You will need to be good at math, period, "regular" CS degree or not. Linear algebra especially I have found to be the most useful bit of mathematics I ever studied. Calculus only slightly less so...
You don't have to be GREAT at math, nor do you need a mathematics degree. Basically you need to not be afraid of math, or if you are you need to be able to overcome that fear.
beginner, college..
i'm a computer science major and as far as math is concerned we have to do the following:
calc 1, calc 2, linear algebra, probability and statistics, discrete structures, and also either Vector calc OR differitial equations (i chose vector calc :P)
calc 1, calc 2, linear algebra, probability and statistics, discrete structures, and also either Vector calc OR differitial equations (i chose vector calc :P)
Quote:Original post by jpetrie
You will need to be good at math, period, "regular" CS degree or not. Linear algebra especially I have found to be the most useful bit of mathematics I ever studied. Calculus only slightly less so...
You don't have to be GREAT at math, nor do you need a mathematics degree. Basically you need to not be afraid of math, or if you are you need to be able to overcome that fear.
Seconded. Computers are really math incarnate, nothing a computer does, can do, or will ever do, isn't math. Sometimes its hidden behind the language, but its always there. That said, you don't need to be a math god that knows everything and never has to look up a formula. Whats important is that you have a fair grasp of the material; enough to do what you know, and to know where to look and how to apply it when you don't. Bottom line, you should be comfortable with math.
Though I went to Digipen myself, and it is a fine program, I've usually advised others to go the University route first. If you like what you've learned at university and want to move it into the games field specifically, you can always attend a game school and get the specialized training they offer. Alternatively, for a motivated individual, Having a BS in computer science + a good portfolio of independant game projects and tech demos is generally just as good as having a game degree.
You would also find, having gone to a game school, that some places simply don't hire grads of these programs. On the other hand, there are other places that seek out these grads specifically, but the point is these kinds of degrees don't neccesarilly make you a lock-in candidate for the games industry. You need to excell to make it, the only average programmers in the game industry are the ones who managed to pull the wool over the eyes of their employer long enough to learn the codebase :)
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yeah, I'm fine and feel comfortable in math. i've always like it and i've always understood everything. i flew through geometry and algebra 2. but since i never did my homework when it came to precalc, when it came to tests, i couldn't remember how to do things. and i never took notes since i understood all the class work.
it just feels like you need to be very impressive in math for computer science, programming, etc. but I guess I can conclude otherwise from what all you have said.
i see how a degree in CS with game projects can get you into the business. and i see how FullSail can help you into the industry, if you actually get everything out of the program you can. and i can see how going to a university can be good, so you'll know if you are good and want to progress further, then going to a something like FullSail.
if you know how to this stuff, and can make something actually good, you don't need FullSail holding your hand. so i'm not under the impression that I need FullSail for that reason. i just personally feel FullSail, or another gaming college could teach me the skills for me to become good, then take the ball and make impressive games, to get me a career.
in my current situation, i have to decide on if I want to go to a Tennessee university and get a Hope Scholarship. which would give me 3,000 a year and pay for most colleges fully. or decide if i want to go to an out of state university and get loans. which could be 60K. then if I took a FUllSail,game college program, that's another 60K. more or less. or whether or not I should take a game program starting off.
right now i'm pondering if i should just go to the local tennessee university, get into computer science, get a job, take a fullsail program, and see where my life takes me. what are typical jobs after you graduate in CS?
it just feels like you need to be very impressive in math for computer science, programming, etc. but I guess I can conclude otherwise from what all you have said.
i see how a degree in CS with game projects can get you into the business. and i see how FullSail can help you into the industry, if you actually get everything out of the program you can. and i can see how going to a university can be good, so you'll know if you are good and want to progress further, then going to a something like FullSail.
if you know how to this stuff, and can make something actually good, you don't need FullSail holding your hand. so i'm not under the impression that I need FullSail for that reason. i just personally feel FullSail, or another gaming college could teach me the skills for me to become good, then take the ball and make impressive games, to get me a career.
in my current situation, i have to decide on if I want to go to a Tennessee university and get a Hope Scholarship. which would give me 3,000 a year and pay for most colleges fully. or decide if i want to go to an out of state university and get loans. which could be 60K. then if I took a FUllSail,game college program, that's another 60K. more or less. or whether or not I should take a game program starting off.
right now i'm pondering if i should just go to the local tennessee university, get into computer science, get a job, take a fullsail program, and see where my life takes me. what are typical jobs after you graduate in CS?
In general game programming doesn't pay as much as other programming. Also I breezed through high school math. I'm now taking Calculus 2 for the second time in the local university, and taking good notes and trying to bring up my D average in that class. I knew how to program since I was a kid so programming came naturally to me.
If you want to know how well you'd do in programming I'd recommend you first try to learn from reading a free book like Thinking Like a Computer Scientist: Programming in Python and download the Python programming language from the Python website and see if you're any good at it before throwing away a good scholarship opportunity with a halfhearted attempt at a BS degree in something you're no good at. (BTW, That book was the textbook for the first programming course in the university I am attending.)
As far as the jobs you can get, depending on what electives you take, you could learn to be a programmer (which makes good money), a game developer (which makes some money but less than a regular programmer due to greater supply), or others. You may not get your pick on the first job but if you're up to your neck in student loans you may have to take what you can get.
Fine Arts degrees are somewhat less appreciated in the workplace but are in reasonably high demand in the gaming industry. If you want a fine arts degree in gaming you might be able to get a job in the industry but it's a tough sell. Supply of game developers is higher than other art jobs so if you go into the arts you could end up "hosed" as TriSwords said.
If you want to know how well you'd do in programming I'd recommend you first try to learn from reading a free book like Thinking Like a Computer Scientist: Programming in Python and download the Python programming language from the Python website and see if you're any good at it before throwing away a good scholarship opportunity with a halfhearted attempt at a BS degree in something you're no good at. (BTW, That book was the textbook for the first programming course in the university I am attending.)
As far as the jobs you can get, depending on what electives you take, you could learn to be a programmer (which makes good money), a game developer (which makes some money but less than a regular programmer due to greater supply), or others. You may not get your pick on the first job but if you're up to your neck in student loans you may have to take what you can get.
Fine Arts degrees are somewhat less appreciated in the workplace but are in reasonably high demand in the gaming industry. If you want a fine arts degree in gaming you might be able to get a job in the industry but it's a tough sell. Supply of game developers is higher than other art jobs so if you go into the arts you could end up "hosed" as TriSwords said.
Quote:Original post by Xeneth
I'm in a programming program now. (Bored out of my mind in the begining classes) and They assume NOTHING!! Math is a must, That's a given seeing Computers are nothing but. As much math as you can learn, the better, but not needed when your just learning. The classes might be good, if you wish, to fill in the blanks of what you already know. It's also much better having a teacher to ask when there is somthing that confuses you.
Depending on where you live, It may be hard to find a school that teaches programing insted of lecturing about it(only 2 schools here, and only 1 of them is considerd a collage). Good luck on that.
Are you serious? I know C up and down and C++ really well... And all that for college? I mean, what the heck... I won't even bother taking a CS course in high school...
I'm pretty much at the same point, except I pwn maths & CS :))).
I'm first year B.Comm Maths with CS as my major, but I don't think i'll learn enough here about game programming (don't think we're doing any 3D), so if i want to get into game design I'll have to go study that elsewhere. Also I'm only doing up to maths 2 (calc and lin alg combined). Game design seems a looong way off from the south tip of africa.. :)
So, what i'm getting to, is anybody here in a game school? I heard a bit about these a while back, but never heard anything from anybody who actually went there.
Then I only need a green card or something..
I'm first year B.Comm Maths with CS as my major, but I don't think i'll learn enough here about game programming (don't think we're doing any 3D), so if i want to get into game design I'll have to go study that elsewhere. Also I'm only doing up to maths 2 (calc and lin alg combined). Game design seems a looong way off from the south tip of africa.. :)
So, what i'm getting to, is anybody here in a game school? I heard a bit about these a while back, but never heard anything from anybody who actually went there.
Then I only need a green card or something..
Quote:
So, what i'm getting to, is anybody here in a game school? I heard a bit about these a while back, but never heard anything from anybody who actually went there.
Then I only need a green card or something..
Ravyne and I are both DigiPen students (or were). If you dig around in our respective post histories, you can probably find plenty of responses to people asking about game schools... this topic comes up a whole lot. As he has already mentioned in this thread, a degree from DigiPen or FullSail or any of the other up-and-coming game-oriented programs does not make you a sure bet for any job. But this is true of any degree... I don't know how so many people have got it into their heads that "(insert game school here) is so hard that you are guaranteed a job by (insert large game development house here) upon graduation!" It's just as easy to skate by and graduate at DigiPen as it is at any other school; you're going to have to put lots of effort in anywhere if you want to excel.
I also agree with Ravyne's recommendation to get a "regular" degree first, or at least start one. I came to DigiPen with a ("pure") theoretical computer science background and I found it a great help in putting me ahead of my peers and helping me get through the program and land the job that I did.
I've talked with nemerous peolpe on this topic. They said get a CS degree, get some programming experience, work part time or do un-professional code. That's pretty much the best way to start off. So if you want to get into game dev, get a CS and do plenty of 3d graphics programming and all.
Quote:Original post by dbzprogrammer
I've talked with nemerous peolpe on this topic.
Oh really? Can I meet her? [totally]
This topic is closed to new replies.
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