Meet Harsh
Computer Game Engineering MSc
Hi, I’m Harsh. I’m from Nagpur, India. While searching for Master’s degrees, many courses caught my eye, including courses in the UK and USA. Ultimately, I chose to study at Newcastle University because of its higher quality of education and better employment opportunities.
The main factor that made me chose Newcastle University was the course itself. I read about it online and learned from course alumni that they have gone on to work for different games studios in the UK.
Out of all the universities I looked at, Newcastle stood out as it offered a highly-ranked course in the game development field in the UK that employers always have an eye on – that was very appealing for me.
First impressions of Newcastle
The application process for my course was straightforward, and I received the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship.
One of the first things I noticed about Newcastle was how beautiful the campus is. Everything you might need is accessible, including the Students’ Union, shops, and the Student Pantry. It’s also easy to access the Robinson Library, which is a short walk from the centre of campus.
I was surprised at the diversity of Newcastle - there are lots of students from all over the world studying here, and it is easy to make friends.
My peers on my course are very friendly, and always helpful when I have a question or need assistance. I've also checked out the Game Dev Society at NUSU to meet other students who are into game development.
I've enjoyed getting to know how things work under the hood as a computer game engineer.
My course is well curated, and the lecturers are highly knowledgeable in the subject. The course’s advisory board is full of gaming companies that lead the industry, and the coursework is constantly changed around that to make sure we graduate with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills.
I will be doing a placement with my degree, although I haven't decided whom to work with yet.
Branching out
My course is fast-paced and requires a lot of self-study, so I do not get much time to spend on other things. However, I set aside time to visit some places outside of Newcastle not long after I arrived here, such as Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Whitby, Goathland, and hiking trips to the Lake District and Scotland.
I have also been to places like Chillingham Castle, the idyllic Wallington National Trust, and on a Durham City trip organised by NUSU’s Give it a Go Activities. I have enjoyed the experience so far here in Newcastle, and it was worth it to see more of the UK and Scotland before my course picked up the pace.
Preparing for the future
Although I’m busy with my course right now, I've thought about what I want to do after I graduate.
It’s early right now, and I have a lot of coursework and assignments to finish, but I will be utilising the winter holidays to work on personal projects. My dream project – that I have been planning for three years now – is to start an organisation to help homeless people. I will start that as soon as I get my first job, and I wish to start it from here in Newcastle.
I also want to use the skills I learned at Newcastle University to work on my own game. I plan to work as a gameplay programmer until I am financially stable and have enough resources to work on my own project.
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