a car accident). When I went to the College to get all the paper work done to enroll, it somehow seemed more like a salesman trying to get you to buy a new car. I gave into the sales pitch and completed the paperwork (I assumed that this is how all colleges work).
When the classes started I had tons of fun drawing 2D animations, and making really cool friends. However, about 4 classes later we suddenly jumped into 3D classes (a bit of a shock for me who only knew 2D art and expected to learn it not Computer Animation).
We started in a 3dMax class (which was pointless because its more for game design and all the other 3D classes are in Maya) learning complex things that were beyond most of our level. We then had assignments that were extremely time consuming and difficult with only about a two day deadline (this was really stressfull for those of us who worked).
After being hammered by tons of pointless work and stress in the classes I had to leave my job at Guitar Center due to what I felt was slipping preformance and over stress. Now being able to focus on my school work I figured things would be ok. They just got worse.
During the middle of my 3dMax class my overpriced laptop from the school blew its hard drive and lost all my previous work. They told me at the tech center at the school it would take about 3-4 weeks to get a new hard drive in for it. I asked for a loaner for the time being and they said that also took 3 weeks to get one due to the amount of other students whose computers had crashed. I was lucky enough to get a "special" version of the program from my friend to put on my Computer at home. During class hours i would sit there staring at the old crapped out desktops infront of our faces wishing i could participate on the expired software they had.
Finally my laptop came in on the last day of class, but I somehow managed to pass with a C - by working alone at home.in our next class about filming movies (which had nothing to do with animation) one of my closest friends was given a D - because his computer crashed during his final project and lost all his work, apparently computer crashes were not an excuse for missing a project duedate.
(by the way, during this time the financial aid people would constantly pull me out of class asking if i had applied yet when i explained to a new person everyday that i was paying with cash) BTW the financial dept at Collins is so unorganized and confused.
One of our teachers (one I really liked) actually did an inclass survey asking the question: "how many of you have felt like you have been screwed by the school in some way?" not one person left there hand down.
After a number of other inccedents they finally pulled my last straw when they withdrew me a few weeks ago.
I had given the students accounts office my check for $3000 on the last day of the registration deadline on a friday. I asked if it was all ok to give them the check now and they assured me that it would be taken care of. I left to class thinking that it was all ood.
Appearantly no one did anything with it at all. They forgot about it and left it in the pile of checks and papers on their desk. After going to my classes for 3 weeks I get told by one of my teachers that I'm not appearing on the attendance list.
I assumed it was a mistake so the next day the same thing happens. I go check my bank account to see that the check i gave them 3 weeks ago was never deposited. I talked to student services and they said they would just cash the check and then have me enrolled again, they didnt say when, so i assumed it to be my current semmester.
The next day I am denied access from class by my teacher due to an E-mail he received saying to not allow me in. The next day I speak to student services and learn that I have been fully withdrawn from school. I was shocked. I had finished up to 4 of the 5 weeks of class and now they didnt even count. Then they tell me that I cant be re-enrolled for another 5 weeks which is an obsurd policy and that I can have a "vacation" (yeah away from my would-be graduating class).
(by the way, almost all the teachers are stuck reading their E-mails most of class rather than looking to help you) (One of my good friends asked one of the best animation teachers at the school for a tip on texturing, but the teacher refused to "give away his secrets" and told my friend to look at a tutorial instead.)
(In our weekly figure drawing classes all we would do is to be told to draw in this dim room with no instruction from our seldom attending teacher miss Oni. I swear i din't learn a thing in that class other than to draw in the dark.) (The staff is almost always clueless when it comes to giving you help, they just send you to from person to person like a never ending process)
(They dropped their $30,000 AA of Animation degree because it wasnt making enough money as the $60,000 BA of Animation degree. And now they are currently dropping Animation altogether!) (You are merely a customer to them, another buck to be made, not a student even though they act like they care) (If you leave the College without finishing your payments they will refuse to even give you your transcript.)
I have been a student of Collins College for about a year now and I can now say I am one of the many students who have been screwed by them. I have now decided to leave the school and pursue a AA degree for bussiness at Scottsdale Community College. As things have it, I believe I will never even use the things I learned at Collins College other than a hobby. It was fun but clearly not worth the $30,000 I already paid them.
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