Thomas Ashcroft

What first interested you in a Games degree? 

I have been playing games as long as I can remember either on the first home computers or as I progressed on consoles and PC’s. Over time the graphics and general gameplay has  

developed incredibly however my understanding of what went into developing a game was non-existent. 

When I was looking at another career after redundancy from work I knew if I wanted to change pathways then whatever I chose would need to grab my interest and keep me motivated to succeed however I was a little nervous as I had been out of education for a number of years and my previous interactions with teachers had not always been positive. 

I originally went for an open day at Leeds City College and had a chat with one of the tutors there who very kindly talked with me for well over an hour, missing a team meeting with his colleagues as he deemed having a chat with a potential student was more important. 

I was impressed with what we discussed and enrolled on an Access course in game development hoping to look at 3D art initially. Over the course of that year I was impressed with a number of the tutors including the programming tutor who always had time for questions no matter how long they took.  

What were your career aspirations when choosing this degree? 

I was looking for another pathway and knew that I would need to learn other skills and abilities to potentially gain future employment. I did think about other careers but had an interest in art and computers and wondered how people actually made the characters, world, etc in the games industry. 

In reality going back to College was me putting a toe in the water to see if anything had changed and to see if I could actually learn new skills. 

Why did you choose University Centre Leeds? 

Whilst on the Access course we had a number of visitors from different universities and the visitor from University Centre Leeds was the one I resonated with the most after he explained the course structure, number of students, support system etc. However, I am someone who likes to check things out before committing fully so requested a visit to the University to discuss options with the then head of department. If I thought my original meeting with one of the teachers from college was impressive then that was nothing compared to this meeting. I can say hand on heart that he was not only informative, genuine, sincere and reassuring but also one of the best people I have ever met in my life and a definite pleasure to have him as one of my tutors for three years whilst on the course. 

What aspects of the course did you enjoy the most?

Again, originally I was going to look into 3D art as my main focus however, towards the end of the first year at University I changed focus to game developer as this covered a number of aspects of the game industry such as programming in both C++ and using blueprints in Unreal Engine as well as 3D art, Visual effects, etc. At the time programming was still very new to me. I had done a little in college using C++ however I really enjoyed learning new skills and problem solving which came with programming. 

If I had to choose one aspect of the course which made it stand out for me then I would have to say the time, patience, and understanding from all the tutors on the course. Yes they are there to teach but they also showed continuous encouragement to all the students and came across as human beings which motivated me to look into teaching. 

What was your favourite project you worked on at University Centre Leeds? 

That's actually difficult to say as a number of projects were enjoyable and being relatively new to learning I just wanted to learn as much as possible whether that be the theory of why games designers do things i.e. to keep the player playing or learning how to make visual effects and materials. Overall the skills I learnt combined so that I was able to design and build games from nothing to simple playable games whether that be a couple of levels of a survival horror game in Unity or a multiplayer fighting game in Unreal Engine.  

Which skills do you think you developed during your time on the course? 

Numerous including programming skills, improved 3D art skills, problem solving, workflow, understanding theory, time management ( i.e multiple projects to work on and complete), writing skills, employment skills, how to promote your work and never to be underestimated is working with others as part of a team to complete a game to a deadline.  

Did you receive any support from your tutors during university that helped you succeed? 

Yes, definitely as mentioned previously during my time at other schools or colleges, I didn't feel that I was looked at other than being there to make up the numbers whilst here even before day one you are listened to, acknowledged and made to feel part of the University. 

I recognised almost immediately that if you had an issue with your work, say programming for example then you could ask either the tutors for advice on a one to one basis or you could also speak to others in the years above for help and they would help. The course itself seems to breed this support system for all almost unconsciously. We all see the tutors supporting us so in turn we want to help others ourselves and this continues throughout the course.  

What led you to transition from games into teaching? 

After the college Access course and the experience I had there I thought about wanting to go into teaching; however, the positive experience I had at University cemented this for me and nothing has changed that thought.

The above is the primary reason I wanted to do my teacher training here so that the skills, knowledge and experience I had here can help others. I’m a firm believer that everyone should have a good and positive experience in higher education and want to do my part to make this happen.

How did your degree prepare you for entering the games industry/teaching sector? 

My degree opens up a number of opportunities in other industries other than just games or teaching mainly due to transferable skills such as technical experience ( programming ), staying on top of the latest technology, teamwork collaboration, project management, communication (networking), organisational skills, problem solving, creative thinking, adaptability, presentation skills and decision making under pressure. 

What advice would you give to students currently studying games or considering it? 

People seem to think that we play games all day on a games course but, unfortunately that isn't the case. There is a lot to learn and in this industry you need to keep learning to keep yourself updated so master the basics and then go further.  

Have an understanding about game theory and player psychology as this is important for any game design.  

Keep your portfolio up to date with the very best of your work.  

Network and keep working on your soft skills whenever possible so go to events or gaming nights. 

Try and stay enthusiastic about why you are doing this course, have a goal set and work towards it even when the going gets tough. 

Always remember that when someone is giving feedback to you it is a learning experience based upon your work and not on you as a person. Feedback is crucial for us all to expand our knowledge and abilities. 

And lastly, know that if you work hard you can do this too.