So, I decided I want to learn how to program.
I’d like to go back to school and forgo work and be a student full time and finally get a college degree and everything, but that’s just not going to happen.
Living in California is way too fucking expensive not to mention tuition, etc.
I decided to look at what was available online. I decided to go with a place called Game Institute. Their coursework is geared toward people who want to program for the game industry.
I looked at the course layout, the study plan and I decided I really liked the way it was structured, also the price was very affordable. While I have read a lot about programming over the years, I’ve never been able to find a self-learning source that laid things out for a beginner to work up to an intermediate and then to an advanced level.
Right now I am at the beginner stage, but I like how the information is laid out.
If I take the exams at a vetted location, they would actually count towards college credit.
The good thing about this is that programming for games and programming for any other application like a word processor or a spreadsheet or a customer service application still use the same language. Although the coursework will have a games slant to it, which makes it more interesting for me by the way, it will still be useful in both my current job and anything else I want to use it for.
I signed up for C++ Module 1 (the you are a total n00b course) and the C++ Module 2 (intermediate there may be hope for you yet course). Each module can be done in 10 weeks or faster if you want to cover the material faster. I’m not in any rush.
So I’ll keep you up to date on whether I love it or hate it as the weeks roll by. I’ll even let you try any programs I write if you are at all interested in that crap.
I had to do this little bity program as part of this intro to computers thing about twenty years ago. I should write a post about that sometime.
I never had any interest in doing anything like that ever again.
A few years ago, I had to take another intro to computers course that was supposed to be slanted towards a particular field. It was practically the same course, minus the programing assignment, but with this other program added that we were supposed to have to use if we decided to go into this particular field. Only the program was so new, that it really wasn’t up and running yet. Kind of a waste of time. Totally a waste of my time, since I ended up changing my major and didn’t go into that field anyway.
j’s been looking into doing something like this too. i think he should. if for no other reason than to keep him constructively occupied. with his gaming skills and his love for computer games i think he could probably make some money creating games. not big money necessarily but some at least.
I had a similar epiphany a few years back. I wanted to be a brew master. So I found a program that would do it through correspondence and then a short apprenticeship at a brewery.
I loved it. Someday I hope to open my own brewery. Maybe one that mixes nursing and brew making. Possibly a happy hour that includes a free enema or something like that.
opps, sorry dave. i forgot that i had just deleted cookies in my quest to become better at maintaining my computer. (i should delete them from my diet too but that’s another story.)
@Laughingattheslut
I have always been a computer geek, so the interest has always been there. I’m just trying to back it up with willpower now.
@Heather
Playing them and writing them is hugely different. I’d love to get good enough to start making money writing them.
@Killer
Nurse n’ brew. I can see that. You nurse your drink, we’ll nurse your body…
Okay, I’m almost finished with that post, and I expect to post it tomorrow. I didn’t post that today because I decided to post the Terminator thing instead.
Post is done.
@Laughingattheslut
Good post. Very amusing to me especially because I was something of a star with the geeks at the radio shack that played chess, etc. because I could beat the computer on the higher levels.
I have to say the wife and I like the new Terminator series too.
he’s been dabbling in it for a while now, learning as he goes. mainly with his wofenstien game. he has two servers for the game. one public and one he’s been messing with to change how the game is played and the appearance.
Ahhh Radio Shack. The battery of the month Club and Dave beating the crap out of the chess program. Of course chess programs have evolved a bit since then.
@Heather
Hey Wolfenstien was the bomb way back when. Hope he keeps at it.
@Paul
That a challenge bitch? I believe my record against you was above 50% in the win column por moi.
(I would only accept a live online game not a game by mail)