Since I know everyone is dying to know more about what kind of system HAL uses for academics, this post will be devoted to talking about the basics of my academic life as a first year student. It should be noted that while the general process is the same from year to year, the specifics such as classes and even class groupings can change year to year as the staff at HAL tweak it in order to help give students the best educational experience possible. (more…)
So, it’s been a little over a week since school started. It both is, and isn’t, what I expected. Having gone through various types of schools — typical K - 12 American schooling, university in Canada, and finally Japanese language school — I have experienced a range of approaches to teaching. HAL has incorporated elements from all of those so far, as well as adding its own unique style in the process. (more…)
Back in November of 2006 when I was still trying to decide the path I wanted to take to get into the industry, feminist game blogger Guilded Lily, aka. Lisa Laughy, announced that she was going to Guild Hall:
I am very pleased to announce that I have been accepted into the Masters of Interactive Technology, Art Creation Specialization, at The Guildhall at SMU. In January I will begin a two year intensive program to learn everything I need to know (but was afraid to ask) about how to create art assets for the digital games industry.
Only a few weeks after starting the program, however, did she realize that “intensive” was synonymous with “takes all your time and then some”. Under the guise of preparing students for work environments, the program’s boot camp-like environment was not flexible enough to allow Lisa to deal with unexpected personal problems while still being able to keep up with school. She has written about her experiences both on GameCareerGuide.com (I Am a Game School Dropout) and on her blog (Game School Dropout: Whining 101). (more…)
