Learning to Learn.

College life at Neumont University is very different than most schools. It's a college based on teaching it students industry standards. Their high standards lead to very rigorous classes. I have always been a student to put in 110% effort in all that I do. However, this can cause my mind to "burn out" quickly. I felt "burned out" earlier in July after working very hard in my college classes. I was spending 6+ hours every night working in Maya a 3D creation software, 2+ hours working on my C# homework, and trying to find time to learn C++ early, by working on the "Wrestle" assignments given to me by the professor of the class. I became frustrated by all of the workload. While discussing my problems with my peers, I realized what my main problem was. I was putting too much pressure on myself. I realized that I tend to set extremely high goals for myself, which end up hurting me more than helping. I put too much pressure on high grades and impressing others, than actually learning the material. I need a balance of both. So now that is what I am teaching my self to do. I'm focusing on learning. I still want to impress others and receive high grades for my best effort, but learning is priority number one.

After working in Maya for 45+ hours I ended up creating a Ford C/K Pickup 1994 Truck:

Both my teacher of the class Ryan Bown and the head of BSGD Jamie King were impressed with my model, I received an A for my work, but most importantly I learned how to work in Maya. I learned how to create a 3D model from reference images, how to figure out where to start, how to solve n-gon and triangle problems, how to use the least amount of geometry, and much more.

As I continue working in this class I will continue to learn more. We are now starting to learn how to work with textures. On Monday, 8/26/13, We, the class, will start to make a model of our college building. This will include all of the rooms, walls, stairs, furniture, chairs, desks, TV's, projectors, etc. I'm really excited to work on such a big project. We will use all that we have learned to create the building. I can't wait for it.

Currently I'm working on a recipe application in my C# lab called Cook it!, I'm learning C++  early through wrestle assignments and talking to my C++ instructor, Jamie King, and I'm learning how to use Photoshop to create tile-able textures in order to apply them to textures/Materials in Maya. I really look forward to expanding my knowledge.