well, having been around the block a few times I can tell you that you'll be much happier if you're able to pick up whatever package you can find and use it to its best advantage. Learn one well so that you can get something done (and trust me, Maya's really not a bad choice) but learn another also so that you can see the differences.

Incidentally, if your interest is effects animation then you really should learn Houdini as well as Maya. They're as different from each other as it's possible to be, and everything else will make more sense if you've touched both.

-- Mark