#course info

[ask-sgd]

Will Sheridan help me get a decent job after graduation? I've read many negative comments on colleges that offer game development course, most of the graduates Indicated that it wasn't worth the money at all.

Remember that reviews of any sort are always going to be subjective and won’t apply to everybody, so take them with a grain of salt. Also keep in mind that no college can guarantee a job after graduation, since most of the work is done on the student’s part.

In terms of game development courses, it’s likely to be mixed due to this type of education being so new and nobody really knowing what to fully expect. This is especially true since these courses range from 1-year certificate to 4-year degree programs and vary widely in instruction. Sheridan College offers the latter with co-op in the 3rd year, which helps immensely with networking and experience for future job searches. The co-op department is always trying to help their students connect with potential employers, too, but they can’t control who is really serious about trying to get a job and who isn’t. Being part of an art industry that relies heavily on self-promotion, this is a really ‘you get what you give’ scenario, and where you give it counts.

tldr; There are a lot of connections to go around if you talk to the right people, but it’s always going to be the student’s responsibility to secure their own jobs, regardless of what comes their way. In the end, the value and immediacy of doing what you love as a career is always going to be up to you.

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[ask-sgd]

I noticed you have posted in the FAQs how many students are accepted each year, but do you know how many students actually apply? Thanks again for this blog, it's been a real big help.

Last year, I believe around 500 people applied to our program, though I can’t say for sure that that’s accurate.

If you’re really curious, you can call Sheridan and talk to the admissions office. They’d have more accurate information. Their number is 905-845-9430.

Good luck!

-Jen

[ask-sgd]

Hello, On the requirements it lists you must have grade 12 English, and then it lists after "plus" as though a separate category visual arts; math and gives option of "other" credits. Does this mean that math is a must have or its just something they would like, because it also says "or two semesters of post secondary with the required courses." I'm lost 😢

You must have 12U English, in addition to an art and 12U math. The reason those two are separate is because you can supplement the high school credits with 2 full semesters of equivalent post-secondary courses.

Example: You took 2 semesters (1 year) of animation at Sheridan and did 12U English in high school as required, but you never took a 12U math. Now you’ll have to take that math course to get credit, either online or by doing another 2 semesters of post-secondary math. You need to have done all 3 courses to be considered for the program.

Note: Check with admissions before locking yourself into anything to make sure that what you’re taking (or have taken) is indeed equivalent to the course you may be missing.

[ask-sgd]

Hello Do mature students need to have all the high school credits required? Or is there another list of requirements?

For mature students, if you’ve completed two semesters of post-secondary education, you don’t need to have all the high school credits required. 

-Jen

[ask-sgd]

How would you say the program holds up to the animation program in terms of working in the industry teachers (current over past) as well as in terms of standards? Could you get a job working at, for example ubisoft when you graduate based on the hard work put into your school learning or, does it strive more towards creating indie game developers?

Ultimately, what you get out of any program totally depends on what you put into it. If you strive to work in a certain field and put effort into landing a specific job, you could definitely get it, regardless of which course you graduated from.

Being a blog about the game design course, let’s stick with that. The program teaches a variety of skills that would be useful to both AAA and indie developers, but everybody has their own opinions about what you should do with them. You could definitely get a job with Ubisoft if you worked hard at it, but the program doesn’t really force you on a path towards it. Because of the varying backgrounds of all the profs we have, students get exposed to many different opinions and nudges in all kinds of directions, some towards AAA, some indie, all depending on the profs’ experiences. I will say that since we learn in spaces surrounded by students, everything feels a little indie. In the end, skills are skills and they translate pretty well when you know your stuff, you just need to know where you want to go with them.

As for standards, it’s hard to compare a new program to a well-established one like you’re asking. Our program’s standards are constantly evolving as we try to pin down exactly where we stand, which I am sure will take years to determine. On a more individual level, every student has their own standard, so it varies … but it’s usually pretty obvious who’s putting more effort into which things (as in every program).

tldr; You can’t compare the two programs on equal footing; yes, you could; and no, it gives you a taste of everything then lets you choose for yourself.

[ask-sgd]

Do you feel like the program prepares you to graduate job ready? Also, do you have to take electives that are outside the program structure? Thanks in advance 😊

Whether or not you feel the program adequately prepares you for the industry is ultimately up to you. As it stands, the course is somewhat broad and builds a foundation for its students in most aspects of game production, despite being labelled as a design program. I would suggest first figuring out what it is you like or want to do, maybe do some research, then go from there. Learning new things is great, but if you never have a goal you might be left at a disadvantage. It’s quite subjective and also depends a lot on whether we’re talking about AAA or indie. Personally, I feel good about going indie, but as I’m primarily an artist it’s not really the same for everyone since the competition changes and not everybody comes in with the same skill sets, which is why I say it’s subjective.

As for electives, Sheridan’s Trafalgar campus does requires its students to take a lot of things that seem totally irrelevant, but hey, that’s the elective life. Nothing new.

M

[ask-sgd]

Continuing from that other anon's message about games to play before going into game design, what are some general basics about games and their mechanics/design/gameplay that we should know? If that's too vague, I'd just like to know how to prepare myself well for the program.

I don’t think general knowledge of the basics of mechanics are essential in order to prepare you for this program, as everything about games will be introduced and taught in a beginner level. 

however, if you want to be a step ahead of the game, I recommend watching extra credits. a lot of what we learn branches off or expands on a lot of their video topics.

another thing I really want to keep emphasizing for preparation is knowing & practicing the basics of coding, especially if you have no experience in it. a lot of people go into this program with no prior coding experience and keep up really well! but for others who are really slow (like me), getting yourself started will help :^) in first year, you’ll be learning processing and this is the textbook/site you will follow throughout first semester.

- Viv