As I mentioned before, I enrolled in the Degree in Videogames Design and Development this past September.

This decision came after losing my job, with the goal of completing my studies as quickly as possible. That’s why I enrolled in 90 credits—the equivalent of one and a half academic years.

Now that the first semester is nearing its end, and the looming exams are on the horizon, I want to review the courses I’m taking, what I’ve learned, and my overall experience.

Returning to student life at this age feels strange, I won’t lie. However, the experience has been generally positive, largely due to the online format.

I’m studying at UNIR, the International University of La Rioja, which brands itself as “The Online University.” This was a key factor in my decision. Online classes, no pressure to attend in person, and no daily commute were major pluses.

There’s a lot of material, many activities, and it’s very much a “do-it-yourself” approach. This can be a drawback for some, but for people accustomed to being independent and self-sufficient, like myself, I think it’s ideal. I suspect this is the target demographic for these types of online universities.

Regarding the courses, I have seven this semester—two more than usual. They are quite varied and, I’d say, very general. I get the sense that they’re trying to cover a little bit of many areas, making the program a good entry point to the world of video games, but not necessarily a direct entry point into the industry professionally.

Let me explain. I know I want to stay in the technical side—development (within development, I’m open to AI, gameplay, etc.) and/or management/production. But I don’t think this program will fully resolve doubts for those who aren’t entirely sure what they want to do.

Why? Because there are courses covering many different areas. This semester, I’m taking:

• Introduction to Game Design
• 2D Design
• Drawing for Video Games
• Game Engines 1
• Ethical and Legal Issues in Video Games
• Sound and Music for Video Games
• Game Devices

They all seem interesting, and they are, but they don’t delve deeply into any one area. They offer a taste of each—basic programming in Unity, learning to draw in 2D, basic 2D animation, some audio editing… but nothing in-depth. That’s why I feel it’s difficult for someone to really specialize in something through this program alone.

But again, for me, it’s sufficient. I’m not learning much new technically, but I am learning in other areas, and some of it is already proving useful for creating my own assets, sounds, etc. Even the more theoretical and historical courses are giving me a temporal perspective on the industry that I didn’t have before.

Also, even though I know I won’t be an artist, it’s cool to see that I can finally draw, animate, and understand a bit more about the reasoning behind certain artistic decisions.

As I mentioned, it’s very much a “do-it-yourself” experience. One minor criticism is that for the price of the program, some aspects leave something to be desired. The number of classes and practical examples is limited. And some, depending on the professor, are not very good. This reinforces what I said earlier: if you’re already resourceful, you can achieve the same results with the course material and YouTube videos. That’s when you realize you’ve paid a lot for something you could learn on your own. So, you’re really paying for the final degree.

Balancing classes, activities, work, and the rest of my life is challenging. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, and other times I’m highly motivated. The option to drop a course is always there… but then I wouldn’t achieve my goal of finishing as soon as possible.

The plan is to complete the program in a year and a half (the maximum enrollment period), and I’ve also had 60 credits transferred, which is equivalent to another year. Truthfully, I’ve gotten rid of the worst courses (math, physics, beginner programming, databases…). Things that I either already know or wouldn’t particularly enjoy studying again. Therefore, if everything goes as planned, I’ll have completed two and a half years of the program by July.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to maintain this pace next year and finish the program in two years. It all depends on my employment situation then.

As for the exams, they’re coming up at the end of February—seven exams in five days. We’ll see what happens, but I think everything will be fine. For now, I’m focusing on keeping up with the classes and activities, and when February comes, I’ll buckle down and study and practice.

Well, this has been a somewhat quick post, writing down the first things that came to mind. Always in a hurry. When the exams are over, I’ll do a recap. I’ll talk about whether I passed or not, and I’d like to discuss what I’ve actually learned that I can apply and showcase some of my work.

For now, onwards! Until next time!