Ok, its time for some balance voices
This is my 2nd year of working as an animator, and I'm still surviving
Granted, the poly courses really under prepare students for the real world, way way under. Granted the companies are really little, and not easy to get it, easy to be kicked out.
And yes, the pay will not be much, no bonus etc.
But its not so dreadful to be an animator or the arts.
Quality of life
My 1st year of being an animator is super long hours, slept in office regularly and worked at least 1 weekend. But that's because I was really bad. Now, i can go home on time 3 out of 5 days minimum. Ok, but i hv to admit, i should have spend more time polishing my skills still.
As for the gatherings, well it can be dreadful sometimes. But working happily 8 hours a day, i think I'm better off then my banking frens who dread every moment of their work but only enjoy the pay day. Of course that's me. I'm happy w a simple life and hawker centre food. If you dream of a Prada bag, this is probably not the place for you.
The $$$$$$$
I just wanna emphasize that, if we work for companies, whatever we create there, is not our property. We created it, but we don't own it. Which is why 'Nightmare before Christmas' becomes Disney's. This means that you can be the creator, but you will get nothing out of it, if you just work for hire. You wouldnt enjoy the peaks or royalties your creation can generate.
Which brings me to my point: If you target to be just a work-for-hire, you will always subject urself to being underpaid and all. Worse, you dun own ur own creation ( creative people tends to be very anal about this, and why of coz).
So my encouragement is, if you wanna be in this field, target to one day do your own thing and have your own company. That's probably the only way to own it. Develop your own IP.
If it sounds very businessy, it is. But working means business, an ours is a fun business. I'm not saying its easy, its bloody difficult but its possible. But dun expect to be an work for hire and lead a comfty, money plentiful life. There are people like tt, but quite rarely. But come on, more and more non-art jobs are getting less and less peaks too *disclaimer: you do need to be very very very good in your stuff though, if not all these are just rubbish talk .
All the best