Did you get internships while in college? That's helps for after you leave and need to get a job - you've already had some experience in the workforce pertaining to your job.
It's mandatory, but they don't go and get the internship for you. I'm extremely lucky that my ex-game design teacher hired me.
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So, allow me to explain how today went down.
Arrived at college at 8AM so I could get plenty of time to walk around...found out doors are locked until 8:45AM for non-swipe card holders (college students won't be getting swipe cards for a few days). Watched a lot of construction guys moving in and out; the school still won't be finished construction for a long while. Met some guys in my previous Visual Communication and current History of Visual Communication class (they are completely different theory classes), so we went to the Chocolate Cafe and filled up on pure-diabetes. Was happy because Parramatta, unlike North Sydney, has a huge shopping mall and therefore far more variety.
Come back to the college at 8:30AM, and they've opened the doors. Meet with my friends and after staying in a line for concession cards I didn't get at the time for a little while, my friend and I headed to Level 4, which is the new Game Design/Animation/Newagency/Cafe/Student Council level (I'm right now seeing if I can't push my way into the SRC, because it's not like I don't have enough stuff to do). We got up there, and the head of Animation/my ex-Animation teach/current ICT teach's advice about "bring a scooter" rang true.
The building is loving massive. There's at least 30 classrooms, plus a roof area (on level 4 of a 6 level building!) and multiple interview/office rooms, a cafe and an entire Newsagency. From the roof I spotted my HVC classmates, so after shouting at them my friend and I had a race down the stairs.
After going ape-stuff over how awesome the new building is, I went outside to meet with the rest of the HVC class. Soon, my ex-colour theory teach/one of my good mentors walks on by and gives us the good news; the old VC teach couldn't do HVC, so he's taking over the class. After a quick smoke break for those who needed it, we went inside to the new "theatre" room which has 6 big TVs, a 5.1 surround system, observation room, working mic and leather recliners for 100 people. I was loving shocked, amazed and in great comfort.
So, after a few hours and a break or two where we managed to change the assessments to become more fun/meaningful, we set out for lunch. I asked to get my concession card since apparently they would be ready by 12PM. Unfortunately, to get one required a current ID card, and mine expired in February. I went to get it replaced; turns out the card machine was broken. No ID card means no concessions, meaning really expensive bus fare all week until it's fixed.
I took a train to get a decent lunch at McDonalds at Town Hall, and the as we agreed upon earlier in class, we had an impromptu excursion at the Sydney Art Gallery. Upon arriving, we discovered the highly praised Pop Culture exhibit had finished 2 days before we arrived, which was disappointing. Our teach gave us the mini-assignment to go inside and find the artwork that inspired us most. We had 1 hour.
I was really upset. I've been to the art gallery at least 3 times now, and Level 3 contains the art works and installations that I love with a passion. Turns out, the exhibition had taken up the entirety of Level 3, and so it was now all closed off so they could do whatever the forget they were supposed to be doing. Clearly it wasn't cleaning up; they had a short barrier blocking one entrance, and looking in I could see all the beautiful abstract artworks. I found the one I really liked there.
After we each did a bit of a show-and-tell tour, we all made our way home.
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I really, really love the new college. There's a lot of work to do and people are all currently stressed out to the max (hell, my Character Design classroom, the class that requires PCs to use Mudbox, Maya, 3DS Max and Photoshop doesn't have loving PCs yet), but I can tell this year is going to be a really good year, and I've even received an offer or two to try and stay back and assist with teaching at the college when I finish my Bachelors. A couple of us guys have many ideas on how to improve Level 4 with graffiti, removing walls, adding couches and consoles etc, and it looks like we might have approval for all of our insane plans.
Except the one involving the laser-guided mini-cars that take you directly to whichever class you want to go.
Still nervous that this is the final mudslide towards to the big finale and the end of my formal education, but it's going to be one hell of a finale at least :)
