Good Day! Currently I'm running my own business (a garment printing business), but in all honesty - I'm just not happy with it anymore and feel it's time to move on to something that relates to my passion of programming (which I have developed over the course of the years as a hobby++). I'm 27 with no qualifications. However my questions are for anyone that was in my boat or has any clues: Is it possible I can find myself in a Software Engineering Course with my current level of skills: Fairly competent in each of these languages and have good experience with Windows based programming and have written quite a few programs and games. Assembly, C, C++, Java, PHP etc. I know Mathematics will probably be the key stop gap, since I can imagine that would be a requirement, however perhaps I can learn that along the way ? I have a lot of the fundamentals well nailed including OOP and visualising from a low level (Assembly, which I felt was the biggest boost to my overall understanding of all High languages). I guess I really should phone around shortly, but it would be nice to hear from anyone that has progressed from such a situation. I'm willing to put in the efforts for a better outlook in life. Thanks for stopping by :) [Edited by - PiCkLeD on March 29, 2006 8:24:44 AM]

Old? I have kids who are nearly your age (and I am in the industry). Get off your butt and get moving if you want it.

The "Old" was meant to be for fun so my apologies if the "older" people take offense.

The get up off your butt and get moving thing is really great advice, however it dosen't quite answer any of my questions, if you wish to give me a lecture on the failings and shortfalls of a "lazy sitting on their butt" person, then take it to personal tells, since you seemed to labelled me before I have begun.

I am trying to get off my "butt" with regards to this, however I am not getting off my "butt" in general terms of life if that is what you are going to brand me as (a lay about).

As mentioned a change of direction (as happens in life).

Excuse my snappy nature, but I dont wear fools gladly.

[Edited by - PiCkLeD on March 29, 2006 8:14:36 AM]

Most of these courses (e.g. software engineering, computer science and so on) are a big joke (at least in the UK). The most important thing they can teach you is how to properly research a subject (be it an API, language or what have you) and motivate you to pursue further study in a given field.

From what you've told us, I don't think you lack the motivation nor the skills in research, so go for it. Maybe you can get the course leader to allow you to enroll directly to the 2nd year of the degree, provided that you can demonstrate a sufficient level of understanding of the 1st year modules...blah...blah...(put together a small portfolio with the programmes you already have).

Quote:Original post by Fluffy-Bunny
Most of these courses (e.g. software engineering, computer science and so on) are a big joke (at least in the UK).

Why such a big joke? Students on the games prog. course at our (UK) uni. come out being able to program in C++ and with a portfolio of 4 or 5 playable games.
They also come out with knowledge of OpenGL, Direct3D, UnrealScript, RenderWare and can choose to specialise in AI, physics etc.

Why isn't that useful?

Quote:Original post by PiCkLeD
I know Mathematics will probably be the key stop gap, since I can imagine that would be a requirement, however perhaps I can learn that along the way ?

Don't worry about that. You only really need advanced maths for high level engineering and for graphics programming. Chances are, yes, you will be able to learn anything you need along the way, so do not worry about that.

I've been a professional programmer now to almost 2 months and the most complex piece maths I have done was some form of date calculation.

One thing you will need though, and I cannot stress this enough, you will need a great love of tea and/or coffee. If you hate those, then, boy, I don't know. [grin]

<quote>
Why such a big joke? Students on the games prog. course at our (UK) uni. come out being able to program in C++ and with a portfolio of 4 or 5 playable games.
They also come out with knowledge of OpenGL, Direct3D, UnrealScript, RenderWare and can choose to specialise in AI, physics etc.

Why isn't that useful?
</quote>

Theoritically speaking, a BSc CGP (computer games programming) student should be proficient in the aforementioned APIs (well maybe not unrealscript) but surely the basic graphics APIs and a popular middleware solution like Renderware. In practice, many of them are NOT because they are, simply put, code monkeys. Being a code monkey and presenting other people's code as your own is quite different from being a knowledgeable programmer.

Ask yourself why universities like Teesside, which was one of the first to offer games-related courses, are now actively trying to employ modern software to track and punish the hordes of plagiarists. It is because things are quickly spiralling out of control and now students would rather spend a couple of hours hunting for a nice D3D9 wrapper than to go through the DX documentation and write it themselves. Of course, I need not mention that the original authors are never mentioned in the code or the accompanying reports...

All I can say is that they'll get a big surprise when they do their first interview for a programming job...