In this blog, I will give some in-depth advice about the New Media Design and Web Development program at BCIT. In this entry, I want to talk about Term 1 and 2 as I have finished those terms and could provide some advice on this matter.
Term 1 is largely exam based and an introduction to the program as a whole. In your first few days you will take Intro to BCIT Resources and Mac which is a pass/fail course in which all you have to do is answer some questions the instructor puts and you will pass. The first 4-5 weeks is relatively easy and light in terms of homework, things really start to pick up at the week 6 mark however. Quizzes start to take place and assignments start piling up. I would recommend doing some extra reading and review before things start getting hard in order to make life easier for yourself later on. Starting final projects early is also a good idea as you will often find that there never is enough time when it comes to this kind of stuff. Term 1 has the most exams: I had 4 and it may vary depending on who your instructors are. Always make additional supplemental notes during class and consider screen recording lessons in classes where instructors do not provide screen recordings themselves.
In regard to Term 2 it is largely assignment based. The difficulty of the term is also increased in comparison with Term 1. Creating video and audio content will take up a lot of your time so I would advise future students and students that are currently in Term 1 and 2 to make ample time for recording video and audio. Web Scripting 1 is also a step up from Overview of Web Technologies and involves JavaScript so I would prepare for this by reading books on this scripting language ahead of time.
I will post more about this program as I finish different aspects of it. For now, I hope you found this Term 1 and 2 advice post informative.
Term 3 consists of a few exams, and lots of portfolio work. If you intend on becoming a Web Developer I suggest hand coding most of your website as that will be beneficial when potential employers evaluate your portfolio and decide whether or not to hire you when you have completed the program. Project Management is a rigourous course so I would suggest studying a lot for that particular course. Advanced Photoshop and Illustrator also will cover many new methods of creating artwork, the level of intensity of this class also increases from the prior classes of Photoshop CS and Illustrator CS respectively.
Term 4 consists of one exam based on my recollection and the course for that exam entitled Web Marketing will also have a lot of material to cover. But if you apply the methodologies and SEO techniques in this class it will work wonders for both your portfolio website and for yourself in the real world. Searching for practicum opportunities is time consuming but it feels good when you finally secure one for yourself. LinkedIn is a good resource for finding opportunities as you can quickly find out which companies are active in hiring BCIT graduates by looking at LinkedIn portfolios of former graduates of this program, there are some companies that would be glad to have an extra helping hand during the time of your practicum.
Being involved in and completing BCIT's New Media Design and Web Development's Certificate to Diploma pathway was an excellent opportunity for me as well as other alumni of the Senior Management Certificate program. I am proud to have been part of the first cohort for this pathway. In fact, my cohort was the first ever graduating class of BCIT's New Media Design and Web Development's Diploma program (we graduated a few weeks prior to the first ever full Diploma pathway students). App Development is the most noticeable element that will be added to your skillset in this pathway in addition to Ecommerce and expanded UX skills.
Term 1 of BCIT's New Media Design and Web Development's Certificate to Diploma pathway will be somewhat lighter than Term 2. You will however be required to take lots of photos for a Digital Photography class, which culminates with a Final Project that involves a composited scene of your choice. App Development Strategy 1 is entirely theoretical, paving the way for a largely (very intense) practical App Development Strategy 2 in Term 2. Storytelling for New Media was my favourite course EVER (in high school or in college) as I enhanced my already extensive knack for storytelling. A peer in my cohort provided the following comment with regards to my pitch and contributions for a fictional video game by saying: Dilraj, you should be working in Hollywood. New Technologies introduces many new concepts in New Media such as drones, gimbals and underwater cameras.
With regards to Term 2 it is somewhat more intensive than the Term 1 as a large portion of your time must be dedicated towards App Development Strategy 2 (actually building an app). The Final Project for App Development Strategy 2 will result (upon completion with a large amount of effort) in a nice polished app that you can be proud of. Online Store will at first consist of many theoretical components and finally a Final Project consisting of the WooCommerce Ecommerce solution for WordPress. UX Strategy 2 will add extensively to one's already existing UX skillset. Quality Assurance for Interactive Media will open up many opportunities in the QA field for you after graduation and beyond and consists of a notable Final Project which fuses QA with Project Management related tasks.