Uni Courses

Hi all,

Going through all the uni applicant stuff now, but the problem is I don't have a clue what sort of corse I should be looking for? I want to go into programming / game design (Not the art side - yuk!). I was wondering if anyone here could share their experiences of uni/college corses. Did the big guns here like lo2k go to uni and study programming or was it a hobby?

Thanks all

Regards

Wills
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2005 02:11PM by mortalwombat.

if you apply to any, don't write the word "corse" anywhere on your form.

yeah me too dammit...
im looking at doing a Mechatronics and Computer Science double degree..
robotics sorta stuff...

dont know much about how to get in the games side of things...



GPGSL WDC Season 4

the whole UCAS system needs to die


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Got a better solution?

Within 30secs on the UCAS website, I found a course at Westminster Uni for Computer Game design and programming.

You need to think what it is you actually want to do. If you're sure that all you want to be involved in is games, then you may need to be thinking about something specific. But if you're not totally sure, you're going to want something broader than just computer game programming. A more general programming course may be suitable.

Maybe try the careers advisor at school/college. You could also look around at jobs and see what kind of things they're asking for. But you don't want to narrow youself down too much imo, because a lot can change in 4 years time. Also, just get loads of uni prospectuses (sp). They send them to you for free. Look on all their websites and get an idea of the kind of things they offer, then narrow it down a bit and go to open days. You might also want to try and find some league tables, or speak to someone who knows (as on here mayber - which is what you're kind of doing) about which uni's are best for this type of thing. Just becuase the uni is good as a whole, it doesn't mean it's any good at computer courses, and vice-versa. For example, would you go to Cambridge/Oxford to do this? Er, I don't think so!

Finally, to help you try and make up your mind, you might want to consider trying to get some work experience over the summer break. I bet there's a lot of things you can do with 'programming' in general, and that might help to focus your mind a bit.

Most importantly though, I am not a careers advisor, nor am I involved with anything to do with computers, so don't take my word for anything!!







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2005 01:49PM by Go Alesi.

exactly theres nowt wrong with the current system

It's not perfect, but it beats writing to loads of individual uni's separately and going through loads of different forms and processes for each one.

I agree, UCAS is great. I certainly like how the whole Uni process as embraced technology, unlike many processes that still use pen and paper.

Business Management

I do Computer and Electronic Systems, which deals with programming, software correctness and design, systems analysis, and other stuff from the software/programming side.

If you wanted something purely programming based, or more specifically programming based, then your best bet is something like Software Engineering.

I know a couple of places do Computer Games courses. Quite often you have to learn Japanese with it, since they have such a large market share. And a lot of these places like evidence of your abilities. They may expect a small game that you've made in your own time, as a demonstration of your interest and background knowledge. To be honest the best way to improve your programming skills is just do it in your spare time. Start by making small modifications to things, and understandgin how they work, and then progress onto making your own things

I have just finished European Politics degree at University of Kent - its very important to make sure you take the reputation of the course into account, not the uni as a whole. Kent isnt well known, but it is top 10 for Computing and Multimedia, for example.



RedSam
Winner: Not the Nickv Comment of the Year 2009
Due to the voting system in Germany, Governments are always made up of coalitions of different parties. At the last election, an almost unprecidented result saw the CDU/CSU (rough equivilant of the Conservatives) go into Government with the SPD (rough equivilant of Labour)

if you're more scientifically minded, you might enjoy something like Forensic Science.

I finished my BSc last year, 3 years, in Forensic Science & Criminology, i really enjoyed it. if you really wanna work in forensics, then doing a dedicated forensic course is recdommened, rather than combiningn it with anything.

i wasn't too sure, so chose to combine it with criminology, as a Major/Minor course, dropping the 'boring' modules from forensics, and adding the interesting modules from criminology.

one year on though, i haven't got myself a career yet. thinking about applying for a lab job now here in Chorley, just to get some lab experience then see how it goes from there.

but if you really wanna do forensics, you can easily get a job straight after graduating, either in labs or scenes of crime roles, or you could go into the police force like my mate from Kent did, he has just joined the Met.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2005 10:03AM by Go Alesi.

I'm on a computing & visualisation course in Sheffield, and the first year has been really boring. Year 2 looks like it should be better tho, just there are some bits that are completely unrelated to the course at all. Information Systems? Don't see the point at all (dunno if anyone's done this here...)

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Batchelor of General Arts (or something like that) apparently does for almost every job under the sun. Actually no, thats an exaggeration. But if you're really really stuck, go for that.

That's when you pick any modules that interest you, but no more than 2 per department a year, or something. Nothing *wrong* with it, but then again I don't know how highly regarded it is since you dont have a speciality. I could be mioles off.

I did anthropology with egyptology, at swansea - it was very good. Great place too!

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The idea of a "general" degree seems weird to me - you would specialise more during your A-Levels!



RedSam
Winner: Not the Nickv Comment of the Year 2009
Due to the voting system in Germany, Governments are always made up of coalitions of different parties. At the last election, an almost unprecidented result saw the CDU/CSU (rough equivilant of the Conservatives) go into Government with the SPD (rough equivilant of Labour)

When I was applying last year, I thought about three things:

a)What do I want to do;
b)What are the best places for this;
c)Do they support deferred entry?

In the end, I decided I wanted to do politics (having thought about theology), and I found Sheffield was no.1 in the UK, liked the idea of deferred entry, and was recomended to me by a friend as well. Plus, it's in the center of England, next to the peak district. Perfect ! Oh, and it's not a bad place for Labour either

[Website]

Thanks for all the input.

The choices I'm trying to make:

1) What do I want to do
2) Where is the best place for this?
3) How close are they to home (I don't want to move away really)

Answers
1) Computing (programming) Or Aircraft engineering (I can't choose!)
2) Dont know. Looked on the times give to universities but couldn't see anything of interest.
3) Ditto as above.

Does the unlikly combination of Computer programming and aircraft enginnering have a remote chance of a sandwitch corse? (If you know what I mean, didn't really know how to put this :S)




Ferrari_Fuhrer, what did you do in your deferred year?

Thanks all,

Regards

Wills

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2005 11:21PM by Willb.

Find a uni with a good rep that offers both, and start doing whichever you you like, and during your first year take advantage of the number of elective modules you're allowed. These are modules in any other department, as long as it doesnt completely cross faculties.

Then, if you hate CS but love engineering, you can start again in the 2nd year as a 1st year

Ok, its not a grEAT WAY TO DO IT BUT IF YOU REALLY CANT DECIDE... @#$%& caps, sorry!

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She says brief things, her love’s a pony
My love’s subliminal