Originally posted by mtmckinley yeah, school is just a means to get the skills you need to get in. It's all dependant on what you need as a learner... whether you can teach yourself effectively or if you need some sort of teacher. If you're a really good artist and not an annoying person, you'll have a good chance to get a job somewhere... that's all there is to it. Of course, some people are luckier than others, and you may need to be willing to relocate, but that's the gist of it. In my opinion a diploma's really just a way to show someone you know what you're talking about... a good reel should be the same. Then again -- if you don't know anything about Maya nothing beats a one-on-one tutor... I personally don't need that, though I admit I do have a paid order in for McKinley's book which should be here for pickup by Friday/Monday. Basically I'd just say that hammering out all your personal blockages is the best way because Maya is something that each person has their own personal style using and you may end up with a Tech Course of people teaching you their personal style -- but you may not at the same time. Try to learn it on your own and build a reel... if you're not satisfied post your reel up here and I'm sure people here will have no problem stating whether or not you'll benefit from college.