Galuwa graduate Jack Cooper is creating videogames at UTS
Jack Cooper: from Galuwa to gaming
Bachelor of Science in Games Development student and Galuwa grad Jack Cooper. Image: Amos Wong.
After attending the Galuwa Engineering and IT Experience, Jack Cooper knew what he wanted to do in the future. “I’m hugely into videogames and have a massive games library,” he says. Jack is now in his third year of a Bachelor of Science in Games Development degree. “Talking to people during Galuwa week and finding out what courses were available at UTS steered me in this direction.”
It was a big move from his hometown Grenfell, but Jack was thankful for UTS’s friendly and open atmosphere. As well as a scholarship, the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research provided essential living supports.
“When I first got here, they really helped me land on my feet.” Jumbunna continues to help with study space, contacts for work experience opportunities, and general support. “You can talk to anyone there and they’ll point you in the right direction.”
Videogames and more
The degree equips students with skills that lead to videogames and other careers, Jack comments. As well as developing a 2D platform shooting game early on during the course, he studied a range of IT and business-related subjects.
Fast forward to this past semester, Jack collaborated with a team to create a top-down shooting game. “I enjoyed making it; the previous game was the first I'd ever worked on. Having that experience, I was able to put a lot of effort into this one.” The software and programming language used for creating games are also useful for developing applications for mobile devices, he notes. Other subjects also have broader uses.
I’ve been learning about agile development—how to develop a game, manage a team and communicate—which is applicable to any project. I've also learnt to work with databases, which is a common in a lot of IT jobs. There have been many business subjects that help with public speaking and interviews.
Building networks
As well as becoming friends with classmates, UTS social clubs provided opportunities to meet people with similar interests. The EGG: The Gamers Guild holds weekly events as well as competitions, movie and trivia nights. “I knew the president of EGG; he convinced me to go and I made a bunch of friends there.”
Thanks to UTS events like the Student Games Showcase, Jack has met industry representatives and gained a better insight into job opportunities available in Australia. Looking forward, he’s excited about a project with a team of friends next semester.
We’ll work on a game that is already part way in development, but we aim to take it to market by the end of semester. So this task will go beyond just having a finished game and a report at the end.
