im hoping theres somone here who can help me with this. ive been in college for a year and a term now doing A levels in maths, music technology and electronics. first year it was great but this year i really REALLY hate it, and im not sure why. im really considering dropping out and need to know if i do drop out am i gonna find it impossible to get a job in game design/programming, do you have to have A levels just to even get an interview with the companies?
Well game and design is not really my background but you have to think about the types of jobs that you apply for. This is a very competitive industry and you will be up against people with degrees, mastres and even PhDs. If this is what you really want to do then you need to think further than just A levels. It is possible to get into an industry as a dogs body or gopher, but you will have to do some of the most boaring stuff you have ever done for a long period of time. If you have the determination then you will probably make it, eventually. My advice would be to stick at it and get your A levels and go from there. Meblin
hmmm. one thing im ocnsidering is finishing them on my own, cause i like to learn but hate to be taught (if that makes sense) and then go to uni as that is pretty much teaching yoself any way.
Well hard situation really. You will need you A Levels for Game Design really. Plus you only have a few months left, you exams are going to be in June so 6 months left and then you'll have about 1months holiday and that doesnt include your exam leave so all in all oyu have most likly about 4months to go. Then you proberly only have at max about 6hrs a week of each lesson so it aint that long to go. If I wee you right now I would stick with it. Last year I did my AS Levels and dropped out AFTER the exams, so I had somehting for my troubles. now I'm a first year again, which is good. Stick with it and get some good results.
Something I know a little about is applying for jobs in the game industry. An important thing to realise/remember is that the industry isn't like it was back in the day. Ignore stuff you see on cheesy TV dramas because bedroom programmers/designers don't exist anymore. Games are big business. There are now degree courses that deal specifically with games design and production, as well as other directly related subjects. So even if you finish your A levels, there are going to be graduates going for the same job you are who are more qualified. You can have all the ability in the world, but it's qualifications that get your foot in the door. So you could imagine the situation if you didn't even finish your A levels. If you drop out now, you'll really hobble yourself. My advice. Finish college, get a degree and in the meantime build up a good body of example work. Employers always ask for examples/showreel. One way around this is if you have an existing body of work that can blow any potential employer away. By that I don't mean the standard that we'd see on these forums, but stuff the standard of actual games/TV work. Hope that's not too disappointing and is helpful in some way
i done my A levels in Technology Systems and Control,computing and history but i found out that even with grades B, B & C companies still want experience, i have passed tests 2 join a computing apprentship company called Parity Training i dont know if ther in england but! but u need ur a levels 4 uni if ur goin
I am studying a BTEC Natinoal Diploma in Software Developement at college and ive been informed that universitys will take anyone with the equiv of 2 a-levels in computer related subjects for degrees in games programming area, I myself am looking to do the Hons Degree in Computer Games Developemnt when I leave college, which envolves all the sort of game designing things! Good Luck!
I really really wish I had picked a better set of A-levels / college and now uni / degree. I had to do the old style a-levels which sucked major especially computing (we did word, excel and pascal ). I also really wanted to get into game design but I now know it will never happen. So once I finish uni in 18months I'm planning on going back to college re-doing my computing a-level and taking another a-level maybe electronics or doing a BTEC Natinoal Diploma in Software Developement. If I do get a good enough result in my uni degree then I will try and switch subjects and go for a MA in computing.
It's still very possible for you to get into the games industry, depending on what route you'd like to take. Which uni you looking at, PublicNME?
