News | 15 August 2024
In 2017, Ian Smith was 40 and was working full time in retail in his hometown of Hereford – where he had been since leaving school at the age of 16.
But when the classical record shop he had worked at shut down, Ian found himself at a crossroads. Through pure coincidence, Ian ended up applying to the
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Design & Development course at Cardiff Metropolitan University through Clearing. Fast forward just a few years and Ian is now teaching that same course.
Ian, now 47, said: “I had always enjoyed gaming and coding. My dad was very forward thinking and bought the family a computer in 1981 – this is where my passion for discovering a skill for coding first started. During my free time, I would spend evenings creating my own games. It was my hobby outside of work, what I hadn’t realised, is that it would lead me to what has now become my career!”
When the retail shop Ian had worked at closed in 2017, he knew it was time for a change. However, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do to next.
Ian continued: “I hadn’t planned to go to university, however during an evening of creating the game I was working on at the time, I stumbled across a coding issue which led me to a forum to get some advice and help. It was here that I discovered another person who was currently doing a gaming degree.
“I didn’t even know that gaming was something you could go to university to learn about. Discovering that I could improve my knowledge of gaming and potentially make a career from it was a lightbulb moment for me.”
Ian decided to get in touch with the course leader on the
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Design & Development at Cardiff Met in July 2017. It was during these discussions that he discovered he would need to apply to university through Clearing.
Clearing is another method of application through UCAS, which starts on 5 July 2024 and runs through to the end of September. It allows students who have not yet applied through UCAS, perhaps didn’t get the grades they expected or have changed their mind and decided to go to university at a later date, to still be able to apply.
Coming to university as a mature student, has been a blessing for Ian, who used his years working in retail and life experience gained from this to enhance his university experience and help other students – also becoming a student coach for the Cardiff School of Technologies to help others, and be able to earn some extra money during his studies and after graduating.
“Since those initially conversations with the course leader at Cardiff Met, everything in my life has now changed. I had planned to set up a computer games company when I graduated, however during my studies I got involved with the student coaching at Cardiff Met and this led to me supporting students and being able to network with lecturers across the School – discovering a passion for teaching.
“It was from here, that I was encouraged to apply for the Associate Tutor position when it became available after I graduated. Through the encouragement of my peers, I have since gone on to teach on the course that I studied on.”
Since graduating in 2021, Ian has become a Cardiff Met lecturer on the
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Design & Development while also doing his PhD.
Offering advice to other mature students who may be reconsidering what they would like to do next, Ian said: “Look and see what’s out there, what would you like to know more about? Then consider your interests and explore them. Passion and enthusiasm are the greatest things you can bring with you to any new opportunity in life, this will also help get other people fired up as well. I can’t imagine what I would be doing now if I hadn’t gone back to university.”
Further advice on
Clearing and how to apply is available on the Cardiff Metropolitan University website.
