A passion for Games Development leads William to UWTSD
William Baker, from Llandysul in Ceredigion, is graduating today with a BSc in Computing (Games Development).
The former Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron pupil says that he has always been very passionate about computing and programming and was intent on a career in the field. Now, thanks to the University he is working on a project to train robots using NVIDIA Isaac, a robot development platform and is thoroughly enjoying the experience.
He says: “I’ve always wanted to develop video games of my own, and UWTSD felt like a perfect fit for me to further my skills. The Games Development course not only covered programming, but also 3D programming with OpenGL as well as working with game engines such as Unreal Engine 5, making it perfect for someone who wants to be a game developer”.
It wasn’t just the course that convinced William to apply to UWTSD through Clearing, he was also drawn to the SA1 Waterfront campus in Swansea and UWTSD’s approach to learning.
He explains: “I applied through Clearing because, at the time, I wasn’t particularly sure what I wanted to do with my life. I had actually gone to a university before, but I dropped out in the first year, mainly because I just wasn’t particularly happy with myself and doubted that university was for me”.
“After talking to some people, I decided to try again, and go to a new university. However, I had just passed the main deadline for applying once I had finally decided. Thanks to the Clearing process, though, I was still able to go, and it allowed me to get my degree! It just shows it’s never too late to decide what to do!”
He continues: “The clearing process was a breeze. Applying through UCAS was easy, and the University was very helpful when I called to ask questions.”
Having decided to gain a degree William threw himself into his studies in order to develop his skills, particularly programming languages and using game development tools/APIs, but also to broaden his skills in other areas such as networking or agile working.
The hands-on approaches to many of the modules made them more enjoyable and fun and a highlight was to learn about game development through the years by getting to play old game consoles, as well as code a 3D application along with a lecturer in real time.
William says that the course also helped him to meet a lot of new people and make new friends, and although he sometimes struggled with his mental health he credits his lecturers and friends for encouraging and supporting him. He says: “At many times I felt like giving up again or I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I sometimes felt quite stressed due to assignments and I didn’t think I’d ever get my degree. But thanks to support from my lecturers and friends, I was able to push through and I made it to the end. And I’m very happy I did!”
He continues: “If you are passionate about game development, 3D rendering, programming, or just computing in general, I’d definitely recommend this course. It gives you a lot of opportunities to learn new skills and become the aspiring developer.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot thanks to this course, not just in terms of broadening and honing my skill set, but as a person too. By meeting new people and fighting against hardships, I feel like it has done me a lot of good.”
William is now looking forward to beginning a Master’s degree by research at the University and hopefully moving into research and doctoral studies.
Further Information
Eleri Beynon
Head
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: e.beynon@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 01267 676790