How do I become a 3D modeler and animator if I am doing/have done a computer science degree? Will this degree help or not? What does this profession demand and how can one evaluate their compatibility for this job?

1. Download Blender (a free and open source 3D graphics program). 2. Buy a copy of The Animator's Survival Kit on Amazon, and maybe a highly rated Blender book if you want (there are a great many tutorials available for free online for Blender, but many are of dubious quality). 3. Find a life-drawing class in your area and become a student. If you are at a University, the fine art department probably offers such a class, though it will probably last for about 2 hours and will therefore be hard to fit into your schedule as a CS student. 4. Start practicing, and don't stop. 5. If you still want to pursue this, invest in a copy of Zbrush or a similar sculpting program if you want to be a modeler, and maybe a copy of Maya or 3DS Max if you want to be an animator. A CS degree can definitely be helpful -- Blender is highly scriptable (and Open Source), so if you know Python you can write scripts to automate tasks. The big 3D software packages like Maya and 3DS Max both have APIs which you can use to write plugins like new renderers, which naturally draw upon the skills you learn in a CS degree.

a computer science degree will help pretty much in any job in the computer industry, although a minor in graphic design wouldn't hurt in your field. If you are good with computers, enjoy art, and can easily and efficiently manipulate software to create images, then you have a good start. You should never do a career "for the money", your work will eventually suffer as you start to hate your job, and you will eventually quit or worse, get fired. Im not entirely familiar with the career, but did look into it for myself and know a few people in it. You can look forward to long hrs and a demanding schedule, but if you are a good artist and truly love making art, then it is something to endeavor to look at.