The most important aspect of a university design education is the studio work. I don’t mean the deliverables that come out of the studio, but the experience of working in one. Learning from others as you design, and getting feedback from professors. That is not something that you can gain on your own, even with the wonders of the Core77 message board.
I think the graphic designer that wants to go into ID has that experience, they just need to gain production knowledge and translate their skills to 3d. You are really behind the 8 ball and onl your own.