Me, Myself and I
I am a Computer Games Development student and am currently in my third year of the I.T.Carlow Computer Games Development course. I deeply enjoy computer games, logic puzzles, problem solving and being proved wrong (That means I've learned something).
I competed in the Irish Collegiate Programming Contest in both first and second year. In this, I was part of a three person team, composed of myself, Carl Lange and Ciaran McCann.
I love technology and have a huge interest in developing for mobile platforms. I have recently completed my second release title, "Astro Bacon", for Windows Phone 7. It is available on the App Hub now.
I also blog about my experiences developing on Flax.ie on the rare occasion that I am not swamped with college work.
Background
I have always loved creating useable things from what seems like nothing. As a child, I would always take everything apart to "fix" it. Then in my teenage years I actually started creating things. In 2003 I attended a Summer Engineering course in DCU which was run by The Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland. Here I had to envision and create solutions to a variety of problems, in both team and individual situations.
I then became interested in computer modification and wood crafts. The interest in wood crafts and a desire to earn money led me to an apprenticeship in Klimmek & Henderson Furniture, where I manufactured and restored bespoke furniture. Due to a shortage of work during the downturn, I was made redundant.
It was then that I decided to join my love of technology with my passion for creation and started on the road to becoming a Computer Games Developer.
The Course
The course in Carlow is extremely tough but extremely rewarding. We get to use an array of technologies and are encouraged to push the boundaries at every opportunity. There are regular guest lectures by leading industry experts and the course itself is held in high regard by many businesses in the industry. The course focuses heavily on creating top quality programmers with a great deal of emphasis on physics and graphics development.
Skill Areas
C++, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript, Ogre3D, XNA, PhysX, OpenGL, Agile & Iterative Development, SQL, XML, HTML, UML, CSS, Mobile development and others.