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Take a year break from my uni course? Good bad/idea?
Hotlead Junkie
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm seeing a careers counselor about this on Tuesday, but I'm in my third year of my games design course and after becoming extremely disillusioned with it at the end of the second year I'm seriously thinking of quitting, or at least taking a year out to do something other than studying. I wasn't too happy with the course at the end of the second year and decided to wait until I get back to it after the holidays, but I’ve been back for 3 weeks now and I still can't find the drive to do the work, or even care about it for that matter.
In short, I think I'm just sick of studying and want to get out there into the 'real world' and do something a little more productive, get a full time job and earn some 'serious' money, eg, enough to start learning to drive and be able to live away from home in some manner. So far I’ve done 2, 2 year college courses, plus on my third year of this course and I only did them because I honestly couldn't think of anything better to do with my time.
Has anyone been in a similar situation to this? People will say just to stick it out and at least get the degree, but it's hard enough just to get up in the morning and endure a day of not doing the work I really can't bring myself to do, I just really, honestly don't care about it anymore. I’ve got a friend who says he can put a good word in for me at the company he works at, basically a well paying, but demanding job at mobile phone company (not a high street store, the main 'base of operations', if you will, for this region).
I'm just looking for other people's opinions/experiences on the matter. I’ve had a couple of other things on my mind for a good few months that has sparked this, so it's not just a snap decision. Has anyone had any experience on doing something similar to this? Anyone know where I'm coming from here? If I did take a year break I may feel refreshed and renewed and actually want to earn my degree, but right now I couldn't give a crap.
EDIT: Just to clarify that I'm not opposed to going back later
In short, I think I'm just sick of studying and want to get out there into the 'real world' and do something a little more productive, get a full time job and earn some 'serious' money, eg, enough to start learning to drive and be able to live away from home in some manner. So far I’ve done 2, 2 year college courses, plus on my third year of this course and I only did them because I honestly couldn't think of anything better to do with my time.
Has anyone been in a similar situation to this? People will say just to stick it out and at least get the degree, but it's hard enough just to get up in the morning and endure a day of not doing the work I really can't bring myself to do, I just really, honestly don't care about it anymore. I’ve got a friend who says he can put a good word in for me at the company he works at, basically a well paying, but demanding job at mobile phone company (not a high street store, the main 'base of operations', if you will, for this region).
I'm just looking for other people's opinions/experiences on the matter. I’ve had a couple of other things on my mind for a good few months that has sparked this, so it's not just a snap decision. Has anyone had any experience on doing something similar to this? Anyone know where I'm coming from here? If I did take a year break I may feel refreshed and renewed and actually want to earn my degree, but right now I couldn't give a crap.
EDIT: Just to clarify that I'm not opposed to going back later
Hotlead Junkie on
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I say go for it.
If you must leave then you absolutely must do something that can go on the CV (exciting charity work, internships, and so forth) and then return to finish the degree afterwards if you cannot convert what you are doing into a full time career.
I cannot stress enough how bad 2 years at uni with nothing to show for it will look, you'd be better off getting kicked out or failing than just leaving because you are bored.
Is this opinion just for the 'quit the whole thing' scenario or do you have the same opinion on the matter even if I say I may just take a gap year and finish the final year later on? Do employers frown upon gap years, even if they are used to work full time? Would an employer frown upon a year taken out of a course to work at another company efore you finish said course? If anything that sounds like even more to put on your CV but I hardly know anything about matters like these so I could probably be completley wrong.
My friend once told me, "I know it's hard. But look at it this way. It's only what, 2 more fucking years? That's a drop in the bucket. You may wake up and hate it. But it's only 2 more years of pain. You're not gonna have to live the rest of your life this way."
I'm not sure how to say this without sounding like I'm completely shitting on you, but have you considered that maybe the reason you're becoming disillusioned is that the curriculum you're working on sucks? Honestly, I can count on one hand the number of "game design" degrees that I know of that are worth half a damn and aren't just a thin veneer pasted on some vocational training. The ones I know of that are worth something are really computer science degrees, taught by people with PhDs in computer science, with an emphasis on certain aspects that happen to be applicable to gaming. It's possible that you're in one of these, I have no idea. If the names of your classes have specific technologies or libraries or tools in them, though, I'd be inclined to think otherwise...
You indicated that you're disillusioned with your educational experience and so this would indicate that maybe the problem isn't that you're somehow not cut out for college, but that you're studying the wrong things or you're in the wrong place. What specifically disillusioned you about your program? Have you considered studying something a little bit more...academic?
That's pretty much the reason why I am ticked off with the course, it does indeed just seem pointless. True, some people on the course have jobs at game companies lined up for them but I really don't feel like I'm getting much out of this course because I don't think I'm learning anything I couldn't learn on my own (Maya/3d modeling, drawing, etc), I'v always said to people the course was a shamble.
This is why I'm really conflicted, either -
- stick it out on a course I'v no passion for and which feels ultimatley pointless for a diploma that is indeed worth jack shit according to a lot of people in the games industry, a haphazard industry in terms of solid job prospects.
- Have two years of my life and a lot of money wasted and quit/transfer to another course.
- Take a gap year, get a real job for a while and come back and see how I feel about the course later.
I won't hide the fact that I have terrible descision making skills so I don't need people giving me crap about taking a possibly worthless course.
Sorry if I'm sounding especially grouchy but you kinda hit the nail on the head about what I felt about this course at the end of the second year and still do, leading to this lack of motivation I have now.
This is a 50/50 prospect. Ultimately, you'll have a college degree (albeit in a very unorthodox field), and having a degree is better than none. There are plenty of jobs where the requirement is having a Bachelors (or equivalent) degree in ANY field is a prerequisite for getting in the door. Of course, this means a couple more years of hemmorhaging money, effort, and time. But it's the shortest path for you now to get any kind of degree.
Honestly, in my opinion, this is the smart play (the transfer, not the quitting). A wise man once said "you gotta know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em." You played a hand, it didn't work out. It happens. If you can be honest enough with yourself about this, learn from the experience, not try to bury it, and use it as motivation to move forward into something that you will find worthwhile, then a couple of years and a few thousand dollars (or pounds or whatever) is not much in the long term. A surprising number of ultimately successful people waste even more time and money on pursuits like "exploring altered states through the use of non-legal pharmaceutical products" and somehow end up at age 35 with a steady job, a wife, and two kids.
I'd advise against it unless this is the "gap year" to end all "gap years." I'm sort of wary about the whole concept. Here in the States there is no such thing, and I'm sort of glad for it, because it would be used by 90% of people as an opportunity to fuck around and claim they were doing something useful.
Here's the metric I would use: if you can set it up so you have a job where, in this year, you will learn more than you did in both of your years at school so far, then by all means go for it. If you can't convince yourself of this, cut bait with your current program and transfer into something/somewhere else.
I'm still very open to any other ideas and opinions. I know I'm acting like an idiot but I just don't know what to do anymore.
The real question is, is it the degree plan you're disillusioned with, or the career itself? If you've decided you don't want to be a part of this industry anymore, I would suggest cutting the degree short, salvaging as many transfer credits as possible, and trying another major that you might be more interested in. If you have no interest in becoming a part of the gaming industry anymore, this degree will be useless to you, and should pursue other interests asap.
But, if it's just the degree plan or courses you're sick of, but you still want to be a part of the industry, it might be worth it to just suck it up and get through it. The main thing to keep in mind that it isn't necessarily that these gaming degrees are worthless to developers, it's just that they aren't worth as much as experience. That's true for any degree - someone with a masters degree in CS can come in and have the best looking education in the world, but if someone else with just a BA comes in and shows them a huge portfolio of things they've worked on, that second person is much more likely to be hired. The key is to have the degree yes, but to also have a body of work you can show to a potential employer so that they know you already have some real-life experience.
So, if the latter case sounds more like you, my suggestion would be to stick it out and finish the degree, and don't take a break - just get it done. While you're doing this though, start doing side projects - work on a mod team, try creating your own game from the ground up, etc - start building up a portfolio that you can show to employers when you graduate. Not only will this make you more employable, but it will also help you get through the degree in the meantime, as you take the skills you're learning from these crappy classes and actually applying them to work you can be passionate about.
In any case, I'm certainly not part of the industry (nor do I care to be), so you can take my advice with a grain of salt if you wish. I have however read a lot about it, and have talked to many others about it, and what I've laid out is pretty much just me repeating what others have told me. Other people who are a part of the industry can hopefully support/refute my advice. Either way though, the same basic truth applies to all industries - a college degree is great, but experience is what will set you apart from everyone else. If you can show an employer your work and prove to them (rather than convincing them) that you will be an asset to their company, you will look much better than most other candidates. Just keep that in mind.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
Your time and money are sunk. If you've spent them on something ultimately worthless, you are not justified in spending more on the same thing just to finish it. Either it's worth something or it's not, and if you've discovered now that it's not ultimately going to result in something of value, or something of sufficient value, you're done. Get out before you waste anything more.
But be damned sure about that one, and it's going to be rather tricky to sort out whether that's the case or not.
If you can transfer and it means you've only wasted one year, not two, and you find yourself three years away from a more legitimate degree rather than two years away from a potentially worthless one, do it.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
If its art and 3d modelling, its basically an art degree.
If its programming, its basically a programming degree.
If its running a company and sticking to the schedule , its a managment degree.
If its a how to make games fun, how to create game mechanics, its a degree that noone ever hires for, all the companies have enough people with ideas about games. The only recruiment adds I have ever seen for game mechanic type people require that you have worked in that type of role for 5+ years and shipped at least one $5m+ revenue title
If its a mix, I think its kind of werid that you arent specialised in one area, Its would be like imaginging someon e doing a joint "Art with Managment and Computer Programming" degree. All 3 areas requiring tonnes of practice and work to do well in.
http://www.itchy-animation.co.uk/tutorials/light01.htm
http://itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm
http://alexhays.com/loomis/
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2273017122992832167&q=Drawing+The+Human+Figure+From+Your+Mind+-+Video+Lesson+1
It sounds more like you need to change your major. Game design degrees are very much in their infancy, and most programs are pretty fucking useless. You've done two years right? Assuming this is a normal sort of college situation that would get all your gen-ed requirements out of the way, leaving you two years and some change worth of major specific academic work.
Take a year off. Figure out what you really want to do after school and then try to tailor your major towards that (as best you are able).
Good luck. College fucking sucks and that's a fact.
You should definately take the year off. It is a terrible thing to waste the entirety of your youth at university. if you have the money, Travel! University is a bubble that actively resists the Real World.
make sure you come back tho, even if you end up changing your degree
https://medium.com/@alascii
It is pretty sad when you think that 23 is the end of your youth.
Anyway, I'm with Frylock on the transfer. Like Dizaster said; if it's worth nothing now, it continues to be worth nothing later. Anything x 0 = 0. But you have to be sure.
Transfer to CompSci. A degree is worth it, and it will balance out later. You can use the skills you've learnt to boost yourself.
You're already there. Stick it out. You'll be glad you did.
please don't sell cell phones
- Evaluate whether you are still interested in the games industry
- If you are not, transfer your course and optionally take a break before resuming studies
- If you are still interested in the games industry, those who stand out need to go above and beyond the degree in 'Game Design'. Modding, modelling, programming, prototyping in something like XNA. Hell, I know someone who got a job programming GBA (when GBA was the hot new thing) from the engine scripts he had written as a hobby for 2D adventure games. Get the degree done, because it is one more factor that makes you look better than the hundreds of other candidates out there who just have the portfolio. You are in a position (within a year) to have both a portfolio and a degree which shows initiative.
- If you need time off but still are going to finish your degree, try to plan out a break that really only will be a year. During that break, also work on your portfolio.
- If you can, take half load classes rather than a full break. This should allow you to do some work (real life experience for the win), do your portfolio, and still progress with your degree.
From a personal perspective, I spent three years doing a Computing/Applied science double degree and ended up quitting three years ago due to family reasons and I was sick of studying. I had a break, then I picked up work as a helpdesk operator and I'm now a systems engineer consultant/contractor. But I know very much what I wanted to do and poured myself into the work. I have a vague plan of wrapping up the final units of my Computing degree at least (not fussed on the Appliced Science), but the experience I'm picking up from my job is more valuable to me at the moment.
A few things to clear up. The 3 year course revolves around the mechaincs/design/artwork/3d modeling side of things, it's seems pretty obvious it's just something to attract bored students like me as most of the time it's just 'choose what you want to do and go for it/portfolio building', which is irritating for me because I don't even know what I want my portfolio to consist of yet, hence my dillema.
Unfortunatley that's the part of the course I honestly love doing the most, but like you said, if I focused on that the job prospects would be very, very low which is kind of depressing.
I could transfer to another course, something a little less 'artsy' maybe since my last two courses have been 2 years of this and a 2 graphics course. (Although still 'artsy') I'v tried applying to animation courses, 3 times at two seperate universites but they were not too impressed with my level of skill the last time I tried, but they offered me a place in the first year class of a 3 year course if I wanted it. I can get into the first year if I wanted to right now and it something I'd definatley be interested in doing/improving in since 30% of my free time is spent doodling/drawing and I'v always had a fascination with the subject matter, but the idea of another 3 years of uni, 'wasting' these last 2 years and having to get a full time job during my second year of this animation course (I'v been told I need to start earning my keep after this year) is very daunting. I could always try something more academic (programming could be interesting or something similar) but I'd still be trying new things out and am at the point where wasting more money and time just seems a bad idea, even if sticking on one course of action may be 'worse', I just don't know. On the plus side, the animation industry around these parts has a surprising amount of job prospects going for it so that's a comforting thought.
Basically I need to make a change in this week or risk falling behind a lot in this class or a class I transfer onto (3 weeks into uni now), the 'year off' option is still available but I'm just really, really stuck choosing an option here, every choice seems like the wrong one to me in one way or another. Again, thanks for all the advice, it's really helping me. After talking with my tutours and the careers counselor this tuesday I'm going to make a descision one way or the other.
Right, I just don't care about this course. I'v tried to stick it out since the last time I posted but I have to show evidence I have been working on my 3 main projects on monday and present my work in front of the rest of the class. I'v just not been paying attention, read the project breif about 3 times each but still don't know what I'm supposed to be writing about for a 10 or so page essay I haven't even started just because I simply don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I'v put something together to show this monday for my second project, but have hardly even started the third.
People in this final year are actually students from last year's final year. I'm just saying this because I'v been drawing a blank in terms of coming up with ideas and writing essays and such for the past few weeks/months and I just simply can't write or find the drive to do anything.
I don't even know why I'm even posting this, I just don't know what to do seeing as I have to basically do 2 projects in one weekend which I have simply no drive to do whatsoever. I know this sounds damn lazy but I just can't do it.
This post probably doesn't even make much sense as I just feel so damn braindead right now.
I do want the diploma as it is worth it to put on any job applications I care to send out, even if it doesn't even have anything to do with games design.
The first thing you need to do is talk to your tutor (if you have one) or the professor running the course.
Contrary to popular opinion, most professors don't like to see their students fail, and they want to do what they can to help them through. If you are in a mental position where your work will suffer, you need to speak up, but the most they can likely do is let you retake the course, which is the problem in the first place. You need to seriously look into transferring, dropping out or manning up and getting the diploma. It looks like you aren't able to do the latter, so you need to investigate and action one of the other two.
Well then, if your choice is to stay and work, then work. You either need to start putting in the effort, or you need to start exploring other options.
But if I can tell you anything from my university career its this - don't waste your time doing something you don't enjoy enough to work at. There is no point sinking money and time into a degree that you'll end up either borderline passing or failing, miserable the whole time. Yes, a degree is a degree - but the fact of the matter is that there is a whole world of people out there who don't have degrees and manage to make ends meet. Not having a degree isn't the best of all options, but it's hardly the worst thing in the world.
Can any units you've already done be credited to another course?
If you have one half-completed degree, and one fully completed degree with excellent marks, you can truthfully tell your employer, "I made some poor decisions out of school, but I took responsibility for my own education and made a hard choice that paid off. I really enjoyed course X, and leaving game design gave me the opportunity to mature immensely."
Game design is always something you can pursue as a hobby. As was mentioned earlier - a strong portfolio, life experience (like proven teamwork/pressure-handling skills) and passion will always win out over an off-the-shelf game design degree.
I go to Ryerson in Toronto XD.
Yeah dude, bad idea.
The best idea would be to take some part-time studying at least because if you completely cut yourself off from school you'll never go back to the same groove again (It'll be hard), and seriously, take a year off to JUST STUDY? Buddy you're in the PA forums, the most studying you'll do is a few weeks into this sabbatical and then play some games
Yeah; if you REALLY don't want to go to school after all the great advice already given here; take part time studies at your school (3 or less courses, the norm is 5 a semester, at Rye anyway).
Zsetrek pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said 'hobby' as I used to enjoy coming up with concepts, artwork and ideas, but after another two years (on top of the few years I did it for entertainment) of doing this kind of thing 'professionally' to be graded I hardly enjoy doing it anymore. At this moment in time, the work I present I'm only aiming to be 'passable', which I know is a terrible way to look at it but that's how I honestley feel. As long as I just get the pass mark and don't get harassed to re-do any of it again I would be 'happy', same with essays.
All this is causing me a huge headache (quite literally), it really, really getting me down and I'm really not in the mood to come up with 'fun' ideas anymore or even really care/know if they are good ideas or not. All I want now is this course to be over so I can get a fresh start in whatever stupid venture I go off on next in regards to a career. I'm in no shape whatsoever to concentrate on this essay or design projects in this state of mind, with all this going through my head all the time. I just feel like total crap right now.
Sorry if this is getting very whiney but I'm hearing dozens of different opinions on the subject from different people and it's hard enough that I don't even know what I want to do in the first place so I'm completley lost right now in terms of what I should do.
Not saying you should quit, just saying it isn't the end of the world if you do.
If you are currently working on a personal project/having a personal project on hold due to lack of a programmer, I would be glad to help you out. I programmed some stuff over the summer that really gave me confidence for this school year, but once I started school again this project stalled and my confidence plummeted.
I remember how you were so enthusiastic about designing games in some older threads of yours, and to see this enthusiasm burned away by some stupid school really startled me.