Note: This is a continuation of my previous post, which you can find [here].

After winter break, I was ready to get back to work—at least, I thought I was. I had taken the time to rest, maybe a bit too much. In hindsight, I should have prepared better for what was coming. Once again, I jumped into a new semester without any preparation or practice.

Third Semester: The Real Work Begins

Course 1: 3D Graphics
Software: Maya, Substance Painter, Photoshop

This semester had a new format: three weeks of exercises, one week for a project, and the final week reserved for practical and written exams. It was a more relaxed schedule, but the workload didn’t change. The first three weeks were all about one thing: practice, practice, practice. Every day there was a new exercise that we had to figure out, complete, and share on Discord. They were no walk in the park. I spent countless hours watching tutorials, searching forums, and when all else failed, asking my peers for help. Luckily, I had a friend skilled in Blender, so for them Maya wasn’t as intimidating. Their help was invaluable whenever I got stuck.

Some of the exercises we did

For the project in week four, we were tasked with modeling an object of our choice—something reasonably challenging for beginners. I decided to model my Moka Pot. It was something I used and liked, so it felt more meaningful than the generic objects the teacher suggested. But oh man, did I struggle! Getting the topology right, and trying to create textures that captured the real material was much harder than I anticipated. Having the actual object on my desk helped immensely. Being able to hold an object with your hands and examine every little detail in real life was crucial.

Reference (left), my model (right)

For practical exam we had to model and texture a chess clock in just one day. It was brutal. I was stressed and rushed through it because it seemed there was not enough time. Ended up with a passing grade, but I was far from happy with the result.

Practical exam in modeling

Course 2: Animation and Rigging
Software: Maya

The following Monday, we jumped straight into a new course: rigging and animation. If you’re not familiar, rigging involves creating a skeleton (bones) for a 3D model, which is then manipulated by controllers. Animators work with these controllers to bring the character or object to life, without directly touching the skeleton. Understanding the separation between rigging and animation early on was crucial.

Initially, I found this course pretty fun—there’s something satisfying about seeing your rigged objects come to life. But as the projects became more complex, especially when dealing with human anatomy, my frustration grew. Maya crashing, rig breaking, and animation turning out weird became a daily struggle. I enjoyed animating small objects, but the second we moved on to more complex figures, I knew this wasn’t something I wanted to pursue long-term.

Just having fun

Fourth Semester: A Love-Hate Relationship

Course 1: Real-Time Graphics
Software: Unreal Engine 5

I had only opened Unreal Engine once before, during that infamous second week when we had to create a game in a day. Needless to say, it wasn’t a pleasant memory. This time, I was even more lost. Exercises felt impossible, and going to campus became something I dreaded. I decided to take a short break and figure out my own plan because clearly, the current approach wasn’t working.

My biggest obstacle? Blueprints. They were a mystery to me. So, instead of blindly following the class schedule without understanding anything, I found “Unreal Sensei” on YouTube and watched his 5-hour introduction to Unreal Engine and was blown away. That’s when something clicked. I finally started understending how things worked! I was thrilled and so hyped about Unreal that I ended up buying his course. Things just started to make sense.

For my project, I created a game called Memory Locked, and for the first time in a while, I genuinely had fun. I passed the exam with a good grade, but honestly, the grade didn’t even matter at that point. I knew Unreal Engine was something I wanted to master inside and out.

Course 2: Compositing
Software: Nuke, Maya

When I started college, I thought I wanted to work in film. That was the reason I chose this program—because it had a focus on film studies too. But oh, was I wrong! At this point, I realized that what I truly enjoyed was working on games, environments, and world-building. Compositing? I hated it. There’s no other way to put it.

Working with Nuke was dreadful, and this course ended up being my least favorite by far. My goal was simple: just pass and move on. But this time that’s exactly what didn’t happen. For the first time since starting college, I failed. I barely passed the project, and I failed the exam. A few months later, just before the second year, I tried again—and failed again.

That failure was a wake-up call. I knew I needed to find some way to make compositing enjoyable, or at least tolerable, because it’s nearly impossible to learn something when you find zero joy in it. That’s something I’m still trying to figure out.

Failing Nuke wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to start my summer holiday, but honestly, I was so burned out that all I wanted to do was rest. And that’s exactly what I did for an entire month—nothing. Afterwards, I traveled to India and Kazakhstan, and the change of scenery did wonders for me. I let my eyes take in something other than a computer screen, and I came back refreshed, inspired, and excited to continue my journey in computer graphics.

After all, I was searching for my passion for so long and I’ve finally found it in CG. Despite the struggle, burnout and all frustrations, it was all worth it. Now that I’m in my second year, I look back and I can see how much I’ve learned. Every challenge taught me something and brought me closer to what I trully want to do. This journey is not easy, but I am more certain than ever that I am on the right path.