Tom Craven

What was your course like?

Computer games programming was a challenging but fun course. Being surrounded by a lot of smart lecturers and students really helped to build a good working environment. I enjoyed the C++ programming modules in the first year – I did a small amount of programming before university but what I was really needed was some directed learning. In the third year I did an industry placement module at a vehicle simulation company in London. It was great to get an extra year’s experience of programming and a taste of what working in the industry would be like. For my final year project, I created a game of asteroids that the computer learned how to play. It’s something I still play around with today.

What have you done since graduating?

I used the placement team’s help to secure an internship for my third year of university. I received a first for my degree and I think the experience I gained while working in the industry for a year was a huge factor in achieving this grade. Since then I’ve worked at Amazon, Duco and Snap Inc – the company that owns Snapchat. Each is a little different to the other and, although not games related, I’ve been able to apply what I learned at Teesside University to each job.