The Bard Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Bard: £4.5k :¬¬{!">£!">!>!<<"!£<"£!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wtf, that's hella expensive... But hey if you're getting the scummy end of the bucket then... well I guess that's fine... That's altogether though, with tuition fees. Anyway, the residence is supposed to be 3,450 and the tuition fees are around 3,145 (of which I have to pay 1,145) a year. I applied for the loan company to cover 4.5k and then I'll be getting some from rents aswell. In fact, I'm sure most of that's wrong. I suck with finances. I'm not completely sure what the total cost will come up to every year, suppose I should add in a couple extra grand for food and shizzle. Anyway, that is pretty awesome for London. I'm just uber chuffed that I'll have cash for the arcade
Ramar Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 I'm just uber chuffed that I'll have cash for the arcade The Trocadero is awesomeness. :P That aside, I can now forget about university until like July. Go me.
nightwolf Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Don't most companies dislike Game Design courses/are reluctant to hire those who have been on them? Well yeah game design is pretty difficult to make a career out of... but sheffield hallam though of that already, there's a big media quarter at sheffield or at least it's being setup. If you do well you can get a masters (that's right) paid for by sony. It's a one person thing, but by god if I like uni I'll go for it hopefully. I always knew it'd be difficult to do it which is why in a way I took college computing instead of art, in my opinion it's more senisble than say taking art and then going for another design route.
Gizmo Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Personally I would have thought Comp Sci is the best way into the industry, for most positions, no?
Guest Stefkov Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Just a question, is it difficult to change a course when say if you're there and you don't like the course or you decide that the course will not lead to any future and something else interest you? Just wondering.
Ramar Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Just a question, is it difficult to change a course when say if you're there and you don't like the course or you decide that the course will not lead to any future and something else interest you? Just wondering. My Uni did a thing where you can change department within the first few weeks. Or change course within the department (ie Computing department) within the first year.
nightwolf Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Personally I would have thought Comp Sci is the best way into the industry, for most positions, no? yup computer science is definately the way if you want a decent job and lots of money. But I've always told myself money just doesn't matter. i've seen first hand how bad jobs but good money effects my parents and how down it's got them with england I don't want to be like that for the rest of my life.
Gizmo Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Why does Comp Sci mean you get a bad job with good money, but GD means a good job with bad money? Surely you do Comp Sci, get better job prospects and therefore more choice? You don't have to take a job if you aren't going to enjoy it. I don't see what oppurtunities GD gives that Comp Sci doesnt?
nightwolf Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Why does Comp Sci mean you get a bad job with good money, but GD means a good job with bad money? Surely you do Comp Sci, get better job prospects and therefore more choice? You don't have to take a job if you aren't going to enjoy it. I don't see what oppurtunities GD gives that Comp Sci doesnt? No you mis-understood what I meant, whilst computer science is a good idea, it's not something I want to do so I'd be unhappy with it, it's better ideally for prospects and money but I'd prefer to do game design even if the prospects aren't as good because to me game design is a better job because I like it more. I'm not making much sense am I?
Gizmo Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 You mean you would prefer to do the GD course, because you'd enjoy it more, despite getting poorer prospects afterwards? Personally I would have said 3/4 years of being not as happy, to open up more options and oppurtunities after, would have been the better option. How do you know after finishing Uni doing GD you will actually be able to get a job you want? That way you're more likely to get stuck with something you don't enjoy, possibly for longer than those years you spent at Uni. Seems a bit of a gamble to me, but then again it may well pay off and go really well for you
Ashley Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 But if you were doing a course for three years, and paying around £6000 a year for it, that you didn't enjoy would you really stick with it for three years?
Wesley Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Why does Comp Sci mean you get a bad job with good money, but GD means a good job with bad money? Surely you do Comp Sci, get better job prospects and therefore more choice? You don't have to take a job if you aren't going to enjoy it. I don't see what oppurtunities GD gives that Comp Sci doesnt? Computer Science doesn't really go into any art areas that are involved in the gaming industry. How do you know after finishing Uni doing GD you will actually be able to get a job you want? You can really say that about any degree what-so-ever. I'm doing at Games Design degree at Huddersfield. I did have the chance to go to Bradford University and doing Computer Animation, a course that has much better prospects at a uni much higher ranked. At the end of the day though <insert good reason to why I've made a huge mistake in doing games design>.
Gizmo Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 I dunno really, not having a go for taking Games Design. Just from what I've heard they weren't so good. Then again I have no idea what the course actually entails really so I'll shut up
Wesley Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 You're right on the most part. A lot of Games Design courses really are quite bad. Mostly it's down to whether the university puts much effort into it. At Huddersfield, for instance, they have their own in-house games studio (http://www.canalsidestudios.com/games/) which obviously gives the students on the course better understanding, but also ensures that students have somewhere to go on their year in industry if they can't get in anywhere. EDIT: And wow, when I went into their studio, it felt like a bunch of guys making games, too. It didn't just feel like the other rooms where they were bumming about.
Haver Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Fuck careers. Don't think about that. Do a degree you will want to get up and do for three whole years, 7 days a week. Do what you enjoy.
Guest Stefkov Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 You're right on the most part. A lot of Games Design courses really are quite bad. Mostly it's down to whether the university puts much effort into it. At Huddersfield, for instance, they have their own in-house games studio (http://www.canalsidestudios.com/games/) which obviously gives the students on the course better understanding, but also ensures that students have somewhere to go on their year in industry if they can't get in anywhere. EDIT: And wow, when I went into their studio, it felt like a bunch of guys making games, too. It didn't just feel like the other rooms where they were bumming about. When I went for an open day at huddersfield they showed off their Yo ho kablamo game they're making for the xbox arcade. Can't wait to go there actually, it was a nice place. Didn't go to the canalside studio place though.
Gizmo Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 I have this naive hope that if I go to Edinburgh Uni to do Comp Sci as I plan I'll get to go to Rockstar North for industry placement. Probably wishful thinking but you never know, my name might well be on the credits of GTA V
nightwolf Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 I have this naive hope that if I go to Edinburgh Uni to do Comp Sci as I plan I'll get to go to Rockstar North for industry placement. Probably wishful thinking but you never know, my name might well be on the credits of GTA V haha, you see my friend was exactly the same, he has his hopes for computer science (and is still going to do it I think, even with the ridiculous marks you need for it) and to him he just couldn't get his head around why I'd choose to take up a course like game design and leave little to the future. If I took computer science I'd more than likely drop out after 3 months, I don't like it at all, so I'd be paying for something that makes me unhappy. As I said before this is why i took computing in college because then if I really have to I have that to fall back on, but for now I don't care about how difficult it maybe to get a job because I have known ever since I wanted to do it as a career (I think I was about 12, I'm coming up to 18 ^_^)
Gizmo Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 haha, you see my friend was exactly the same, he has his hopes for computer science (and is still going to do it I think, even with the ridiculous marks you need for it) and to him he just couldn't get his head around why I'd choose to take up a course like game design and leave little to the future. If I took computer science I'd more than likely drop out after 3 months, I don't like it at all, so I'd be paying for something that makes me unhappy. As I said before this is why i took computing in college because then if I really have to I have that to fall back on, but for now I don't care about how difficult it maybe to get a job because I have known ever since I wanted to do it as a career (I think I was about 12, I'm coming up to 18 ^_^) Yeah fair enough. I'm kinda the same, I could go down the route of going into Finance in some way, accountancy or acturial work or something, which has better money. But I think I'd just find it so dreary I'd hate myself for doing it. Also, what do you mean by "ridiculous marks"?
nightwolf Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Yeah fair enough. I'm kinda the same, I could go down the route of going into Finance in some way, accountancy or acturial work or something, which has better money. But I think I'd just find it so dreary I'd hate myself for doing it. Also, what do you mean by "ridiculous marks"? If I remember rightly he needed a DDM to get into computer science and even higher to get the special treatment I suppose is the way of putting it. To me that's very high compared to my MMM
Gizmo Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 If I remember rightly he needed a DDM to get into computer science and even higher to get the special treatment I suppose is the way of putting it. To me that's very high compared to my MMM Can you translate that to a ABC scale for me? Afaik the average requirements for Comp Sci is something like BBC, which doesn't seem particularly difficult. If anything I would have expected it to be higher than that. I got curious and had a little look around Edinburgh University's website. Entry into Computer Science on its own is BBBB (Scottish grades) or ABB (Which I think must be the English equivalent). Comp Sci with Maths is ABBC or ABB. Also all of them require Maths at Higher or equivalent at A.
nightwolf Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Can you translate that to a ABC scale for me? Afaik the average requirements for Comp Sci is something like BBC, which doesn't seem particularly difficult. If anything I would have expected it to be higher than that. I got curious and had a little look around Edinburgh University's website. Entry into Computer Science on its own is BBBB (Scottish grades) or ABB (Which I think must be the English equivalent). Comp Sci with Maths is ABBC or ABB. Also all of them require Maths at Higher or equivalent at A. This is a rough guide I got told by my tutor but really a pass is similar to a C grade, a merit a B(I think it's actually a C/B because I'm not that clever ) and a distinction basically an A.
Wesley Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Fuck careers. Don't think about that. Do a degree you will want to get up and do for three whole years, 7 days a week. Do what you enjoy. Hell yeah! See, this guy has the spirit. When I went for an open day at huddersfield they showed off their Yo ho kablamo game they're making for the xbox arcade. Can't wait to go there actually, it was a nice place. Didn't go to the canalside studio place though. Yeah they came second in the Dream, Build and Play competition - and now have a contract with Microsoft to develop LIVE Arcade games.
Sheikah Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 You can get whichever of the loans you want, or none. I didn't get one so I don't know much about it.
Zell Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Fuck careers. Don't think about that. Do a degree you will want to get up and do for three whole years, 7 days a week. Do what you enjoy. That's what I've done, since I have no idea what I want to be. I enjoy Maths, and I'm fairly good at it too so I'm going to do a degree in it. My options are also fairly well open for what I want to do after graduating.
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