GDC 2013... I'm glad I went and I'm glad it's over. If you are an aspiring artist trying to get into the video game industry I highly recommend going. If you are able to tough out the long lines for portfolio reviews and keep an open mind, you will get a sense of where you stand and what you need to do to get to where you want to go.
I went for three days, finished physically and mentally drained, met a bunch of people, allowed my schoolwork to suffer a bit, and now I'm happy that I'm inspired to get back to the grind of the student life.