Maria Camenzuli

Why did you decide to study at Abertay?

At the time I decided to study Computer Games Technology at Abertay, I had been programming professionally for four years, but not in the games industry. However, programming games has always been my dream, so I decided to try and see if I could find a Masters course that would help adapt my existing programming skills for the games industry. I found out about Abertay through my own online research, and I quickly found that the university has a fantastic track record with games development education and has strong ties to the industry.

What were the highlights of your time at the university?

I really liked the fact that I got to meet, work with, and learn from people who are truly passionate and deeply knowledgable about games and games development. Apart from the wonderful teaching staff, my classmates and I also got to hear from various industry professionals who frequently came to speak at the university. As someone coming from Malta, I also really liked living in Dundee. Scotland in general is absolutely beautiful and there is so much to explore.

What’s next for you?

Sometime late last year, I was made aware of a UK-wide games development competition for students called Search for a Star that I was eligible to enter. The organisers came to the university to give a talk about it. I signed up, and it turned out to be the best decisions I've made during my time as a student, because I went on to get called for multiple interviews with various games development companies who had seen my work through the competition. The interviews turned into job offers, and I ended up accepting a job as a software engineer at Boss Alien, a games development studio based in Brighton, all before I had even finished my course at Abertay. I have been, and will be for the foreseeable future, working on an awesome new Star Wars game.

What’s your long term ambition?

That's a difficult question! I'm still new to games development, and I certainly feel like I have a lot to learn. So I guess I hope to continuously keep learning and growing as a software engineer. I would also like to see if I can contribute something unique to the games industry, as someone who comes from an enterprise software development background in different industries.

What advice do you have for future students here?

You will be presented with a lot of opportunities as a student, whether it is in the form of access to various learning opportunities, or eligibility to take part in competitions that can get your work reviewed by industry professionals. Take them! Trust me, you have nothing to lose, and absolutely everything to gain.