Dear College/University students or any kind soul >:3

I have now reached a rather huge dilemma in life which I shall explain but my simple question is: Now that you are at uni/college/studying away from home do you find the city or the course to be more important? Also, is where you get your degree/Masters from important when it comes to people employing you?

So basically, I got my final University offer today- 5/5 offers so I now get the fun part of choosing. Cardiff and Bath were always my top 2 choices and I knew I would go to one of them, I much prefer Cardiff but Bath is renown for being a better university (3rd on national league tables for studying Psychology). Cardiff is about 10th so it's not a huge difference but I am just a bit stuck.

I'm sure I will get some silly answers >:3 but if I could get some serious answers then I will love you all 5eva!

 

My sister did research on her schools. She started from top rank of the school. Whys it so popular? Why does it have high ranking? Does it offer great programs? Things like that. She wants to be a politician, and choice some uni in kentuchy I believe for political business, or something like that. Its personal choice and due research really. I just went to some community college xD I don't need anything fancy.

 

And you were happy? :3

I think I will do a bit of reasearch into why it's so good but I know my soul wants to go to Cardiff (for a plethora of reasons that I will explain to anyone who wants them xD)

 

I want them!

And yes. I've worked too many jobs in the past two years that I can actually work anywhere I wanted. (As long as its not management). Some jobs don't even look at past schools and anything fancy like (unless its management). So eh. But yes I'm happy with community college. I can transfer to a state uni if I wanted too and be happy too.

 

Honestly? This is what is keeping me back from studying videogame design classes (The passion of my life, this is the reason why I learned how to compose music and some light programming), so I feel your pain.

My problem is that there’s NO place period here to learn that, that it doesn’t include traveling huge lengths. And I’m too agoraphobic to face that yet.

And I want a renowned place so I can get into the videogame industry easier. But nobody wants to establish this class on this place, nevermind that there is a branch of one of the biggest universities here that has that class on the bigger building, but not on the branch here.

Also, contacts are important. If you don’t know the right people you may get lost, all nervous and all hopeless, so make sure you spend your years at there knowing some people.

Anyways...

Does it matter where you get your mastery? It matters yes, make sure you get a good place, not because of the relevancy of the title only, but of the knowledge, techniques, etc. That you get there too. You don’t get taught the same from going to a big university in the centre of the city than one on the edge of it (To give an example)

If I’m wrong on anything please feel free to correct me, I’m bad at this stuff but I really wanted to be helpful. <_<

 

I disagree. I'm sorry where you live that there isn't any physical school uyou can't go for programming. Art institutes and Devry are best with what you want. Online classes are great also like full sail uni. But I guess that's for personal choice. Some people are different and choice nothing more then a university for they're school. And if they choose that, I see as they want a very well places job. I respect that. My mind works different and to be honest I can go to a lower standing school, learn the same thing and most likely come out knowing the same or more from what you've learned. Like I said, its personal choice.

For the mastery part, I agree. Its the same as I stated before I can get my bachelors degree at a community college but gonsomewhere else for my masters. This day in age they don't care really as long as you know what you're going for and how to get it.

 

Being honest? I understand your point completely, Art institutes I got suggered as well but I want the full package, I FEEL a good game director should be able to do as much as he can and help as much as possible (Or atleast that's the kind of person I want to be)

I've been thinking about taking online classes at Full Sail next year ever since I saw the ad for it, but I don't know how valid the title will be here, and I never took online classes before so I have "New Experience Fear" as usual. I guess I got some investigation to do.

Yes, I agree going to an University because they are school may be an old-timer's mentality. Honestly, I just want to be taught how to make videogames and be taught well, I don't care if I need to take informal classes to do it. But I feel a good title couldn't hurt either (Except for my poor family's wallet, ouch)

But anyways, thanks for your kind reply. c:

 

Ah I know the feeling. Online classes are nice if you have great self discipline.. I don't have it. Well i do if I didn't work full time ;----; but anyways. I know exactly how you feel. I wanted to be a game designer but I was put down. My family didn't like it and I ended up changing my mind. I'm happy I didn't do it... I'm not downing here btw! Please, follow your dreams! I believe in dreams so much :c you can do exactly what you want. If you need more school yo be what you want to be, do it! Like I said before look for the schools. Then when you feel comfortable look at the area! Just takes time.

 

lol yeah. my parents keep telling me "you should take some of your classes online since you like the internet so much."
im like that's precisely why i'm not going to.
i would do like five minutes of work and then be posting on khv/watching internet videos

 

I don't think where you get your degree from matters too much unless you're going for something like...neuroscience, and went to a predominately Liberal Arts school, haha. That said, I do think that nationally/internationally recognized top schools can help you for sure get a foot in the door a lot easier post-graduation, but I also think you should try to go where you feel more at place with and enjoy. I personally had a choice between the best uni in my area (one of the top 20-30 so schools in the US) and another one (which is known for getting you heavily involved in internships & practically guarentees you a job upon graduation). I ended up going with the latter because I liked the environment & people more than I did the former, which I think is also something to consider in that choice.

Congrats on getting into your top schools though, Enzy! I'm sure wherever you do end up going, you will do very great. And also nub it up. :}

 

That's how I was. I took online classes for highhool and I didn't get far. I got distracted too easy xD

 

Basically all of this.

It doesn't matter if you go to an internationally accredited school if it's uncomfortable. You should enjoy the field you're studying as much as you enjoy who/where you're doing the work. It's why I'm probably staying close to home for a year or two before trying to head somewhere else. I may not know exactly what it takes to get a job, but working hard and finding opportunities couldn't hurt.

But congrats on getting into your top schools nubé. I'm sure you'll do great no matter where your at. >:3

 

Spoiler: In case you all are curious about where I stand in this situation it's a pretty detailed story...

Since I'm not paying for most of my schooling, money is always going to be the first consideration to decide between me and my parents.

I was planning on switching from a Music Major to an Acting/Theater Major as soon as I got out of High School. Knowing that I need to decide if I actually like this path, I first went to Community College, which of course saved time for working part-time and money. Eventually, I found a liking and a relative success for acting, which definitely motivatds me to go to a four-year after getting my Associates Degree.

I then later applied to some great private institutions and I was accepted to all of them, even earning some scholarships and getting into honors programs. However, even with the deductions of those scholarships (which inevitably weren't enough to save big amounts of costs), the local state school was still cheaper. I've heard some decent things about their acting program, but of course not as good as the others I applied to. In the end, it all came down to it being not only cheaper, but closer to commute as well as being closer to the work (local professional theaters and whatnot).

Having already been a semester here, I find the General Education course work here to be just as difficult as it was in Community College for me, but drastically different in terms of the acting. I wasn't able to transfer all of my credits (for example, a class from community college I took is called Movement for the Actor I and yet wasn't counted as a Movement credit. =____= ) so I'm technically a second semester Freshmen. D: To be fair, I did transfer in the middle of the year so getting into certain classes was kind of hard to do, so they might consider knocking out some credits when signing up for the Fall of this year. But one thing to learn from this is that if you are transferring, be sure to know well advance what does and doesn't transfer. :x

Anyway, at least from where I stand, money and location are a top priority. Sure, I could have gone to better schools, but I think that especially if you have little or no prior experience in the field you want to do, starting small and eventually growing big is the best way to go. Also, always look for scholarship opportunities, even if you don't think you can get it. And importantly, it's okay to find no success at all in what you had expected, as long as you understand what didn't work out and look for a solution to that when you search again. College/University is never supposed to be easy mode.

 

The city and the course are both important. If you find that two schools are offering the same course, you go to the one with better surroundings. The more livable the better.

Kinda? It depends what you're going for. Psychology for instance might.... There's a lot of pig headed people in fields like this who display their Alma Mater like it's some sort of trophy. However, generally if you have your degree it's enough.

 

Thanks for all the advice guys :3 I have literally been contemplating this for a few hours xD I did also have a nice chat with my sister who came to the same conclusion as Plums and NUB did :3

I agree with this wholeheartedly! Thank you :3 When I think of Bath, I don't see myself living there but at the same time, it could be because I haven't visited the uni (my sister lives in Bath so I know the city quite well- beautiful but it doesn't excite me as much as the prospect of living in Cardiff does). My heart is pretty set on Cardiff so that is probably where I will go :3

The courses are basically exactly the same from what I can tell, the only difference being Bath is higher on league tables but I feel more homely in Cardiff :3 Also, Cardiff is a much cheaper place to live xD

 

I, in the end, went to a lower rep school for Eng Lit and Creative Writ. One I didn't have my heart set on. But from it I've learnt more then I can bet I would've from my original aim. In the end, I don't regret the outcome or despair.
The league table (coming from a student and school staff background) is total ****ing bollocks. It means nothing for you as a person, a student. It's only for management to feel good about themselves that they've rustled up and harassed students to get questions right. If they've learnt anything, that's a bonus, but that's it. If you have incredible staff, teachers, lecturers, you'll learn more from them than any league table says you should.

So yeah... i'm not sure what psychology is like with degrees and course, so i'll tell you one thing.

Go to Cardiff. Follow your gut, soul, heart. Especially if you've been to an open day, ten you'll know better.