06.10.07
Prerequisites for the lose
Oh shit, I just took the time to actually look into what it involves to minor in computer science, and apparently it requires math on A-level from high school. I took English and music! My geeky loser friends with physics and maths on extended A asked me condescendingly what I would be able to use that for, and I laughed at them and told them it would get me kick-ass grades so I could get into any university course I wanted! Which was true at the time because I hadn’t considered computer science, but I guess they got the last laugh in that matter.
So now I’m faced with a choice. Option 1 is to upgrade my B-level math to A-level with GSK (Gymnasielt Supplerings-Kursus, meaning high school supplementary course), which would either take place about 6 hours a week over a period of 6 months - meaning I’d have to quit my job to make it - or 6 hours a day for a bit over a month, with a 1-week break somewhere in the middle, which I could do without quitting but could quite possibly reduce me to a quivering blob of pain. Option 2 is to pick something else to minor in.
The problem with option 2 is that I’ve gone over the likely subjects, and it all seems completely useless in getting a job in the game industry. Philosophy, psychology, and possibly sociology would all doubtlessly turn me into a better writer and possibly even a better designer. As might litterature, although I have my doubts. The problem is game studios will not care how good a writer I am, they’ll want to know if I can program or use a 3D modelling program convincingly. Computer science would allow me to answer that with a positive, which I cannot currently do. Of course I could teach myself to program (Hell, according to what I’ve heard, I’d need to do that anyway, as apparently they expect that of you in computer science), but I wouldn’t get the papers to show for it. Another option is “digital aesthetics and communication”, but unfortunately I’ve heard it’s a mindshatteringly dull course, and furthermore it sounds incredibly light-weight.
So I have no idea what to do, and I find myself wishing that it were possible to minor in creative writing in Denmark, because even though that may be a sort of ethereal and extremely light-weight course, Sheldon Pacotti and Chris Avellone both majored in it. And they are two of my greatest heroes.
EER said,
June 11, 2007 at 07:34
I’m doing CS over here in NL, but I haven’t seen a 3D modelling program anywhere near the course. However, I am pursuing the major “Software Engineering” which pretty much means “He’s a nerd, just give him a keyboard and food and he’ll survive”. A classmate of mine pursues the major “Multimedia”, which pretty much means “He likes the pretty colors and knows how to use them”.
So over here, I would advise you to do the Multimedia thing. But you’re over there. 6 hrs a week sounds a lot better than 30 hrs a week of math. What kind of math are we talking here btw?
Jonas said,
June 11, 2007 at 18:48
Uh, differentials, vectors, matrixes, and stuff like that.
CS doesn’t teach you to model in 3D, but it does teach you to program (presumably).
EER said,
June 11, 2007 at 19:15
“but it does teach you to program”, I sure hope so, although experience shows that 50% of the people who make it through the entire course still can’t code.
Currently reading Den Simulerede Historie btw, I can say I understand roughly half of it, guess 25% through context and have no freaking clue about the other 25 %
Jonas said,
June 11, 2007 at 23:19
That’s actually pretty impressive. In other words, I am impressed.