Can I just say right out of the gate, that if you're currently attending a for profit-- Art Institute for example-- school, to drop out now while you can?
(erased my rant-- I won't push that on you fine folk!)
I am actually part of a movement that is trying to fight student debt (more specifically for-profits).
We've protested the open houses, we try to get as much information to young students and their parents-- we are very much against this school and we try to give alternatives before signing in to a life time of debt under false statements, mediocre training and reputation.
Graduated from AI, have pretty much the same experience at @CyndiFoster had-- I was one of the more talented students, got to do a lot of fine things, but I regret my time going to that art school. When people ask, do you need to go to school? I say no. There are other ways...
I loved animation growing up, but mostly, I loved the story telling aspect of it. I loved creating stories, acting out scenes, world building etc-- I probably would have been a good fit as a story artist or story board artist, but with comics, I can do all of that and more. I wish I introduced to the medium properly when I was younger.
You're on this forum, so you must be into comics. Storytelling? You don't need to go to art school to learn those things! A college course here and there, a book on story telling, themes, comic book making, etc-- Where can you find like minded people? Clubs, groups, LCS's, conventions... bam, there's your networking.
Um, so yeah, I am really/was dissatisfied with my school.