After taking a year off from school, after high school, I've decided that it's finally time to attend college. But to be quite honest, I wasn't the greatest strait A student in high school. I usually got by, barely, but still got by. Now it's time for me to be searching for a career. I know that I want to do something along the lines of game programming. So I applied to DeVry University and will be taking classes in a few months. The subject I chose to study was Game Simulation and Programming. Now that I look back on that choice, I don't know if it was entirely a smart one. I've been reading around these, and other, forums. From all the posts, I've figured out that getting into the gaming industry is not like regular jobs, and that if something went wrong, I had nothing to fall back on(considering I'm majoring in one thing). Now nothing is final yet, and I can still cancel the DeVry application. So my question to the more experienced members would be, should I? I'm 19 years old and am kind of lost at this point. I want to start school asap, but I don't want to be in a mess when it comes time for the job interviews. I'm currently learning C++ at home and it's keeping my interest in gaming alive. But every night after I shut off the computer I think to myself, "What if I can't get into this industry, what would I have left?". Any advice that you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

My response for you, and the response you'll likely hear from others in the community is "Avoid the technology trade schools (ITT Tech, DeVry, etc.) and the game-centric schools (Digipen, Fullsail, etc)" and go to a 4 year University for a more general degree.

The education you will receive at the technical trade schools is no where near complete and you will have trouble finding jobs for professional programming positions both inside and outside of the game industry. In regards to the game-centric programs, I am not saying you will get a bad education, but rather I am saying you will get a lopsided education and will be lacking a large amount of what is offered at a 4 year university.

This all being said, I would suggest that you go to a 4 year university and get a general (Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, etc.) degree that will give you a more rounded education and a better opportunity at finding work in whatever facet of programming that you may choose in the future.

Rule of Thumb: Any school that has to advertise on TV has to advertise on TV for a reason: because they can't get students to apply otherwise. A four year school will not only give you a better education, but also give you the connections you will need to stick your foot in the door.

My advice? Go to a liberal arts school with a good computer science program. Most liberal arts schools don't require you to declare a major until you are a sophomore (and for some, even a junior). Take the basic CS courses, see if you like it. If not, no harm -- just find another major. And if you do, then all the better -- you are in a good four year school and on your way.

And if you can't get into a good four year school because of your grades? I currently go to Cornell University and know a couple people who went to two year colleges first, or another 4 year institution and transferred in. A few had to repeat a year, but that is the price you pay. Just make sure your grades are up in college and most colleges you transfer in to will glance past your highschool grades and assume you have 'matured'.

Good luck!

Thank you for the replies.

My main problem is, I have a GED and my grades from high school are not something that I would like to show to the admission council. I also have not taken the SAT or ACT, so I would predict that in my current situation, I have a 98% chance of not getting into a 4 year university.

However, I do have an option of attending a community college for 2 years, and then transfering over. But, with that option, I will be in school for 6 years. And my main concern with that is, what if I can't cut it?

I would love to take a 4 year course on computer science, instead of game programming. But can anyone here honestly say that I have a chance of getting into a 4 year college with a GED, and without SAT/ACT test scores?

You're in FL, so that's a start in an area I'm familiar. I agree with the previous posters to avoid the Tech/GameDev-specific schools. You eventually want a Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Computer Science, but with the flexability of choosing another major if you change your mind. Also, since you claim to not be the best high school student, start with a community college! I made the mistake of going to the University of Florida as a Pre-Med/Microbiology major out of high school, without highly considering what major I'd want if I changed my mind on Med School. (UF's advising was pathetic in the late 90's) I was learning programming on my own and was becoming disillusioned with looking through microscopes and memorizing structures & mechanisms in my biology and chemistry classes.

I was too far along in Microbiology for a change of major to CS, so I went to Santa Fe Community College in town (Gainesville) to finish up 2 classes for my AA. I decided to take a couple comuter programming classes while I was there, and ended up staying there for a full two years for my AA and an AS in Computer Programming & Analysis. Then I transferred to Univ of Central Florida in Orlando to finish up 2 years for my BS in Computer Science.

Now, if I had to do it all over again, here's the advice I wish I had - and you're a step ahead since you already know you're interested in game programming.

Go to a respected community college and get your AA. Your classes will be MUCH smaller than a major university, with more teacher interaction at a slower pace. You won't have the distractions that I had the first few years at a university setting, but it'll be a step in the right direction. Take a few computer programming classes while you're there as electives, and they'll probably be fairly easy. Focus on doing well in school, and be a part of a program: admissions office, bookstore, student government, etc - something a part of the school to build references for a university application. Continue working on programming on your own time AFTER you get your homework/studying done.

After you've got your AA, you're guaranteed entry into at least 1 public Florida university, and you can still choose any major you want. In most cases, it'll only take around two years to graduate with a Bachelor's degree. Santa Fe Community College would be my first choice if I had to do it all over again. Gainesville is a fun town, SFCC is a great school (and very large for a community college at around 13,000 students), and you'd already be familiar and have friends in town if you'd think about continuing for a BS at the University of Florida. The University of Central Florida is also a great school for CS, especially with the close proximity of military simulations in town. Seminole CC and Valencia CC are in Orlando, but I'm not too familiar with their programs. It's very easy to get great internships and part-time jobs in my industry in Orlando while still in school to build experience and connections.

Quote:Original post by Skizi
However, I do have an option of attending a community college for 2 years, and then transfering over. But, with that option, I will be in school for 6 years. And my main concern with that is, what if I can't cut it?

No, you can get a BS in Computer Science in 4 to 4.5 years. 2 years at a CC for an AA in Engineering, and 2-2.5 years at a university to finish the BS in Computer Science. The AA from a community college basically counts as your first two years of a university 4 year degree. At UCF, I believe there will only be 2 classes you'd have to take that should have been taken during your sophomore year. Perhaps you could dual-enroll your 2nd year at a community college to take those two while you're finishing up your AA... then you'd finish your AA and BS in CS in 4 years total.

Quote:Original post by Skizi
I would love to take a 4 year course on computer science, instead of game programming. But can anyone here honestly say that I have a chance of getting into a 4 year college with a GED, and without SAT/ACT test scores?

A 4 year college? Highly unlikely. You'll probably need to just take the SAT/ACT to get into a decent community college, but not exactly have a good score. Your GPA and references at the community college will be FAR more important for university applications than SAT/ACT scores. Besides, the AA degree from a Florida community college guarantees entrance into at least one public Florida university. Your GPA/references/test scores will determine which other schools will accept you.. with the University of Florida being the most difficult of the Florida public schools.

If you didn't do that well in high school, you're going to be glad to go to a community college instead of a university. It'll be a much easier transition and give you a much higher chance of success than going straight to a 4 year school.

Quote:Original post by thesilencer
You're in FL, so that's a start in an area I'm familiar. I agree with the previous posters to avoid the Tech/GameDev-specific schools. You eventually want a Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Computer Science, but with the flexability of choosing another major if you change your mind. Also, since you claim to not be the best high school student, start with a community college! I made the mistake of going to the University of Florida as a Pre-Med/Microbiology major out of high school, without highly considering what major I'd want if I changed my mind on Med School. (UF's advising was pathetic in the late 90's) I was learning programming on my own and was becoming disillusioned with looking through microscopes and memorizing structures & mechanisms in my biology and chemistry classes.

I was too far along in Microbiology for a change of major to CS, so I went to Santa Fe Community College in town (Gainesville) to finish up 2 classes for my AA. I decided to take a couple comuter programming classes while I was there, and ended up staying there for a full two years for my AA and an AS in Computer Programming & Analysis. Then I transferred to Univ of Central Florida in Orlando to finish up 2 years for my BS in Computer Science.

Now, if I had to do it all over again, here's the advice I wish I had - and you're a step ahead since you already know you're interested in game programming.

Go to a respected community college and get your AA. Your classes will be MUCH smaller than a major university, with more teacher interaction at a slower pace. You won't have the distractions that I had the first few years at a university setting, but it'll be a step in the right direction. Take a few computer programming classes while you're there as electives, and they'll probably be fairly easy. Focus on doing well in school, and be a part of a program: admissions office, bookstore, student government, etc - something a part of the school to build references for a university application. Continue working on programming on your own time AFTER you get your homework/studying done.

After you've got your AA, you're guaranteed entry into at least 1 public Florida university, and you can still choose any major you want. In most cases, it'll only take around two years to graduate with a Bachelor's degree. Santa Fe Community College would be my first choice if I had to do it all over again. Gainesville is a fun town, SFCC is a great school (and very large for a community college at around 13,000 students), and you'd already be familiar and have friends in town if you'd think about continuing for a BS at the University of Florida. The University of Central Florida is also a great school for CS, especially with the close proximity of military simulations in town. Seminole CC and Valencia CC are in Orlando, but I'm not too familiar with their programs. It's very easy to get great internships and part-time jobs in my industry in Orlando while still in school to build experience and connections.

Thank you for the reply.

I was under the impression that I would have to go to school for 4 more years after I got my AA(2 years). At least that's what some admission people told me.

Now onto CC. The main problem with this is that I live in Miami, and our CC's really suck. I've had friends that told me that they're exactly like high school, and they haven't learned anything. Now obvious;y this statement doesn't define CC's in general, only the ones located in my area.

CC's also don't offer dorm rooms, which means if I move to a better location to attend CC, I would have to get a job, apartment, and car. This can be a problem for me, since like I said before, I'm not the best student and the only way that I will get my degree is if I concentrate all my time on school work.

Quote:Original post by Skizi
Thank you for the reply.

I was under the impression that I would have to go to school for 4 more years after I got my AA(2 years). At least that's what some admission people told me.

Now onto CC. The main problem with this is that I live in Miami, and our CC's really suck. I've had friends that told me that they're exactly like high school, and they haven't learned anything. Now obvious;y this statement doesn't define CC's in general, only the ones located in my area.

CC's also don't offer dorm rooms, which means if I move to a better location to attend CC, I would have to get a job, apartment, and car. This can be a problem for me, since like I said before, I'm not the best student and the only way that I will get my degree is if I concentrate all my time on school work.

Those admission people are wrong. I graduated with plenty of students at UCF who spent 2 years at a CC before finishing up their BS in CS with 2-2.5 years at UCF.

Yes, I've heard that about Miami CC's, and frequently hear that about Orlando CC's too. I know there are apartments right next to campus at Santa Fe CC in Gainesville, and knew people who walked to class and worked at the school part-time. There aren't many though, so you'd want to visit up there before making a choice. The good thing is that the campus is on the far northwest side of town, so traffic is light and there are other places to live within a 5 minute drive. It's been six years since I was up in Gainesville, but I've heard that SFCC now 'controls' some apartments/dorms, so that may be available for financing under student loans. You'd have to call the admissions office and discuss it with them..

Quote:Original post by thesilencer

Quote:Original post by Skizi
Thank you for the reply.

I was under the impression that I would have to go to school for 4 more years after I got my AA(2 years). At least that's what some admission people told me.

Now onto CC. The main problem with this is that I live in Miami, and our CC's really suck. I've had friends that told me that they're exactly like high school, and they haven't learned anything. Now obvious;y this statement doesn't define CC's in general, only the ones located in my area.

CC's also don't offer dorm rooms, which means if I move to a better location to attend CC, I would have to get a job, apartment, and car. This can be a problem for me, since like I said before, I'm not the best student and the only way that I will get my degree is if I concentrate all my time on school work.

Those admission people are wrong. I graduated with plenty of students at UCF who spent 2 years at a CC before finishing up their BS in CS with 2-2.5 years at UCF.

Yes, I've heard that about Miami CC's, and frequently hear that about Orlando CC's too. I know there are apartments right next to campus at Santa Fe CC in Gainesville, and knew people who walked to class and worked at the school part-time. There aren't many though, so you'd want to visit up there before making a choice. The good thing is that the campus is on the far northwest side of town, so traffic is light and there are other places to live within a 5 minute drive. It's been six years since I was up in Gainesville, but I've heard that SFCC now 'controls' some apartments/dorms, so that may be available for financing under student loans. You'd have to call the admissions office and discuss it with them..

I check out the SFCC site. It looks like they require the SAT/ACT, or if you don't have those, they require you to take the CPT. When you attended, which test did they make you take?

Basically, don't bother with the SAT/ACT if you haven't already taken it as most community colleges should have entrance exams available that cost less to take (and at least by me are easier and not timed). If you need to, take out student loans (the good thing is community colleges are ridiculously cheap - less than $1200 per semester where I went). Try to find a transfer guide for the university you want to attend (pick a state university as they are way cheaper than private colleges like DeVry) and talk to an academic adviser at the university to see what will transfer so you don't end up taking classes at the community college that won't transfer. As long as you get good grades at the community college I wouldn't worry about getting an associates degree since then you might end up taking some classes to get the associates that won't transfer and count towards your computer science degree.