Classes started! Here's a rundown:
Monday: Canada doesn't do Mondays. Definitely a big perk
Tuesday: We all sat in a circle and talked about how great video games are. We went home after 30 minutes for a nap. It was exhausting.
Wednesday: Canada doesn't really do Wednesdays either.
Thursday: Formal debate about whether or not video games are the most awesome, or the most awesome. Hot topic for sure.
Friday: Ice cream party! Fridays are just Saturdays that haven't started yet.
Or at least that's what I feel like some people think I'm doing when I tell them I'm going to school for video game design. The reality is a little less silly and a lot more awesome:
Monday: Ok, but actually there were no classes on Monday. It was Labor Day.
Tuesday: Actual orientation. All the things I expected to get on orientation day we got today. All of our school supplies (including text books, art supplies, a backpack, a water bottle, an umbrella, and a really nice pair of headphones), our IDs, schedule etc etc. We got the rundown in the morning of how classes work, as well as an introduction from a few of the instructors.
I'm enrolled in 8 courses this term (terms lasting 8 weeks). Each course meets once a week for THREE HOURS. I remember labs at TU that lasted 3 hours, and that seemed like the largest measurable stretch of time humanly possible. Like, anything longer than 3 hours just becomes multiples of 3 hours (like 2 3-hours is six hours, 3 3-hours is 9 etc) because 3 hours is a long-ass time to be in class. So I learned that in the morning and promptly began sweating at the idea of remaining focused that long.
In the afternoon we had IT orientation, so we got email accounts, student portal info, and got info about the "video game labs" VFS has (cue music), which are basically just rooms with a huge collection of games to play. There's a PC lab with a VFS steam account that has all the games, and I was playing League of Legends on one of them in my off time by day 2.
In the evening from 6:30-9:30 I had my first class, Storytelling 1. We learned about the 3 act structure using mostly Mass Effect, but a few other games were mentioned as well. All around a good time.
Wednesday: We only had one class from 9-12, Pre-Production Techniques. The title's pretty self-explanatory, but basically we talk about everything that has to happen before you can begin producing a video game. Spoilers, it's a lot of paperwork, but it's kinda fun paperwork. I've been working on my first assignment for that class since we got it, and I've never been so invested in crating a single page document before. Seriously, it's not due until next Thursday, yet I've been working on it steadily every day. I fear this place may be affecting my mental health for the better. What is this?
Thursday: We had Game Production in the morning, which covers everything that happens from the inception to the launch of a video game, and Game Theory (Analog) in the evening. The latter is all about board games, which turns a lot of heads. Cathy will be the first to tell you that I'm not the biggest board game fan around, but I try to dip my toe into the "analog" world occasionally, and the reasoning behind studying them is pretty convincing. This video will explain it for those curious better than I ever could (and is a part of an amazing series on game design that I highly recommend). There's a "practical" element of this class that starts next week, which to my understanding is 3 hours of free-time to play board games.
Friday aka my descent into productivity madness: Only one morning class on Game Art. I photoshopped Steve Buscemi's eyes onto Chris Pratt. That's pretty self-explanatory I feel. Then I went home and began a weekend of hard work. That's absolutely insane to me. I can't remember the last time I did homework on a Saturday, but I worked from noon until 8ish I think? And on things that aren't due for weeks. And I have calendars on my whiteboard with all of my assignment due dates for the entire term WHO AM I?
I haven't mentioned any of the instructors in all of this, because I feel like I'd end up saying the same things 8 times, so I'll just mention it all here. The instructors are (redacted)ing phenomenal. Not only are they all extremely passionate about the things they teach, but they all worked in the industry at one time or another, and some of them still do. The reason we have night classes at all is so instructors can get off work, grab some dinner, and then come teach a bunch of kids how to do what they do. It takes a special kind of dedication to do that sort of thing, and its that sort of dedication that's teaching me. That last sentence felt appropriately cheesy enough to whip this bad boy out.
What a fantastic place I'm in.
