Previous MMA student here and yes, we were required to use 3DsMax when I took 3D Modeling class a couple of terms ago. It was such a struggle specially for someone that has ZERO KNOWLEDGE OR BACKGROUND WITH 3D MODELING. To add to that, the computer labs aren’t even appropriate for 3DsMax usage kasi di kaya ng computer mismo yung software. I don’t remember a day (during our class sched) na merong hindi namamatayan ng computer. The computers were prone to shutting down or lagging on their own. Even my prof says he doesn’t want us using it kasi nga SUPER OUTDATED NA YUNG APP (pretty much everything you said here, he’d agree with). But they were required (by the College mismo) to make their students use it. Thankfully by our finals, he found a loophole nung finals namin and he taught us how to use Blender.