Tom Martin
DeVry campus: Phoenix
Degree program: Game & Simulation Programming
Expected graduation: Spring 2009
Why DeVry?
Two years ago, in my second to last year at another college as a microbiology major, I was dating a girl and was getting serious about her. But she believed that I would never amount to anything because of all the time I spent playing video games, so she broke up with me. After that, ironically, I saw the DeVry commercial about the new Game and Simulation Programming major, and decided to switch majors and schools. My father ran into the girl in the supermarket recently and told her. Her jaw dropped.
An intimate learning environment.
After attending a state university for two years, the thing I like best about DeVry is the small class size and one-on-one faculty interactions. Here you are on a first name basis with your professors. They know everything about you and you know everything about them. It’s a much friendlier place.
A college experience in line with my goals.
When you choose a college, it should fit who you are and what you like. Some like big-university life; they pick a party school to get away from home and have a good time. I want to get the most out of what I’m paying for, so I would advise choosing a college based on your goals in life.
Tremendous flexibility to fit my needs.
The online courses here are well organized and structured, and they give you the flexibility you may need. After I decided to switch schools, I was working full-time as an assistant manager at a Dairy Queen to make money so I could afford to move. For three months, January to March 2006, I took accelerated classes online at DeVry and also took three courses at a community college. But it was worth it. I will graduate with the first Game & Simulation Programming (GSP) class in fall of 2009.
Because of the move, financial aid does not cover all my expenses. I took out bank loans. Work-study grants are based on income, and I made too much last year at Dairy Queen to qualify for work-study this year. In six months I will qualify.
Inspiring professors with practical know-how.
All my DeVry professors are great, very knowledgeable. I’ve got one 30-year-old professor who knows everything there is to know about video games. Another professor has done 3D artwork and animation for games. The faculty knows the students’ goals and ambitions. One of my teachers is doing fund-raising to take us to San Diego to visit gaming software labs. He has many connections in the industry.
A great place for gamers!
To relax I go out to the swimming pool in my apartment complex and enjoy the Arizona heat. The 30 GSP students have barbecues and play volleyball. It is very easy to make friends here; with the small classes you get to know people very quickly. I had a good group of friends within two weeks of getting to campus and now I am moving in with four other guys who all have the same goals and interests.
Help to find the perfect home.
A guy who used to work as a corporate relocation manager has just started a student-housing department for DeVry, as he has for other colleges. Previously you would have to get your own apartment, but now he covers all that. He finds rentals, makes the arrangements, and matches the students up to the apartments.
On the path to a gaming career.
I used to work for DeVry, helping with recruiting. Recently I accepted a managerial position at GameStop, a video game retailer, in Phoenix. The store knows they have to work around my class times. I have two days a week with no classes.
Also I check in with DeVry Career Services from time to time. They are constantly looking for internship opportunities that apply to your major. The longer-established majors have more internships available, of course, but there are some already in GSP. After I graduate, I hope to work for Square Enix, known for its fantasy games. To be hired, you have to have two years of Japanese, so I am looking for language courses now.
Support—now and in the future.
DeVry Career Services will do anything and everything to help you get a job in your chosen field, and not just when you graduate. You can come back 20 years later and they’ll do the same. DeVry’s graduation rates and placement rates are excellent.
The best part: A solid foundation for success.
I strongly recommend DeVry to anyone interested in the business and technical aspects of the industries they cover. I think the DeVry courses are better than you would get by going to a major university in the same field of study. The books are all up-to-date; there’s nothing over three years old, no raggedy old textbooks. And the professors really know what’s going on in the fields they teach and what employers are looking for.
