Amr
I am in G8 and want to know if I am supposed to have any background info or school courses about Coding Languages or Gamemaking engines before applying to University?
I want to go to USC school of Viterbi to study #Game Development. #game-design #video-games #game-development
4 answers
Thomas Wenig
Thomas’s Answer
I recommend trying to learn as much on your own as you can. There are so many online resources and places to start programming that it will give you a huge step ahead when you get to actual classes.
More importantly--this will help you determine if you actually like the job! You'll have the opportunity to write some games and see what it's all about before committing yourself to a specific major and career path.
Thomas recommends the following next steps:
Philip Zablocki
Philip’s Answer
Hi Amr,
It definitely helps to have some coding experience when applying to university for coding related positions! Sometimes it's not even required, it depends on the university that you are applying to.
I would not worry about it too much at your age because you have several years to learn more about programming before you enter university. Hopefully in high school you can take some programming courses and you have a several years to explore programming before going to university.
Best of luck!
Phil
Thanks a lot Phill. That really gives me a perspective. Thanks
Amr
Omar Yussry
Omar’s Answer
But what makes the difference between good and the best is the preparation, so it would be great to search for some cool online resources in order to get familiar with your career path such:
https://www.codemonkey.com
https://codelearn.com
Laila Gamaleldin
Laila’s Answer
Most universities will start students off in their Computer Science courses without assuming any prior knowledge. That being said, though, Computer Science and the mindset it requires is often very different from other subjects you may be taking in school. Having prior experience and knowledge of Computer Science will make your transition into university coursework feel easier. Having prior experience can also help you test whether Computer Science is a topic you enjoy so you can make a more informed decision when choosing a university degree.
Fortunately, there are many online resources to learn how to program. codeacademy.com is a great free resource for learning how to code.
In addition, since you mention that game development is the particular area of Computer Science that interests you, you may want to start thinking more critically about any games you might play and trying to get a sense for how they may have been built. Once you learn basic coding concepts, you can also start putting them to use to build your own simple games.
Finally, another great way to get familiarity and exposure to the field is to read about it. There are great online resources to help you learn about recent developments in the field. Some reputable ones are wired.com and The Verge.