The main thing to remember is this: figure out what it is you want to do for a living. If you want to write and draw your own stuff, gear your portfolio towards that end. If you want to write, hook up with an artist and put out a mini comic. If you want to do a film, do a film. If you want to do sequential art, don't just do a bunch of pin-ups. Do some sequential art. Then when you go up for a review, or a critique, you'll get more out of it.
And remember this too: You have to love what you're doing. If you don't LOVE it, it'll show.