quote:Original post by hexman
1. I would like to be a programmer
2. I would like to be a modeler/animator
3. I would like to be a Journalist

No one else who find that unusual? I''d have considered them mutually exclusive .

From a personal point of view, I think that a degree says about nothing about a person''s programming skills. Getting a degree might be useful, but you don''t learn programming in school; you do that at home (mostly) by yourself. The ability to educate yourself, to not need someone to hold your hand, and being flexible is more important than showing a diploma (IMO).

Hexman,

You sound a little negative. Everybody faces obstacles at some time or other, and games development is not the easiest of industries to break into.

Follow some of the specific advice given in this thread, but above all - DON''T GIVE UP! If you *really* want to achieve something, and you set your mind on it, you''ll get there...

Well, thats what I''m counting on anyway

Caroline M.

Maybe a little off topic, but really important -

YOU HAVE TO PAY UP FRONT FOR YOUR DEGREE IN AMERICA??????

That''s ridiculous! America is capitalism gone HAYWIRE!

Doesn''t the American constitution say something about the right to education?

I though things were bad enough where I live (England). People complain that all courses should be free (like in Scotland). Now I realise how lucky I am - over here you don''t have to pay a penny untill you''re earning £16,000 a year, in which case it''s part of your taxes.

That really sucks for you.

Does seem a little odd that you''re at degree level and you''re still not sure which field you want to specialise in -

Have you written any games?
Have you written any magasine articles?

If not, you should try it before deciding whether the career is for you (writing articles is harder than it sounds).

Stuffing feathers up your ass does not make you a chicken.

I think hexman's main problem here is his lack of perseverance and willingness to work. I hate to sound like an ass here, but I hate it when people say they can't afford to go to school.

You can do the whole working fulltime while schooling fulltime thing, which sucks, but if you really wanna keep schooling you'll do it. You can join the military, which'll take ya away from your schooling for maybe six months and then will pay for you to go back and finish the rest. There are tons and tons and tons of grants out there, you just have to go to the library and do some research.

How do I know these are all feasible ways to pay for your schooling? Because this is exactly what I did! I didn't receive a dime from my parents or start planning for college in the eighth grade, actually I wasted a year before I decided I needed to go to college. I had a very low paying job, but I wanted to go to school. So I had to do both full time. Its strenuous and I did it over a year, then I decided enough of that, I'm joining the military, so I did exactly that. I've had to take about 9 months away from college, but you whats going to happen now, especially since I'm going to do the ROTC program on top of my enlistment? My tuition will be fully paid for, I'll be receiving nearly $500 a month for two days of drill, and I get $10,000 in student loans paid for me by Uncle Sam. Once I enter my junior year the money I'll be getting from Uncle Sam will shoot to over $800 a month, simply for drill weekends and a little bit of drilling during the week. I don't even have any additional grants right now, but I will be having them when I start back up in the fall.

I know its long winded and seems like alot of work, but if you really wanna go to school and become a game developer, you'll do what it takes.



[edited by - zer0wolf on May 2, 2003 9:09:22 PM]