...I have no idea where to start.
I should say that, specifically, I'm really interested in the art side of video games, especially when it comes to modeling and texturing characters.
So here's a bit of my background story:
After finishing up two successful years of community college, I had realized that I really liked the art that I saw in video games, and whether it was just raw sketches or creating full-on models to be used in-game, one way or another, I wanted a career in game art. So, a few months ago, I enrolled in a games based-3ds Max modeling vocational program (or so I thought) because it had a lower tuition cost than any other program I had seen, and seemed to be legitimate. However, in turned out that the "program" was really just an overpriced hobbyist's course (that might be a euphemism, even if I wanted to use what I "learned" there only for recreational purposes, it'd still probably be useless) and now I'm left with virtually no knowledge of 3ds Max, how to make models that export into games, or even how I would go about applying for a job in the industry (assuming I had the qualifications to do so). The fact that I've been out of a real school for eight months isn't helping either.
I apologize if any of you were taken a back by this little sob story, but I thought it best to be honest and let you know where I'm comming from.
So my question is: if I want to enter or get trained to work in the games industry as some kind of artist, where should I start? The cost of going back to school seems a bit beyond my reach, but are game-based degrees the only way to get the proper training to enter the field? Any help would be appreciated.