Try to get into a good college. It'll pay off in the end.

Yeah, I took AP Com Sci. I thought it was really easy and the AP test was even easier. Good thing about it though is it can count towards college credits if you score well on it.

Java is a good language, but i hated it. Where in C++ you can do whatever you want, however inefficant it may be. Java is what i would consider up tight. It does teach you Object Oriented Programming; well, more like forces it upon you. Overall it's a good class. I say take it.

Also, I've heard that UT still gives you the option to do C++ as an elective. Do whatever you can to take those electives and get good at C++. Java is a good language, but I'm not sure if it'll become a standard in the gaming industry anytime soon.

I agree. Java will teach you some of the fundimentals of Object Oriented programming; but C++ is definatly the way to go.

Too bad APCompSci changed from C++ to Java.

I went to UT, but I don't know if that is the best school for games. It is an good school, though... and I recently wrote a nice letter to my old C++ prof (Glen Downing) who is still teaching and gave me a really good foundation. You're going to have to do your own research as to which school is the right one for you, but I would suggest a university over a trade school if you can get to it. You want the full university experience because you get more out of that university education than just academics. It will push you to your limits, and you may not make it all they way, but if you do make it, then you would have survived the gauntlet, and it will leave you a changed person for the better.

I took the CS AP class in high school. It was for Pascal and basically worthless as far as credits or knowledge went, but it gave me confidence in my programming abilities when I decided to switch to computer science three years after starting college. That confidence part is not to underestimated. Every starting programmer I've known was always one step away from giving up the coding thing and doing something "easier". It's all in the mind... literally.

Also, get used to teaching yourself; it really is the only way to learn. You're going to fall if you depend on your teachers to be good... because chances are that no matter where you go, you'll end up with crappy teachers. who have no concept of what they're teaching or who are too wrapped up in their research to pay attention to the class subject. Academic environments may not always give you the educational materials you need, but what it does provide is a framework for testing yourself and pushing yourself as you play by their rules to get that piece of paper. Once you get that stupid piece of paper (diploma), people will think you a finisher, and one who can work hard when they need to. It is like getting a first degree black belt.

Once you get your first job out of school, then your real education begins.

There are as many different ways to go as there are programmers. However, there seems to be one exception today. If you want to be a 3D programmer you gotta learn the math.

I got a BA in psych in 1986. I took a Pascal programming class for non-majors and aced it. The problem with a CS major then was that you HAD to take the advanced math courses with it. It was a science then and they were training the would be NASA programmers (I guess). Afterwards, I learned that most of the computer programming jobs were business oriented and required at most a knowledge of algebra. I went to the Computer Learning Center of Los Angeles and then got a job for an airline to program their computer reservation system. I worked with many others that had various levels of college (even Phds). Some never even went to college but had a natural ability for programming.

Meanwhile, my best friend from college went on to get his Phd in math with the intention of teaching math at the college level. Well, reality dealt him a blow, when he realized he would have no control over where he lived or for how long, and his wife (who also got a Phd in math) could not get a job where he got one nor he where she got one. He used his math skills to become a programmer for an CAD company and eventually worked for AutoDesk. His wife is now a programmer too.

Math is important for 3D games and CAD. Otherwise, aptitude for programming along with solid oral and written communication skills is essential. I was one of the best writers in the business when it came to design docs, and the product people found me easy to relate to. I credit the many papers I wrote in my liberal arts education for that. But, I got laid off because of the horrible politics of the last shop I worked in, along with their desire to outsource to India, Austen, and Denver. I live in Silicon Valley and am too expensive for them now. :baby:

I studied VB.Net briefly but found it incredibly easy and BORING. So, I am trying to learn Windows, Win32, C++, MFC, and even DirectX now from books. No one teaches game programming, except for some internet sites.

So, get the best education you can. Learning a programming language is the easy part. Learning a business application you can special in is the hard part. Colleges do not teach you the hard part, unless you want to minor in business, get an MBA and start a computer company, or study math and get a job as a game programmer or work for the CIA. A son of a coworker (now ex-coworker) just graduated from UC Berkely, with a CS degree and got a job with the NSA. Of course, you could also major in Engineering and work for a defense company.


In short, it is the OTHER knowledge that determines what area of the computer world you go into.

Once you get that stupid piece of paper (diploma), people will think you a finisher, and one who can work hard when they need to. It is like getting a first degree black belt.

LOL, I know see a BS/BA as proof that you can put up with hours of hard work for a long period of time with very little immediate rewards. If anything, it is just a sign of maturity.

I like this article:
1up.com/do/feature?cId=3142861

The one person I've worked with from Guild Hall received a Master's degree there. He says that going there was basically like getting two years of game industry experience in a concentrated amount of time... and I believe him... he was truly exceptional if not a bit eccentric.

I entered UT in Fall of 1993... a lot has changed since those days. The admission process did get tighter because UT was undergoing criticism for being a diploma factory... and the dropout rates were really high (when I started, it was stated that only 33% of the incoming freshmen would reach the senior year at UT). That combined with overcrowding issues led to admissions becoming more stringent. I got into UT because my high school GPA was in the top 10% of the graduating class. Back then, that meant automatic admission. I don't know if they still do that.

GamerRick has a good point in that there is no one set path to programming what you want to program. Right now, it might seem like getting into a good college is the biggest factor in where you go, but it won't be the end of the world if you don't get into UT or whichever school you were gunning for. As you get closer to your goal, you'll find more forking paths and more options available that may lead you to places you never would have considered before. The most important thing in all of this is to have a goal, and you've already got an advantage on that one. Good luck, C4l3b.