Tuition Fees

[Pyxis]

Well all decent jobs in IT and games programming i've looked have required a University Degree even if you have similar experience but I understand what you're saying.

 

It's quite disappointing that companies and people are like that. I worked in IT and I was the only person in my team without a degree (or experience) and it just seemed to really tick those people off as if I was making them think that they had waisted their time studying for 3 years and getting into debt. They were the biggest ***holes I have ever met in my entire life (I trained myself....) and it's a shame that there are people like that out there, but there are. I hope others out there aren't as elitist as they were.

 

There are a lot of jobs out there that anybody can do with a bit of training, but people are so obsessed about degrees... You'll need a degree to use a can opener one day.

[Raining_again]

It's quite disappointing that companies and people are like that. I worked in IT and I was the only person in my team without a degree (or experience) and it just seemed to really tick those people off as if I was making them think that they had waisted their time studying for 3 years and getting into debt. They were the biggest ***holes I have ever met in my entire life (I trained myself....) and it's a shame that there are people like that out there, but there are. I hope others out there aren't as elitist as they were.

 

There are a lot of jobs out there that anybody can do with a bit of training, but people are so obsessed about degrees... You'll need a degree to use a can opener one day.

 

no no, they HAD wasted their time... :P

 

You find the people that take the time to train themselves and learn technologies in their own time are the best people for the job..

 

I'm sure you know yourself that I.T in particular is an ever evolving industry... You have to be dedicated enough to keep learning, relearning and learning again. People who think a degree is the solution, and that they need learn no more... well they got into the wrong industry.

 

My dad has book after book after book on windows server maintenance.. Every time they update/change a process or bring on a new contract, that's just more studying and learning for him... And this is a guy that's been working in the industry for 20 years.

 

A degree isn't an automatic entitlement to a job, sadly. (which a lot of people will assume and be sadly mistaken when they leave uni... oh what a shame )

[Rowan]

Just started a my Computer Science degree, and will be starting to look for work placements in the summer to get some experience. I'm living at home so it's less of a financial burden for me, but the increase to £6k a year won't stop people going to uni I don't think since the interest rate is relatively low to other sorts of debt. 10 years ago tuition fees were £1k a year? And I'm sure before then uni didn't have fees and yet we still get record number of students going to uni each year despite the constant rises in fees.

[Pyxis]

no no, they HAD wasted their time... :P

 

You find the people that take the time to train themselves and learn technologies in their own time are the best people for the job..

 

I'm sure you know yourself that I.T in particular is an ever evolving industry... You have to be dedicated enough to keep learning, relearning and learning again. People who think a degree is the solution, and that they need learn no more... well they got into the wrong industry.

 

My dad has book after book after book on windows server maintenance.. Every time they update/change a process or bring on a new contract, that's just more studying and learning for him... And this is a guy that's been working in the industry for 20 years.

 

A degree isn't an automatic entitlement to a job, sadly. (which a lot of people will assume and be sadly mistaken when they leave uni... oh what a shame )

 

Yeah, definitely. The fun thing about IT is that each new version of something, like ASP.NET, builds on the previous version and improves upon it in certain ways. Change is often a good thing and I think that IT is becoming more and more accessible as languages and technologies develop.

 

If a person is self driven, they can achieve anything if they put the effort into it.

[The Lillster]

Yeah, definitely. The fun thing about IT is that each new version of something, like ASP.NET, builds on the previous version and improves upon it in certain ways. Change is often a good thing and I think that IT is becoming more and more accessible as languages and technologies develop.

 

If a person is self driven, they can achieve anything if they put the effort into it.

 

I'm currently learning ASP.NET and C#, I really like C# and I hope to mve onto C/C++ one day.

[Raining_again]

I'm currently learning ASP.NET and C#, I really like C# and I hope to mve onto C/C++ one day.

 

good man keep at it!

[The Lillster]

My plan is to go to Uni (although that isn't set in stone yet) and either do a Games Programming course at Derby Uni or Computing.

 

And if I've got the brains and determination do a Masters Degree at Stafford uni on Games Design.

 

When I get my first job I want to work in a small team.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence Raining.

Edited October 12, 2010 by The Lillster

[Pyxis]

I'm currently learning ASP.NET and C#, I really like C# and I hope to mve onto C/C++ one day.

 

C? Good luck and try to stay human! I think there are a lack of C developers, so you'll probably get paid really well. The C developers I've known are very robotic though.

[The Lillster]

Does anyone know what kind of Maths I will need to know in order to build 3D games, well any game really?

 

I understand there's Trigonometry, calculus what else?

 

What do you mean by robotic?

Edited October 12, 2010 by The Lillster

[dwarf]

Had a student finance talk at school today. He brought this up.

We brought up something else.

 

Anyway, these aren't necessarily set in stone, and at least won't come in until 2012 iirc from what the guy was saying.

[Chuck]

My plan is to go to Uni (although that isn't set in stone yet) and either do a Games Programming course at Derby Uni or Computing.

 

And if I've got the brains and determination do a Masters Degree at Stafford uni on Games Design.

 

When I get my first job I want to work in a small team.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence Raining.

 

Most employers for programmers are looking for a BSc in a Science or Maths. I looked for Computer Science degrees with a games development focus when I was looking at Universities. I ended up at Wolverhampton doing "Computer Science (Games Development)" through clearing as I had poor A-level grades and went into clearing. Wolverhampton Uni has done pretty poorly on the tables and even asked to be removed from them this year, but I was grateful for the offer in clearing and didn't want to waste a year back at college/doing a foundation year at another Uni.

 

I've done Java and HTML/CSS in my first year, and I'm doing Ansi C now. I'll do my first games module next semester. As far as 3D maths goes Vectors also play a big part. I've got extracurricular projects (which is also a must) and a placement next year, so hopefully I'll be all set with my BSc in Computer Science in 2012. The tuition fee hike won't make too much of a difference for me as I'll only have one year of the higher price, but it is still a bummer.

[jayseven]

Of the friends that I have who do programming-related jobs (4ish), none of them did a strictly IT-related subject. One did Physics, another did Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence (I've yet to come across a degree title that sounds more awesome), one did Economics/Business and I dunno what the other did. They got their jobs because of their proficiency in various programming languages, all self-taught.

 

So I concur with Pyxis - if you have the will, there's a way to succeed with it.

 

For the rest of us, we have to remain unfortunate and desolate in our uncertainty of WTF to do with our lives

 

OT: I've got a (useless) degree that I care nothing at all about, and a 'debt' that I'll never pay off, but it doesn't bother me. University was more of a stepping stone into adulthood (even though I've taken a step back since graduating), about the experiences and the life learning (parenthesis).