Questions about college ??? need some help

[Sweety]

Going to college next year but cant figure out what i want to major in. Probably gonna do something related to computer gaming or computers in general.
My guidance counselor doesn't know but thought people on here might.

What major would a game programmer or maybe game designer be in? Or is it a major itself?

I was thinking computer science but alot of the colleges I've been looking at haven't had much relating to gaming in that major.

Also since I'm posting this, anyone know how scholarships work? I rank within the top quarter of my class so they'd probably be academic. First one to go to college right outta HS so no one in my family really knows much about them.

 

[iLLegal Means]

Some type of Business degree always looks good on a resume. Computer Information Systems or Information Technology is what you are looking for... Computer Designs is also a good one.

You should E-mail some of the Dev. Teams of certain games you like to play and ask this question would also help.

Good Luck.

 

[Sweeney]

Computer Science will teach you everything you need to know. Game programming is just vector geometry, network protocols (for online games), and using other people's libraries for graphics access and scripts, etc.

 

[hungry4knowhow]

Going to a major university the closest you will get is Computer Information Systems which will cover everything. Alot of universities have Game Programmer Clubs that you can join as well.

If you want to go the ALL game route the only real options are Full Sail and DigiPen. USC also has a Game Programmer section, but don't have alot of info on it.

For the Computer Information Systems Degree, I highly recommend University of Illinois - Champaign Urbana. It is consistently ranked in the Top 5 in the World for their Computer Department. I myself am currently working on a transfer program to get there. And have researched it for about 2years before finally making the jump.

A word of caution on Digipen and Full Sail, they are VERY expensive. And im not sure they qualify for Government Assistance. Dont quote me though. They are highly regarded around the internet on Game Developer forums.

Might also get over to gamedev.net and ask there.

Hope that helped some.

 

[Jermosh]

To be honest. Get a Computer Science degree, it really the most versatile and you could always add on electives and do something more graphic for your masters. This is a engineering level degree, so I hope you stayed current on your math. Yes its going to be a lot harder then other degrees, but it will give you a solid foundation. Also, GPAs are really important now more then ever, so keep them high and keep all of your essays, reports, etc, etc. Believe it or not you can use them in an interview. Join as many clubs, associations, and committees you can, networking is an almost must in the Digital Industry world.

Good luck!

 

[Nestorius]

I agree with Jermosh. Comp Sci.

 

[Tay M'real]

Going to college next year but cant figure out what i want to major in. Probably gonna do something related to computer gaming or computers in general.
My guidance counselor doesn't know but thought people on here might.

What major would a game programmer or maybe game designer be in? Or is it a major itself?

I was thinking computer science but alot of the colleges I've been looking at haven't had much relating to gaming in that major.

Also since I'm posting this, anyone know how scholarships work? I rank within the top quarter of my class so they'd probably be academic. First one to go to college right outta HS so no one in my family really knows much about them.

You're in your first year - give yourself some time - trust me. I thought I wanted to be a game programmer too - but realized i don't want to sit and be a code monkey - so i went for a more diverse degree - I have programming skills in many languages - C, C++, Java, HTML, but also rounded it out with networking and DataBase and am a happy Systems Analyst - true systems analyst that develops solutiosn working with business and Oracle application developers...alot of funand exciting!

 

[Stupid Miner]

Im going for the same thing, and i'm getting a computer science degree, so i hope it's the right one