Expert: Susie Watts - 1/13/2007

Question
Thank you so much. Another question, with your experience, is it better to study a field to better finance myself first and then go for the dream career or just go for it straight from the start?
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
This has been a tricky decision for me since I was in high school and have made bad decisions in the past, but I want to get over that and FINALLY go for my dream.

I want to be a filmmaker since I was a teen. But I live in Puerto Rico and where there was any chance of studying that sort of thing was too far away and costly. The whole college selection and admission process was so confusing and overwhelming I completely ignored it and just did what my mom told me to do. I joined the Air Force once i graduated High School, but was in it for just 9 months before I was kicked out. It wasn't for me. Now I'm back in Puerto Rico in a local college studying Secondary Education for english as a second language, mainly using financial aid to pay for it. I'm in the middle of my second year.

With mom gone now, I want to do what I WANT for a change, but I know nothing about picking the right college and my older brother (who lives in Florida) isnt any help and I get very confused and discouraged.

Looking around, I've kinda narrowed it down to Savannah College of Art and Design, Academy of Art University (San Francisco), Purchase College (NY) and Full Sail (FL). Those are the ones that I like. But I think the most realistic ones are Purchase and Full Sail.

But still, are there other choices I'm missing out on? Is it possible to afford any of these? I dont have any credit (not even sure how credit works) and I'm not sure how or if I can finance any really expensive college. My older brother says to major in writing/english first (I have natural talent in writing) and be a writer first to make ends meet and then try for Film. But ultimately I want to be a filmmaker, should I have to wait?

What college would be best for me?
-----Answer-----
I am going to give you a number of schools that offer a good film study major.  I would suggest that you go to their websites and see if the school appeals to you.  You should also look into their financial aid, scholarships, and loans for independent students.  The colleges are as follows:

Cal State-Long Beach
University of Montana
University of New Mexico
Chapman University
College of SAnta Fe
Long Beach City College
University of South Carolina
University of Miami
Savannah College of Art and Design
Santa Barbara City College

Answer
If you choose a school where you can major in both film studies and journalism, you would have the writing skills to do other things.  If you are successful at film making and have enough opportunities for internships, etc., you should be able to get off to a good start. Every job requires hard work and persistence in order to have real success and sometimes it takes time for that to happen.
Look at a school that will allow you to graduate with the least amount of debt.  Don't discount private schools because sometimes they have more money than public schools to help you out financially.