College Help

[Chapien]

Hello everyone!

Well, the time has come. I have one more year of high school left, and the time has come for me to apply to University or College or whatever. And I have immensely good news.

Last weekend, I visited Washington State to visit the college I want to go to (my "dream college", so to speak), DigiPen Institute of Technology. Now, for my field, this school is the best of the best, the top of the line. It is the number one school in the world for Video Game Design; the team that made Portal all went here, and ArenaNet (the company behind Guild Wars) is composed of 51% DigiPen graduates, and Riot Games has a large DigiPen alumni population as well. This is the best of the best; and I meet all the requirements to get in. The school's president said that provided my essays are as good as my grades, I am as good as in. However, I have one problem.

DigiPen is not a normal college (it is private) and as such, you cannot change your major. You must declare it when applying and then it is locked in. The degree programs offered are Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Sound Engineering, BFA in Animation, and finally, the two programs I am interested in, BS (Bachelor's of Science) in Game Design and BA (Bachelor's of Art) in Game Design. And I can't make up my mind between the two.

Here's the thing. Both Game Design programs teach the same thing. I'll be taking the same game design classes in both. Both will lead to similar careers. As far as games are concerned, we learn and take the exact same classes. But in the BSGD program, all of the non game design classes are literally filled with mathematics and programming, whereas in the BAGD, all of the non game design classes are art theory classes and a TON of electives that can be filled with either art or creative writing classes, or even music classes. In the words of the Game Design department lead, "Taking the BSGD is like majoring in Game Design and minoring in Computer Science. Taking the BAGD is a bit like majoring in Game Design and minoring in art or creative writing, depending on what electives you take."

Here's the thing. I'm a great programmer. I'm good at math (I've gotten a B in mathematics classes all my life). I enjoy programming (but despise math with a burning passion). That being said I am also an amazing creative writer and musician (I have played an instrument of some sort virtually all my life, my primary instrument being the Euphonium/Baritone Horn.)... Both programs interest me immensely. Either way I get the same game design education and either way I will ultimately be getting the same kind of career, but I'll have to live with the BS or BA for four years while I am in school.

My father and the leader of the department suggest that I, since I already know coding, I take the BSGD program. It ultimately looks better on a resume and the programming is a major asset these days, while art and creative writing are far easier to work on and improve on your own. Math and coding are a bit harder to do without a class. However, the math in the BSGD program terrifies me. I do not feel like I'll be able to take the Calculus and Discreet Mathematics; though I am good at math, I fear it will consume all of my time and take away from the primary focus of my education, that is to say, the actual game design. The BAGD interests me a lot, because I enjoy creative writing and music and those electives should not distract me from the Game Design and the projects (this school has A LOT OF PROJECTS, most of them involving assembling my own team from students in the other programs and building a game with them), but I am concerned that the BAGD will not look as good on my resume, which is ultimately the most important thing.

So, Canterlot, I ask humbly for your opinion!

[Rosewind]

Do what interests you, especially if you hate math. You'll want to get involved in setting up industry connections while you go to school, and connections -- not resume stuff -- is what will ultimately land you a career that you want.

[Chapien]

Do what interests you, especially if you hate math. You'll want to get involved in setting up industry connections while you go to school, and connections -- not resume stuff -- is what will ultimately land you a career that you want.

I suppose ultimately that the resume isn't that important. This college has a lot of industry connections. Every Friday, a different Game Design company visits to recruit/build interest, including Valve, Microsoft, Bungie, BioWare, Nintendo, and others. If I go to all of those every Friday, I'm sure I can build connections. And Senior year there is a big career day where every student sets up their own table with all of their work and resume on display, and the companies come to YOU and ask YOU about your work.

[Dio]

BS degree all the way. You can afford to hate math so long as you are capable of doing it. You cannot afford to hate the arts. Get the math and science out of the way, then when Valve or Nintendo or Bioware or whoever comes your way, tell them what you REALLY like doing.

[Bellosh]

You sound a bit like one of my online buddies Chapien; while he is a super-awesome programmer who recently graduated with a Computer Science degree, he absolutely hates stuff like Discreet Mathematics (I know because he was ranting specifically about Discreet Math last week). As long as you're at least half the workaholic that my programmer friend is, you'll be able to get past math courses. If you are worried that you won't be recieving as much creative writing and music education as you'd like under a BSGD program, make sure your portfolio of completed projects demonstrates your game design aptitude in non-programming fields. Your portfolio and your connections are your two best friends in getting a job in the video game industry.

[Chapien]

Yes, the BS certainly has its own strengths, but I am a bit paranoid that I won't get accepted into that program. They ask that you get a 3.0 average in Mathematics in High School, and... the thing is, Freshman year in High School I got an A in math, And Junior year I got a B, but Sophomore year I sort of... kind of got a C in math. So my math GPA is exactly a 3.0 and that's gotten me really nervous about it.

[SteelEagle]

The math they teach is likely going to be incredibly tough; if you got a C as a Junior in High School taking whatever normal Junior-level math class, then you will likely struggle with the math there. If we were talking two majors with wildly different lesson plans, then I would say go with the Science. However...

"I'll be taking the same game design classes in both. Both will lead to similar careers. As far as games are concerned, we learn and take the exact same classes-"

- To me means that when we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each major, we have to understand that you are already going to have what the studios are looking for at a base. At that point you must ask yourself, "Is it more important that I sharpen my creativity or my programming?". I would say creativity, since games are becoming more story and setting reliant as well as cinematic(in the case of CoD esque games). Even games with interesting mechanics such as Portal are buoyed tremendously by the story, characters, and writing.

[Chapien]

In case it is a little unclear, here is the comparison between the two courses.

https://www.digipen.edu/academics/degree-programs/bs-in-game-design/course-sequence/

https://www.digipen.edu/academics/degree-programs/ba-game-design/course-sequence/

Thanks again for all the help.