Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news From: "James Tait" Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.freetalk.english Subject: Re: Decisions about my future Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 11:21:12 -0000 Organization: PlayStation Net Yaroze (SCEE) Lines: 65 Message-ID: <86rul3$3ib2@chuka.playstation.co.uk> References: <864sif$3vi1@chuka.playstation.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: 62.172.118.90 X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 The A-levels you mention seem good to me. I started out doing A-Levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Further Maths, but dropped the Further Maths after 4 months because of the workload - in retrospect I'd have been better dropping Chemistry, because a lot of what we were doing in FM would have a) partly overlapped with the Physics course, b) stood me in good stead for the PSX programming (matrices, friction, mechanics, etc....) and c) been a damn sight more fun! It's easy to have 20/20 hindsight though. As regards the AS-Level, I'm not sure - it's an extra workload for you and I would guess that it will only really cover the kind of things you'll do in your first year at Uni - I know at Middlesex (plug, plug) I learned VB, Pascal, Fortran and C in Year 1, and C++, Java and SQL in Year 2. OK, I'd done a lot of programming before Uni on my trusty old Atari ST, but only in BASIC and 68k assembler - C was completely new to me. Then of course there's the PlayStation modules at Middlesex with Peter Passmore (I assume this is still the case and will continue to be so, Peter?) who is not only an excellent tutor but also a really decent bloke. Look at Rob Swan and Olly Reed as examples of his former students. Anyhow, before I embarrass anyone else, I'd say go with the Maths, Further Maths and Physics, then get yourself off down to Middlesex for and Applied Computing course. I did, and I'm cleaning the streets... oh, no I'm not... but I don't regret it. *8O) Regards, JT Rikki Prince wrote in message <864sif$3vi1@chuka.playstation.co.uk>... >I'm coming towards the end of my GCSEs and need to look towards the future. >I'm hoping to stay on at my school's 6th form (depending on my GSCE results) >to do A-Levels, so need to decide which A-Levels I'm going to do. At the >moment I'm thinking of doing A-Levels in Physics, Maths and Further Maths, >and doing one of the new half or AS-Levels in IT (as I my school does not >offer computing, though are thinking about offering a half course in it in >time for my second year of 6th form). Do these sound the types of subjects I >need to be doing to get onto a Uni. course in either Computer Science or >Software Engineering? Also, which would be better for getting into the games >programming industry? I ask this after reading an article on Gamasutra about >how Software Engineering would be better on the theory that in product >making when done by scientists is only in the prototype stage (as it is >usually being researched and developed), and not safe to be released into >the public, but when the engineers create a product it is better for >release, and that this theory should also apply to programming. (At least I >think that was the gist of it.) Anyway, I digress. I basically would like >some advice on which subjects to do at A-Level, what I should do at >university (possibly where would be a good place to do it), and also how >should I go about trying to get work experience. My school does not organise >work experience, but instead offer 'work shadowing', but none of the options >on their list have anything to do with (games) programming. Is there anyway >I could get a list of PSX developers in the SE of England? > >Cheers, >Rikki > >