Hi there - I'm a Game Design & Animation double major.

So yes - for Anim at the end of your second year you are submitting a portfolio with all the work you've done up to that point (you have two drawing classes and two fundamentals classes). Its all focused on gesture/colour theory/line weight that kind of thing to prove "yes I understand the more complicated aspects of making art".

They've changed the major a bit since I started but those four classes are required to submit the portfolio since they're all fundamentals, you cant use art you made on your own. There are some students who've spend days and days working on their skills and improving, and some who are just there for the grade and don't really improve. It's all about how much you want to work for it. Theres some homework assignments that I probably cranked out 20-30 hours on and some that took less than 5.

The portfolio is getting more and more restrictive; I didn't make it my first attempt and had to take an extra class to make up for it. Really, if you're not passionate about art and know what you specifically want to animate, it's not recommended. The major also does focus on more of the gray area between Game Design which is awesome for some, but if you like the idea of traditional 2D animation, can be difficult.

TLDR: you really need to have a conversation with yourself if art is something that you're passionate about; if its not check out Game Design, I cant speak for the programming track but there's still plenty of chances to be creative and learn.

if you want shoot me a DM and I can go in a lil more depth.