New 'exciting and fun' Nottingham College esports course 'is not just gaming'
Fans of video games can now turn their passion into a career as Nottingham College has launched its new eports course boasting top-of-the-line facilities. Those wishing to break into the fast-paced world of competitive gaming can now get their Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications from the college's City Hub.
But the course isn't just about gaming, helping students take a deep dive into the booming industry and teaching them transferable skills that they can use in a variety of career options. The brand-new classroom has been kitted out with cutting-edge equipment such as state-of-the-art monitors, professional gaming chairs and neon lighting.
This enables students to come together and immerse themselves in the world of gaming. Student Joshua Wynn, 18 and from Arnold, discovered his passion for esports at a young age.
He said: "I've been playing video games as a distraction from the world. I love games because I'm very competitive and I hate losing. I used to feel quite left out before but now that I'm surrounded by people who share similar interests, it's really good.
"It's exciting, it's fun, and it's different because you don't know what's going to happen next. You also have more responsibility than in a secondary school because you're treated like an adult, not a child."
Student Ryan Nicholson, 16 and from St Ann's, also started gaming at a young age. He said: "I was about five-years-old and I've always wanted to prove my mum wrong and show her that you can actually make a difference in the world and it's not just playing games.
"I chose Nottingham College because other colleges didn't have what I was interested in. It's still very early days so I'm not sure what I'll do after finishing the course but I'm thinking about the business side of e-sports. This course will be a good start anyway."
The course, which launched this September, has been met with a great uptake, with the Level 2 course currently having all 18 available places filled, while the Level 3 course only has five vacant spots. Greg Naika-Taylor, Nottingham College esports lecturer, said: "A lot of youngsters are really interested in content creation, live streaming and video games.
"We tie all those things together and look at how they could develop their own brand and skills. Although we cover all the bases of the e-sports industry, all the skills are transferable.
"Students might be interested in esports now, but when they finish college or even university, they might not feel the same way. But they will have all those skills that are transferable to other industries like media, the music industry, television or marketing.
"I'm sure most of our students will continue their careers in esports, but if they don't, they will have opportunities in other places." Students will look at skills and strategies, as well as the psychological impact stress and anxiety can have on a player.
The business side of the industry will also be explored, including how to set up an esports enterprise and what entrepreneurial skills are necessary to build that. Another plus side of the course, Mr Naika-Taylor says, is the fact that the students are assessed through assignments only.
He said: "There are no exams. For the foundation diploma, there are seven assignments, while for the extended diploma in the second year, there are eight more assignments. It's a checkmark on the plus side for us because sometimes we get learners who are excellent but they just can't pass their exams."
The new facilities totalled £140,000, with the monitors benefiting from the highest refresh rates on the market. Mr Naika-Taylor explained: "We really splashed out to get the best monitors with the highest refresh rates because, in esports, fidelity and clarity aren't the most important.
"What really matters is how quickly that refreshes on the monitor because when you get to the highest level, those split seconds can make the difference."