Thank you all for the pointers you gave. I have a better idea about what I want to do now and I have learned a little more about what I should be trying to learn. I know I'm taking a risk but, Game Design is something I think I'll truly love so I'm properly going to go through with Baker. I tried the decision grid Tom mentioned and Baker and ASU seemed liked the best choices and based on my sit-ins at ASU, I think I'll simply be too bored there. I suppose that could be considered immature but, I don't see myself getting a good education if I'm falling asleep in class. Also, Baker gives me the option to do classes online which I think would be better for me since I'm pretty socially awkward. I guess the only question I have left is what do you guys think about it? The school is private and non-profit so it seems pretty legit but, some people don't like the idea of online colleges. Anyway, I really appreciate the help you guys have given me.
If the tuition fee is not too high and you and your family feel comfortable about this choice and know that it is not a safe choice then I think it is a great idea. Also I guess you are young so you got plenty of time to learn the stuff you need to. Just make sure to learn about algorithms and programming in general as that knowledge is really useful later on) I would recommend you this book(it is a bit old but rather fun compared to the more theoretical book about algorithms from MIT), after you have learned some C/C++ programming.
Thanks for the information. I'll keep that book in mind. I also have a couple of C++ books Iying around that might be helpful once I'm able to actually understand what they're talking about. Algorithms and trigonometry are listed in the courses so I should definitely learn it. Their CS degree also has a course for linear algebra though, I don't get why that course isn't in the Game Development program so I'll make sure to ask about it.
The only thing I can say is to concentrate on the math courses...calculus, linear algebra, parts of discrete math in addition to programming. As a CIS major I sidestepped some of the more math intensive courses and it's making shader programming a bit difficult because I'm having to relearn some of the stuff I glossed over in college.
Also, I would recommend a CS degree instead of a specialized "game development" degree. It's a lot more portable, and the way the economy is you may not get a game dev job right out of the gate. Also, I would strongly recommend doing your own side projects (not necessarily connected to school)...if you can do some really cool stuff on your own it'll be easier to get a job after college.
Another thing...don't fixate on what school to get into. Things change so fast in the software dev world that you'll have to learn to teach yourself and experiment in order to keep moving anyway. College is just the beginning...and the instructors are really there just to guide you along and give you a sort of safety net. The real world is much less forgiving.
