DigiPen Institute of Technology Top Questions

If I could go back in time and offer any advice to myself, it would be to take more time selecting a school, and not be pressured into making any decision that doesn’t feel right, because that nagging doubt will follow you. Take the time to investigate schools thoroughly, ask yourself about the kind of person you are, and how that fits with the reputation of the schools you are interested in. Do some research into what your major is good for, and decide if you could actually see yourself in those careers. Undecided? Think about jobs you’d love to have and find the major that leads there. Think about your hobbies/interests, how they would help you in a working world, and see if they lead you towards a major and school. If you pick something that doesn’t fit, you CAN start over, but you probably won’t want to. It may seem like a massive pressure to make such a decision so young, but you can do anything with the proper research and knowledge, so don’t shy away just because it seems like work. Life is work, being prepared is your greatest ally.

Practice good study habits and prioritizing now, before you graduate high school. It will make the transition much easier. Be prepared that you may need to take a step back from extracurricular activities in order to focus on school. If you are unsure of your career goal, or just aren't ready to take academics seriously, don't be afraid to take a break from school for a year. Take this as an opportunity to volunteer in areas that you are interested in - you may discover that you hate something you thought you would love....or the opposite! Plan to live at home as long as you can, during your education. It may seem like more fun to move out, but it is costly and a lot of responsibilities come with it. Furthermore, adjusting to the academic responsibilities of post-secondary education is no small thing; add living independently for the first time, and it could be a little too overwhelming! Finally, don't let anyone tell you that you cannot acheive your dreams. It may take a lot more for you to get there, but if you persevere you can accomplish more than anyone - even yourself - imagined possible!

Go to an accredited art college directly after graduating from high school; or take a year to backpack across Europe prier to attending school. Once in college, take it very seriously and get your degree as soon as possible so that you may attain employment from a respectable company within the gaming industry.

I graduated high school planning to attend Nebraska Wesleyan University for music education. I was told I was going to be given scholarships and grants for a tuition of $4000 a year. But when it came time to pay the bill, they wanted $13000 a year. I couldn't afford it. I attended Metropolitan Community College for a semester and tried to go to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. I had everything set up to go in the spring of 2011 but then I was told the school of vocal music was full so I would only be genereal studies. I decided to stay at Metro for another semester and go to the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the fall of 2011. My college experience has not gone the way I've wanted it to. But I've moved on through every obstacle. I made the Dean's list at Metro for the fall quarter and will soon be on the Dean's list for the spring quarter. I'm a great student and I can't wait to start my college career off the right way so I can study to one day become a teacher myself.

Knowing what I know now, I would go back and tell myself to be ready to stop being shy. For me, an important part of going to school was learning to be outgoing. After almost three years at college, I have become a much more outgoing person, and I never expected that. It was difficult at first because I was reluctant to be outgoing, and if I had had someone to push me into it, I think it would have been a lot better for me.

The advice that I would give to myself would be, "Brian, I know you are unsure what you are want to do with your life. Don't give up or let it give you down. Give 100 percent and good things will happen to you. Take pride in everything you do. If you are unsure about what major you want then go to a community college. All the skills you are learning now will be used in the future so don't let senior slide get to you. All the hard work will pay off and will make you a well rounded person in the future."

What I have obtained from my college experience is the skills that I perceive to be necessary for a successful future. I have learned maturity, responsibility, and self-confidence. My college experience has helped me mature as a student because I have had to learn how to effectively manage my time while balancing school, work, and family obligations. College has also helped me become more responsible and self-accountable because I’ve had to initiate my own studying and learning. Finally, college has helped my confidence; I now have an assurance that I can overcome whatever challenges I am faced with, both small and great. For these reasons and more, my college experience has been extremely valuable to me and my future.

So far the college experience has been the best one I've had in my life. During public schooling I was never very social and didn't make a lot of friends are hang out with many people. But being at Digipen, because it is so specialized, so many people share my same interests. It has been so easy to make friends, to hang out with others, to do social activites we all enjoy such as online gaming and partying. I also enjoy all of the work we recieve, usually in high school I was doodling during non-art classes (we had very few actual art classes and I didn't take them because I was so focused on the core classes) but now these doodles have become my homework, and I enjoy it. I love Digipen, I couldn't have made a better choice in what college I wanted to go to. It reflects the career I hope to one day have, a career I want to enjoy just as much.

My experience at DigiPen began with a message from our President, made all the more somber by his heavy Lebenese accent, "Look to your left, now to your right. Those people, will not be there four years from now. " He continued on to say, "You will need to prove yourself here, we will not hand you a diploima, just as no company will hand you a job when you leave here. " Since then it's been two years and he was right, those who lacked passion and discipline have been lost to DigiPen's course load, late nights and, stress. I'm still here because DigiPen tested me, and I along with my classmates, we passed. Every day we're pushed to our limits, and we get through it by relying on each other and our collective knowledge. Through this teamwork, I've learned more outside of the classroom, and exceed my own expectations. Without attending DigiPen, I would be unprepared for the cooperative nature of the Games Industry. DigiPen has become an invaluable part of my identity, and I will depend on the relationships I've built here though out my career and the rest of my life.

I have gotten a school that pushes me to my extreme limits as an individual and a community of students and teachers who are just as passionate about their work as I am. At this school, I can directly learn about and be involved in my field and leave the school ready to hit the ground running and pursue my career and life goals.