Hello everyone, this is my first post on the forum and first day. I happened to stumble across the site while I was at work (haha). So let me start off with some background experience. I started off learning c++ in High School making very basic programs for non gui linux. Some of my friends and my self were taking an html class for an easy A since we all had a complete grasp on HTML. However my teacher happened to of been a very experienced programmer and had a major in mathematics so we got taught C++ (she did programming on something similar to the large hadron collider made in the 80s I believe). After graduating I went to Eastern New Mexico University and began my degree in CS. Due to crazy family problems I only completed one semester. Now I am 22 and planning on going back to school in the fall. I started looking at classes at the community college close to my house (North West Vista College) and they off an Associates of Applied Science in Game Development - Game Programming Specialization. Which puts me in a weird spot. Would going straight to and Associates of Science in Computer Science be better? The curriculum for the game programming course is:
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Semester I

• ENGL 1301 - Composition I
• MATH 1314 - College Algebra
• PHIL 2303 - Introduction to Logic
• GAME 1303 - Introduction to Game Design and Development
• ITSE 1302 - Computer Programming
  Semester II
  
  • SPCH 1321 - Business and Professional Communication
  • ECON 2302 - Principles of Microeconomics or ECON 2301
  • ITSE 1307 - Introduction to C++ Programming
  • ITSE 2317 - Java Programming
  • ITSW 1307 - Introduction to Database
    Semester III
    
    • ITSE 2331 - Advanced C++ Programming
    • ITSE 2357 - Advanced Object-Oriented Programming
    • INEW 2340 - Object Oriented Design
    • GAME 1304 - Level Design
    • ITCC 1401 - Cisco Exploration 1 - Network Fundamentals
      Semester IV
      
      • GAME 2338 - Game Testing
      • ITSE 2345 - Data Structures
      • GAME 2342 - Game Development Using C++ or GAME 2344 - Direct X Programming
      • GAME 2332 - Project Development I
        <a name="semesterv" id="core_28499" style="font-size: inherit; ">Semester V
        
        • GAME 2359 - Game and Simulation Group Project
        • [/font]
          They also offer a Certificate for C++ game programming which has all of the same courses minus the general ed and half the credit hours but Semester V is an intership program instead of the game and simulation group project.
          
          Any thoughts or suggestions would be great, and just from what I have been reading on the forum I would really love to get into the gaming industry. I also know its alot of hard work to get into the field but I am no stranger to that. My dad owns a construction company who I worked for almost my whole life (Any one who has ever worked for family would know that its worse then any job they could possibly imagine). I have been messing around with modding the source engine for years (never released anything) and released a few pretty good maps for counter strike (in my own personal opinion) . Thanks again.
          
          EDIT:
          Sorry I meant to put this in the "For Beginners" section. great way to start on the forums. : )

1. this is my first post on the forum and first day.
2. I happened to stumble across the site while I was at work (haha).
3. Would going straight to and Associates of Science in Computer Science be better?
4. The curriculum for the game programming course is:
5. They also offer a Certificate for C++ game programming
6. Any thoughts or suggestions would be great,
7. Sorry I meant to put this in the "For Beginners" section. great way to start on the forums. : )

1. It would have been better if you had read and explored the forum for several days at least, before posting.
2. Nice. So you were goofing off at work. Also this is more information than you needed to give us.
3. Better than what? Certainly not better than a bachelors' degree, which is what this forum's FAQs recommend. You should read this forum's FAQs. Scroll up, click, read.
4. I don't think you should ask others to analyze school curricula for you. Especially since you never specifically and unequivocally said what game job you aspire to. Presumably you aspire to being a game programmer, but it's possible that you think that's the only type of game job there is, or that all people in the game industry have to be programmers. They don't. Read the FAQs.
5. A certificate is not as good as an associates degree. An associates degree is not as good as a bachelors degree.
6. You haven't really asked a question (except #3, which was an unclear comparative). You should ask a good question, after you've read the FAQs (including the FAQ on how to ask a good question).
7. No, this is the right place. If it was in FB, one of the moderators would have moved it here.