My Experience at the University of Bolton

My experience studying Games Design at the University of Bolton was phenomenal. Ever since I started the foundation course, the lecturers helped build up my skills and helped me discover any hidden talent that I didn’t even realize I had. Now I’m using these talents and skills in a job in the games industry I was able to secure before I even graduated.

Before I enrolled as a game’s student at the University of Bolton, I was a law student at a different university. Having no skills with programming, modelling or design, this seemed to be a massive obstacle that I thought I’d have before I enrolled. But as I kept talking to my lecturers, studying and participating in various game jam events at the university, I noticed my own strengths and my flaws. With various bits of help (university lecturers, guest lecturers, my own research etc.) I was able to polish my strengths and improve any area that showed my flaws. Even though now I’m working as a Technical Designer in the industry, I’m still utterly grateful for the lecturers. They even helped me with my job searches and recommended me to the company I’m currently working for. Without their help, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. It’s not every day you hear someone say, “I got a job before graduation”, especially in an industry that is incredibly hard to get into. I’m so happy, and humbled, to receive this opportunity whilst studying in the university.

Since I have always been that person that couldn’t stop smiling even if their life depended on it, I was able to create a bond with my lecturers that prevented me from seeing them as just my everyday teachers, I saw them as friends and people I can genuinely talk to, have a laugh and just have fun with. As this bond kept improving as the years went on, I started adding in the extra effort that I didn’t even know I could muster, I found it much more comfortable asking for help whenever I needed it and I just trusted everything they told me and put it into practice. I’d be honest, there were some university modules that as a student I felt like and said to myself “why am I being taught this”, “this is going to be useless when I get a job” “I shouldn’t even bother with this”. Now that I’m in the industry, I now know very differently, that there is no such thing as a “useless” module.

Before it feels like I’m writing another literature review, I’m just wrap it up by saying that I’m sincerely grateful for studying under great lecturers, studying in such a good facility at the university, grateful for all of the events that the university provided, grateful for being that stepping stone I needed to press on with my life and grateful for pushing my passion to the uppermost limit until I found a place in the industry. I just want to say, Thanks.

Stephen Ogbeiwi

Games Graduate