So you want to study Game Design

You love playing video games but more than that you love the creative aspects of the game: the storyline, the characters, the artistic production, the musical score. You participate in boards and write your own code to improve the playing experience.  This is your passion and you tell  yourself: why not work in this industry and do what I love for fun?  

What are the job prospects?

The good news is that the industry is flourishing at $17 billion dollars and there are plenty of job opportunities. However, experience is a must, thus it is recommended that you map a college path that includes internships and projects that would provide you with the experience and network needed to land a job.  

So what major should I study?

Since employers do not require a specific game design major nor even a college degree, it is more important you study the area of Game Design you are most interested in.  For starters, you can do a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design.  These programs take different views on Game design from the most technical with intense programming to the most artistic with product concept, writing, musical score & creative elements.   Independent on which Bachelor degree you decide to go for, you should have a solid understanding of programming so that you can work with programmers in all your design elements.   This means that even if you do a Bachelors of Arts you should aim to complete several programming classes or even a Computer Science double major or minor.

“Learn programming! A band manager doesn’t need to play guitar, but still needs to understand music.  An understanding of programming is key to success in the gaming business” - Russell McDonald

What else can I do with a game design major

A game design major will provide you with a set of skills that are transferable to other industries:  programming, product development, production.  Game design majors who combine the technical with the artistic use both sides of the brain, bringing their abilities to a new level.  In addition, employers put a lot of value to arts majors because of their creativity and ability to think out of the box.   In sum, there are a large number of jobs outside the gaming industry  that would be a good match for game design majors.  

What are the best schools to get this major

The question is not what is the best school but what is a good fit school for me?  Just from an academic point of view, you should decide if you will pursue a BS, BA or BFA.  The BA/BS you can get at large universities and liberal arts colleges. You would need to meet the general academic requirements for admissions.   However the BFA is a specialized arts major which requires a more complex set of requirements such as a portfolio and interviews.  Once you determine which of these degrees is of most interest we would look at other important criteria like location, financials and social criteria to start drafting a well balanced college list.

How do I get Learning Disability Support at College?

If you are  wondering how can you get the support that you have in your high school, you must understand  a) that the level of support depends on the structure of the Disability program at the college you would be attending and b) that unlike high school, in college you must self advocate.  Let’s break this down in pieces.  

Structure Spectrum of Colleges Learning Disability Programs

Due to the American Disability Act (ADA) federal regulations, all colleges must be compliant.  On one end of the spectrum, you colleges that offer a minimal amount of support and on the other end, you have colleges providing comprehensive and structured support as illustrated below.  The kind of accommodations will also depend on the resources of the program:  distraction reduced environment, note taking, assisted devices, extra testing time are a few.  In addition more structured programs offer individualized tutoring and executive/study skills coaching among other services.

In addition to these programs, there are some LD programs at college level or via Adult Transition programs that provide very hands on support not only in college academics and executive skills, but in social and independent living skills.   

Self advocate

There is a big difference between college and high school when it comes to getting support for Learning Disabilities.  The most important one is that in college students must self advocate.  Not only must you do the work to get approved for accommodations, you must follow up to ensure that these are implemented as approved by the Disability office.    So how do you go about this?  Assuming you are attending a “Moderate” school as noted above we recommend you:

• Make a visit to the Disability office as soon as you are admitted and find out what are the requirements to request accommodations.  More than likely they will require a psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation, not older than 3 years. In addition, they may require a recent diagnosis and your high school’s transcripts, test scores and IEP/504 plans.
• The Disability counselor may decide to conduct further testing before deciding on the accommodations.
• You will have to let the faculty know of the accommodations and you will be responsible to ensure these are implemented as planned.  Only you can determine if this is the case and should let the Disability counselor know if you get into any hiccups.

In sum, you will be able to continue getting the support you need to thrive in school. Yet, you will have to choose the level of support you need and follow through to make your college career a success.  Just remember, take one step at a time and reach out for help when you need it!