I've signed up for a complete program that is three years long (120 credits). I don't know if I will do all of it, or if I will jump ship once the market has turned around. It all depends on how motivated I am, and what opportunities are available to me in the marketplace. I'm kind of picky about what I do for a living, so I'm not about to take the first job that comes my way. I'm going to study computers (of course) and 3D animation at a program that is a bit unique not only in Sweden, but also in the world. The program is held at the local university here in Gävle. Many of the courses will only be rehashing what I already know, but I have also signed up for some additional courses in math to keep me busy. Most (all?) of the 3D stuff we are going to do will be done in Maya, so I expect to become quite proficient in that tool eventually.
Going back to school at 31, after already having studied at university once (albeit very briefly), made my military service, been a UN peacekeeper in Bosnia and worked as a professional software developer for 7 years gives me a unique perspective. This first week in school is filled with initiation rituals ("nollning" in Swedish) and parties, and instead of fearing what lies ahead (as my fellow classmates obviously do) I can sit back and relax and just enjoy life. And while those responsible for the initiations try their hardest to be as intimidating and cruel as possible (and scare the living shit out of some of the newcomers) I can with confidence think back to my days as an arctic ranger and conclude that despite their best efforts, the initiators are not even half as intimidating as the officers in the military.
I'm not sure how this will affect my participation in the league or here on the forum, but my guess is that very little will change with the possible exception being just prior to exams. However, I do know that I'll have even less money to spend than I do now. I will be actively looking for small jobs/projects that can bring in some much needed cash. If you or your company needs help with software development (see http://daniel.zapto.org/CV.html for a pretty up-to-date CV), please contact me. My rates are very reasonable! I can also help with web development (specifically PHP and database stuff), but I have no professional experience doing that. The best example of my abilities in web development is the new, still under construction, page for the F1 Racing league (beta version available here: http://f1r.servegame.com/index.php). I'm also proficient in Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects, so I can do digital video production. Unfortunately my equipment is pretty limited, with only an NTSC MiniDV camcorder and a PAL VHS video, so source material would have to be transmitted either in those formats or some other useful format (DVD-R maybe). Any and all help in locating possible jobs/projects would be greatly appreciated!
/Daniel
Also the idea of getting almost nO money in that period would kill me. 