I've found just screwing around with source code is the best way to teach yourself... I taught myself pretty well in HTML and C that way. Not enough C to make anything that useful but enough that I wouldn't be lost in a course on it. I used to run and code for a MUD which was entirely C based, I started off n00bish and making stupid mistakes but the last work I did for it (a few years ago) was help code a complete randomized item code with my friend from the ground up, which last I knew only a half-dozen or so out of thousands of muds have.
I understand where you're coming from Spike but I would disagree to a certain extent. I am in favour of 4-year sandwich courses which have a year out in industry. If you think that in my course (BA Systems Analysis) people went to Honk Kong, America and Australia (as well as sunny Slough) and got a real insight into how coporates work then that can only be too the good before your turfed out into the big wide world without a clue. It certainly changed a few people's perceptiopns of what they wanted to do! Now applying that analogy to the gaming world I'm sure that a few companies might be pursuaded to take on a student who could show aptitude - but from my experience and having friends in that world - I've never met astudent who would be willing to work the hours that these guys put in! The gaming world in my opinion is the taskmaster of computing. But it would sure take a person grit and determination to convince them. But then again.... breaking into the gaming industry seems to be catch-22. You cant get a job without a credit to your name, and yet how do you get a credit wothout working on a game! Answer- be recruited at a milk round once you graduate! As a complete aside.....never have I seen so many skilled people put in so much effort for so little reward as I have in the gaming world. The companies get more than their pound of flesh, but rewards of working up tp 60 hours per week for less than £25k seems a little loopy - and thats not near a dealine; but being young and the kudos seeing your name in the credits; now that must be a feeling! Anyone hear work in the industry and care to {comment} as I say its only my perception and limited.
