Introduction

Over the past few years, the academic world finally caught on to students' growing interests in the game industry. Game design programs are burgeoning in schools across America, however, many more traditional schools have a hard time changing. Students at schools lacking a game design major find themselves at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in game design-focused programs.

Disadvantage or not, having a game industry-focused education is much more than having a game design major. Here are a few tips to help those students in more traditional program make the most of their education.

Tip 1: Find a Niche

This is probably the single most important part about being in school. Seek out those interested in game design at your school, be part of that community, and stand out. This will be the group that educates, motivates and collaborates with you as you progress. These will also be the people most likely to help you into the industry.

Do not underestimate the power of networking. If an industry recruiter happens to come to your school, they will want professors in relevant fields to recommend their top students. You want to make sure that those professors give out your name. If someone you know makes it into the industry and they happen to know of openings at their company, you want to make sure that you are the first person they think of.

Make sure that you get to know the faculty interested in game design. If your school is lucky enough to have a game design course, then you already have a professor as well as a community of students to look to. Otherwise, don't be afraid to ask around in various departments for professors who take interest in game design. Computer science is probably the first place to start looking. Professors specializing in AI, graphics, and human computer interaction naturally work with game-related topics in their research, but don't limit yourself. The multidisciplinary nature of game design sparks interests in fields such as information sciences, psychology, communications, art, film, electrical engineering, sociology and music.