Coffee talks

Each Friday Animation Mentor students-to-be can participate in an online chat/video session hosted by the always amazing Victoria from AM.  These are great opportunities to ask questions about what to expect or how to get everything in order to be ready to start school.

Last Friday a current student in class 2 talked to us for about an hour and shared his experiences and gave us some advice on how to be successful.

Here are some of his tips (a brief note: his tips seem spot on and a good reminder of lessons I have learned in my previous life in the tech world.  You get out what you put in.):

• Don't over complicate your work.  Focus on the basics. Trying to make things look cool or trying to do really sophisticated animations will backfire.  Stick to the assignment.  When in doubt ask your mentor.
• Reach out to other students and make friends.  The more people you meet the better your support group and the more people you can tap for feedback
• Upload your work in progress for peer feedback early in the week (Tues.).  This gives you a chance for people to catch things that you need to address before you have gone too far along.  Gives you time to correct.
• Put your work up in the critique forums.  The more feedback the better.
• Alumni tutors are available to offer additional help.
• Saturday make up sessions can be a good way to catch up if you missed something or to reinforce the lesson.
• Take advantage of all the extra resources available from day one.