Hey guys
i am currently studying computer engineering in hopes to be a game programmer and then a game designer (work up the ladder).
so i want to ask, which minor will help me more with becoming a game designer and contributing to the design team more.
I heard that a minor in creative writing is great but to be fair i know how to write good fiction without the need to actually learn it in classes.
I have been thinking about a minor in psychology ever sense i started reading Better Game Characters by Design: a Psychological Approach.
I also heard that a minor in japanese language is very helpful for working in a foreign title.
There are some computer graphics & animation courses in my college too.
So you see my mess. Any advice will be great
Thanks

Hey guys
i am currently studying computer engineering in hopes to be a game programmer and then a game designer (work up the ladder).
so i want to ask, which minor will help me more with becoming a game designer and contributing to the design team more.
I heard that a minor in creative writing is great but to be fair i know how to write good fiction without the need to actually learn it in classes.
I have been thinking about a minor in psychology ever sense i started reading Better Game Characters by Design: a Psychological Approach.
I also heard that a minor in japanese language is very helpful for working in a foreign title.
There are some computer graphics & animation courses in my college too.
So you see my mess. Any advice will be great
Thanks

Do not ask what subject or course might make a good impression on some hypothetical future employer. Rather, ask what subject or course interests you more. And if that doesn't help you decide, analyze your options and make a decision grid.

I would have to agree with Tom. I feel that taking courses that may fortify (or redirect) your interests is important to your success both in finding the 'right' career and advancement. It's funny, because I just graduated with a BA in Psychology and I am just now realizing that my passion may be more CS-related. I took one introductory programming course as an undergraduate with a friend because I thought it might be fun (my friend had to take it as a requirement), and I LOVED it. Sadly I didn't bother putting further consideration into taking more CS classes, because I thought I had my life set on a career in Human Factors Psychology or Human-Computer Interaction (a subset of Human Factors). I loved my Psychology classes. I was fascinated with everything I learned in that field (with the exception of Personality ) . Aside from the clinical and counseling branches, much of Psychology is research-based, which is something that hasn't appealed to me.

[MY RANT - you can skip this paragraph]
The research findings are awesome, but the means to get to them seem very tedious and difficult, sometimes rather frustrating, which has been my experience as a research assistant for almost 3 years. This is especially true when you're trying to do Grade-A quality research (yes, there is plenty of poorly done research). I think much of what keeps the graduate students and post-docs going are the research topics they have an invested interest and passion about. I unfortunately have yet to find my topic, which is something that's making it more difficult for me to stick with this as a career.

Just recently I've been doing some programming for the lab I work in, and it makes the day pass by so quickly. I now regret that I decided not to enroll in more CS courses, or even minor in it. As I figure what to do with my career, I contemplate whether I should have been a CS major. I'm even contemplating returning to school as an undergraduate CS major. The bottom line is that you should really try to explore avenues that interest you, because most likely it will lead you to where you truly want to go. I'll continue programming and working in my psych lab, and see where they both take me. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to combine both worlds into one gratifying and successful career. Best of luck to you!

**Hope this kind of helps, otherwise I apologize for wasting 5 minutes of your life. lol**

*EDIT* Wow...I just realized how old this post was. I think I did a search for career stuff and forgot that many of these threads could be totally outdated. My bad...