Is university worth it?
I'm almost 40. I never earned a degree, but I'm now going back to school because it's VERY difficult to get a decent job. Sure, you could find a job without a degree, but you will have limited pay and advancement. I know this from experience. I have applied for several jobs having the skills and experience needed, but I didn't have the degree they wanted. And with the economy like it is, so many people are fight for jobs employers usually have a great number of applicants and if you don't meet their requirements you are not even considered. I also don't expect it to get easier for non-degree applicants. So many people are going to college today, that a degree is almost a given for any decent job. I did take a few college classes in my early 20's and was happily surprised to find out that it very different from high school. You are treated as an adult, and because you can choose your major and classes (for the most part) they are a lot more enjoyable. You can often even take classes from a specific professor if you know they are really good, or avoid ones you have heard negative things about (unfortunately they are out there too.)
Is it worth it to study animation at university?
I hope so, because that’s what I’m planning on studying.It’s hard, because other art forms are straight-forward; want to learn how to paint? Start painting. Learn how to play the guitar? Start playing guitar. Writing? Start writing. There are some less straight-forward art forms, like dance and theater. But in general, to learn art you just have to do it.Animation is like that in one way; you can start learning drawing, and programs and the like. However, it’s generally a difficult thing to do; self-teaching animation is hard. I’m taking an independent study course for Maya, and it’s hard without the instruction of someone who knows what they’re doing in the program.You can definitely be self-taught in the field, though. Animation, though, is a vastly collaborative art form; communication and connections, as with traditional filmmaking, is extremely important. That’s why animation school is so important; you’re making important connections for the workforce.I’m still in high school, so I can’t say for certain how important schooling is in the field. However, I believe that it’s growing in importance.
Is a University Honors Program worth it?
An honors program isn't for everyone so there are some questions you need to ask yourself to determine if you are the right person for this. Can you be disciplined enough to keep up with the standards? Is your GPA high now and is that easy for you to maintain or very difficult? Just based on the learning you would gain alone - that would be helpful to you in your major and in your life. But, are you interested in additional learning? Will you be happy in making some sacrifices in your personal and social life in order to accomodate this? When other people deter you and tell you that you're wasting your time, can you take a stand for what you are doing and continue while ignoring that kind of peer pressure? Do you have at least one friend who has done this program or is in it so that you can support each other in the endeavor? Well, I would think just having done thesis work would be very worthwhile as that is something high education will require at the Master's or Doctorate level - is that a direction you would like to go in the future? I would say that in comparison to the many ways a person can get into trouble in college and do silly things because they have too much free time - I would think investing in your future would be wise. Now getting a job is more about personal skills, relationships and having contacts than it is what is on you resume, but most certainly having that on your resume can help get your foot in the door at a certain level and help you connect with teachers and mentors who will be impressed by your interest in scholarly endeavors and will most certainly recommend you for the right internships and positions that will help you succeed. Trust me - alot of 30 and 40 somethings only wish they had set their minds on their future when they were young because you will reap the rewards or consequences for choices you make now.
Is University of Hong Kong worth studying at?
I am an international student from Hong Kong studying in the States. HKU is the top school in Hong Kong with a very long history. So I don't think you need to worry about the academic standard there at all. I am not sure what your major is since you didn't mention that in your question. If you are majoring in business, then I'd recommend HKUST instead of HKU. The business programs at HKUST rank very high in the world. I heard that its MBA and EMBA programs ranked 6 in the world (yes, even better than the business schools in the US!). But if you're undecided about your major or simply aren't majoring in business, then going to HKU as an exchange student for a year is a good experience too. HK is a very interesting place. It has been a British colony for over 100 years and it is the gateway to China. Besides being a city with lots of commercial activities, you can see lots of people from different countries in HK. When I visited Japan a few years ago, 99% of the people on the streets are Japanese. I'm sure what I mean since you're a South Korean. The situation is very different in HK. Besides Asians, it's very normal for you to run into Indians, Caucasians, and those from South-East Asia in the streets of HK. If you're in the Kowloon Peninsula, across the Victoria Harbour from HK Island, you'll find the Middle-Eastern and African communities there. I'm sure it will be a worthwhile experience. HK people are very global-minded and welcoming, especially to visitors. It's not going to be hard to find friends at HKU. Also, even in Canada there is a huge HK community. Maybe this experience will be useful to you in the future, when you move to Canada. Good luck!
Is it worth it to transfer to Cambridge University?
I went to Oxford so can probably provide a bit of insight into how things work. Whilst it is possible on rare occassions to transfer between some UK universities, you won't be able to just transfer into an institution as prestigious as Cambridge. If you want to attend Cambridge you will have to go there from the beginning and complete the whole of your degree there. You also need to remember that Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world, on a par with American institutions such as Harvard and Yale. You really need to be in the top 5% of students to have a chance of getting in. Unfortunately because we take different exams to you in the form of GCSEs and A levels I can't tell you the type of qualifications that you'll need, but if you email one of the colleges I'm sure they'll be more than willing to help. I'm not entirely sure if you're clear on the way our university system works. Here we don't go to university, take a range of classes and then major in one subject and minor in another. When we apply to university we do so to study one subject and when we get there that is all we study. Therefore, you won't be able to major in one subject; you will have to decide what you want to study from the outset and there is the risk that it might be a little restrictive if you want to go back to the US and study medicine. We also don't have this concept of undergraduate and graduate school like you do; instead they're pretty much combined into one. For example, if you want to study medicine, you study medicine from the outset; if you want to be a lawyer, you study law from the outset. Therefore, if you come to Cambridge wanting to be a doctor you would study medicine from the very beginning of the course, study it for 5-6 years and then not need to go to grad school. Given your plans, you might therefore need to assess how everything fits together.