"The experience has taught me more about what the workplace will actually be like, not just what was covered in class."
Finn Nicod (T-Level)
Finn Nicod
Academic Background: Digital Production, Design and Development T-Level @ St Thomas More (Gateshead)
Industrial Placement: 130 hours with PROTOGÉ (Gateshead) + 182 hours with I N F I N I T Y 27 (Gateshead)
Areas of Interest: Unreal Engine Blueprint Visual Scripting; Backend Development; SCRUM Master.
Challenge
“The main thing was thinking if this is what I wanted to do, I was very unsure which direction I wanted to go in. Making sure this is what I wanted was the goal, going in and just trying to see what things are like really. I felt like I hadn't really done enough in school to be confident in programming. I expected to have to learn a lot of different things but this wasn't the case and it was applying my existing knowledge in new ways.”
Outcome
“I feel like everything I’ve started and put my mind to I’ve been able to achieve with a bit of help and get an actual understanding of what things do within the game engine. There has been some form of challenge with each of the tasks (design, code, bug fixing), I found it was useful to have the knowledge and understanding even when the task/fix was simple. I enjoyed taking on a leadership role, and more than anything I felt I could learn more than if I wasn't leading, as I got the understanding of all the roles combined and how the big idea comes together in practice.”
Impact
“Learning the fundamentals in practice on a project was pivotal in reaching an understanding. Especially since before the placement I didn't have any real idea if this is what I wanted to do, now that I’ve experienced it I’ve become more open to the industry. I’ve really enjoyed it and am thinking it is something I want in my future. I feel like I have developed as a programmer and know more now but one of the main skills learnt came from management role, communication and planning which I’ve learnt is key. This is something I wasn’t able to do in a simulated classroom setting as the real world scenario with the live project gives the opportunity to explore my management potential.”