Lurking Back for Your Opinions

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An Introduction to WHO I Am and My Academic History

DISCLAIMER: BE PREPARED FOR WALL OF TEXT. This is *not* an introduction topic, but rather a question that asks for your opinions regarding what I should do Academically from this point. This is background information that I feel is important in that regard. This is only for people who have no idea who I am. If you know me skip this *obviously*.


Basic Information:

• I joined RMRK back in 2005.
• I turned 21 on the 2nd of December this year.
• I'm a fun-loving intellectual type.
• I love to learn, but I hate school. More specifically - I hate teachers who over-complicate simple things.
• Male, Heterosexual, Sagittarius, Christian, White, USA, North Carolina, etc.

About Me:

• I have depression due to unfortunate upbringing and really bad social anxiety.
• For certain reasons I've always considered myself a bit of an Aspie if that tells you anything.
• I hate people. By people I mean those who will actively go out of their way to tell you that you are wrong, even if they don't know squat about a subject.
• I have huge issues with sleeping patterns. I'm constantly exhausted, my brain hurts, I have trouble sleeping, I have trouble staying asleep, and best of all: In the mornings it takes me hours to wake up.

Academic History:

• Grade School I was picked on a lot, Middle School I had to transfer due to issues with another classmate after the 6th grade. High School I got almost all A's, except for several B's in History related subjects and a D from a class because I got pneumonia (yay).
• Senior year I took AP Calculus BC (got a 4 on the exam) and AP Music Theory (got a 5).
• I play trombone, piano, and sing.
• I love to program.
• I went to Western Carolina for my freshman year and marched in the Rose Bowl. Came home due to depression, and several family incidents later I'm still at home. Nobody is hiring anywhere, and traditional school makes me want to tear my hair out.
• Not to mention I can expect ZERO financial support from anybody else besides a bank (so...loans are the only option for me lol).

The Question

What Academic/Career Path should I take?

My Thoughts:

Originally I wanted to become a musician. There's not a huge problem with that, but I have to consider a couple of things:

• It probably doesn't pay enough to sustain a family.
• While I made it back into Western's Performance Program via audition, I couldn't return due to the main school never processing my application.

Another option (probably more viable) is to become involved in the gaming industry. There are a few passions I have that I could bring to the table:

• I love to program. At this point I only have a history in Ruby and Java (it's been a long time since I've used Ruby, Java is more recent).
• I LOVE music. Performing it or composing it, I love it.

The most reasonable entry points I see are as a developer or as a music producer/composer. It would be amazing to eventually become a project lead, but the two paths I would cosider are:

Composer  >  Lead Composer  >  Project Lead.

Developer  >  Lead Developer  > Project Lead. (probably the more realistic of the two from what I've researchd)

I'm not expecting this to happen instantly, but I'm trying to figure out how to approach it.

It would be even more amazing to just be a lead composer, so there's that option too. The problem is I'm having trouble deciding my end goal. I think I've decided where I want to go : Full Sail University.

The offer the following programs that I'm interested in:

Bachelors (Game Development - Campus, Music Production - Online).
Masters (Game Design - Campus).

I'm not worried about loans because eventually I'll pay them off, and at least it's not ungodly expensive like DigiPen :/ .

I'm attracted to the fact that it's involved with the industry and it's not "traditional".

For logistical/emotional reasons I'll probably be at home for the next few years so I can either learn on my own then go get development then design degrees, come home, work, get production degree on my own time (become educated in more of the process, opening myself up to project lead). I could do the music production degree online from home, and build up a portfolio that I could use for multiple composition and production jobs (video games, movies, etc.) Or I could do something else entirely. Even a different University. Even no University.

That's all I've managed to brainstorm, and as I've been looking at this for so long it's beginning to be difficult for me to see alternatives or think flexibly.

That's why I would like to ask for your two cents .

Thank you for your input in advance -

Tsuno

Wow. Looks like you've done your research for sure. Let me ponder on this a bit and bring some feedback in a minute.

Edit -

As always yuyu's advice is great. My two cents would be to get into an internship with your field asap. You may find you hate the very thing you wanted to be doing. I had several friends who wanted to be in a particular field, then tried it out, and hated it.

Having a backup plan is always great.

As for going to school: I think getting into an intership ASAP will let you know if you like the field and then you will be able to know at that point whether or not to continue with school.

I'm paying off loans myself. It's a bummer but I'm doing what I love to do.

Best of luck.

WALL OF TEXT INCOMING. PREPARE URANUS.

I can relate, haha. I'm at college, doing a general associates with no idea whatsoever as to what career I'm going to pursue. I'm kinda keeping my eyes open, because there's a lot of things to consider when choosing a career path.

It sounds like development (and music) is your cup of tea, but I'd recommend having a back-up plan, because there might be a lot of people in that field (I'm not entirely sure). Be sure to check the demand from a credible source~

Another word of advice: be careful when making a hobby into a career. It can ruin the fun of it. Eventually, you may start to associate that hobby with the feeling of work. It's rare that a career stays fun forever. Source: My dad. But he gets bored easily, so that's probably why he says that, haha. It seems like something to keep in mind, though.

Another thing: Don't feel too restricted to college as the only option. There's a lot of people going to college lately, because it's more affordable. This goes along with knowing the demand of what you're getting into. A lot of people nowadays are graduating and having trouble finding jobs. The problem is, we have this mindset that we're doomed if we don't go to college, but that's not necessarily true. Once again, it helps to know the demand~

Try to weigh the pros/cons of career ideas: easy/hard career, high/low demand career, well-paid/poor-paid career, very little/a lot of college requirement, what locations are the best for that career, and what type of skills you will need for that career, will you love/hate that career, etc. It sounds like you've got a good grasp on the research aspect, but you can never be too careful~

Well, okay. Maybe you can be too careful. Just know that your life won't be over if a career gets boring/doesn't work out. Another thing that I've been told is that people associate a career with "what you want to do for the rest of your life". It's never too late to change it. In fact, it may be refreshing. It's not always a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket.

Anyways, I hope that helped. xD I'm just pointing out things that I've heard/observed. I'm stuck in a rut of confusion myself, because I'm indecisive. Just try to weigh out what has the most benefits for you (and which benefits are more important to you, of course)~

Good luck and nice to meet you!

Thank you for the replies .

And nice to meet you too!

I actually haven't considered looking into career demand yet, so I'll definitely look into that. Thank God careers aren't permanent though lol. Two reasons I've been doing a lot of thinking lately is I'm theoretically going to be married in the next few years, so I'd like to be able to provide even a little bit (although I'm not opposed to taking up the at-home-husband/father paradigm). The other reason is I literally feel like I'm doing absolutely nothing lol. I can do all the learning I want from home and have a great time doing it, but with nobody hiring and being out of school, I feel like a NEET lol. Technically I guess I *am* a NEET  .

~ It's okay, I'm living at home, too! ;_;

Also, I would be careful about rushing into marriage/having kids, if possible~ It's better to get on your feet first. Be sure that you're ready~

But that's more about personal preference ;o; I'm the type of person who would have kids at 30 and be okay with that, haha. ^^;

Also: it's tough to do schooling from home...so many distractions. ;_; And a lot easier to learn when someone is teaching you. But that's another thing that relies on personal preference. xD Some people do better with online schooling. =o

My girlfriend is a special education major and is pretty much guaranteed a job. It's not the biggest salary in the word, but it would be more than enough for the two of us to live off of.

I'm thinking more on the side of composing now, because after doing some quick research the pay isn't that much off a lead developer, I don't need 6 figures anyway , and I'd get to write music. Hell to the yeah . I understand the hobby to career conundrum. I faced it when I was a performance major. The biggest problems I had with that were that my lesson grades would be lower depending on the quantity of practice (not quality), although that was just a freshman thing, and the juries. By God the juries. Aptly named, juries scared the living Hell outta me xD . Admittedly that was majorly due to my social anxiety.

There's something different to me when it comes to putting myself out for others to judge rather than putting my work out for others to judge. They both scare me, but at least with the later it won't affect the result lol, because I would compose in my own space.

I don't really have any good advice, as I'm in a similar situation (I'm actually home now due to depression and anxiety as well ). I do wish you the best of luck though and hope you are getting what you need to help you in those aspects. They aren't fun aspects. D:

I don't really have any good advice, as I'm in a similar situation (I'm actually home now due to depression and anxiety as well ). I do wish you the best of luck though and hope you are getting what you need to help you in those aspects. They aren't fun aspects. D:

I'm sorry to hear that . They definitely aren't fun (to put it lightly). I've been getting what I need for the most part. Old family that put me in this position emotionally to begin with aren't helping though lol. Trying to keep them out of my life as much as possible though. I forgive them, but I'm done trusting them :/.

My girlfriend is a special education major and is pretty much guaranteed a job. It's not the biggest salary in the word, but it would be more than enough for the two of us to live off of.

Isn't that strange... it sounds like my situation. My girlfriend is going into special education and teaching, and I'm looking for my entry point into a career that's hard to get into.

And aside from the musical side, age and where you live, you sound almost like me and my situation. And that, in turn, sounds like a lot of people I know too. You definitely aren't alone in that.

If you do intend to go into studying for a games related qualification (or even any specialist field), do your research, and I mean do your research.

I have a degree in Computer Science with Video Games Development. From that I learned almost diddly-squat about the business of games development. Sure, there was a few coursework projects based on coding up a game idea, but I really know nothing about the actual industry. What I have learned about game design and development is through my own studies - I'm currently self studying game design theory and I've already learned more than I did in those 3 years.

So, what I would suggest is to look for a course which offers a tie into the industry itself or those that offer a placement year. The best way you'll get into anything is if you have experience in it already, and a placement year is more likely to get you that. You'll probably find internships more accessible too. This isn't restricted to gaming either. Any serious career path, particularly those that are specialist, will benefit from this.

On the subject of internships, you could always try to ask around at companies to see if they can offer anything. You'd need to be able to provide some kind of portfolio that you can use to show your commitment to it, and in some cases you may have to expect to get onto a unpaid internship, at least for a while. That itself might require you to get a crappy part time deal to help with supporting yourself and your partner that little more.

Also,

Don't be afraid to push yourself into the deeper waters and go out of your comfort zone.

And I say that knowing that you have anxiety issues. I do too. I completely hate putting myself into a situation where I'm being judged, and even the thought of having to make a phone call can get my nerves going. But if you do want to be successful and get to where you want to be, which is a pretty tough position to aim for (my goal is Director/Producer for at least 1 game in my life - big big goal there), then you need to go for it. It won't come to you.

The only way to make things easier on your anxiety is to confront it and push it. Especially if you have support from someone who cares about you. Ask them to be your pillar and rope whilst you dip your toes into the cold, crappy thing called life. Sometimes, that's all you need.

WALL OF TEXT INCOMING. PREPARE URANUS.

 lol

Uranus not prepared 

Tsunokiette very interesting topic, I didn't read all your text wall, I like music too I love to play piano but as you said it is not a career that allows you maintain a family unless you are a super duper musician.

I am extremely thankful for all of the input I'm getting. It's giving me a lot to think about that I haven't before.

Seriously guys, thank you . *internet manly hug* lol

A general consensus seems to include that I should find some sort of internship or a program with placement to see if it's something I'd be able to do for at least an extended period of time.

It's comforting to know I'm not alone with these challenges, logically I can't be alone in them, but it still helps to hear from others lol.

As far as my anxiety goes, my biggest problem with it is that in the past, every time I stepped out of my comfort zone I got burned. I try to remind myself that failure is inevitable and a part of life, but for some reason I'm just insanely sensitive to it     . I'm going to try to confront that hurdle starting today (that's what I tell myself every day lol), but maybe I should try to confront it starting *now*.

*internet womanly hug*

We're rooting for you!

I'm going to try to confront that hurdle starting today (that's what I tell myself every day lol), but maybe I should try to confront it starting *now*.

Procrastination is definitely the biggest enemy I have. You don't have to confront it alone, though. That's what makes it harder. Get some support to help.

Also, don't feel that you have to do a bungee-jump or sky dive. Take it slow. Find small things to overcome first, then move onto the bigger things.

I don't have any advice I could give you, but I feel your pain when it comes to academia; I am in University but I may have to drop out due to financial reasons way out my (and family who are willing to help's) hands, living at home doesn't help the feeling about all of this either.

I will say this though; I am currently doing a Bachelor's in Computer Science and, if you genuinely do love programming, will be both fun and pretty straight forward to you. The thing I have been told by people in the programming sector though is that most of it can be self-taught much easier than you think. Hell, some of them even said they didn't even get a degree to become who they are now in the field. Obviously the biggest fear and drawback to self-teaching is what Logan has already brought up: procrastination.

I will say this though; I am currently doing a Bachelor's in Computer Science and, if you genuinely do love programming, will be both fun and pretty straight forward to you. The thing I have been told by people in the programming sector though is that most of it can be self-taught much easier than you think. Hell, some of them even said they didn't even get a degree to become who they are now in the field. Obviously the biggest fear and drawback to self-teaching is what Logan has already brought up: procrastination.

You can self teach, with the right motivation, almost anything you want to. What's good about Uni/College etc, is that you can get guidance from an experienced person, and that really is a good reason to go - assuming you make the most of that. I, like many, didn't really realise that until it was a bit too late. You get caught up in the whole going out with friends and enjoying yourself. But I took to most of the subjects easily enough, so it wasn't really filling that need to learn something, which is why I also studied other things whilst there: Law, Languages, Philosophy, even a bit of medicine... subjects that, to be honest, I'd rather have taken at Uni. Because these are subjects which really benefit from collaborative approaches, Uni is a good place to go for them.

There's a few things that should be told to you when picking a subject for Uni. One of those is "Is a degree/Futher Education qualification required in the field?" If it is, like becoming a Doctor requires you to go to Med School, and becoming a Lawyer requires a formal qualification, then go to Uni for that subject because you need to.

In the case of that being "No", then it should be a question of "Could you learn the subject on your own?" And by that I mean, "Do you have the motivation to learn on your own?", not "Are the resources available to learn?" If that's a "No", then Uni might be a good place to go because you'll be forced into a learning environment - but do keep in mind, you might not enjoy it as much - and that might be something you need as well.

But a degree in Computer Science... is it necessary? I don't think so. It's a good subject to do after you have some experience and you want to learn and understand more. I'd say my degree sets me up for when I might be leading a team. But it hasn't given me the skills to actually get into the field, that's something I've gained myself through practice and self teaching. All my degree did was push a bit of "forced motivation" onto me. This is why I say that, doing a degree which offers industry placement is the best choice for such a degree. You get that intro knowledge, you get that "forced motivation", and you get some experience in the industry. And the latter is what will help you get a job. Knowledge just isn't enough these days.

I'm much better with self-study than I am with institutionalized study. With self-study I just learn better (and faster)! When institutionalized study I get bogged down by bureaucracy and hoops which drive me insane and make learning both slow and impossible to enjoy for me :/.

Which sucks because I freaking love to learn! lol

I'm thinking self-study and build up a portfolio?