It’s that time of year again. The air’s getting crisp, the leaves will soon be changing and millions of kids, teens, twenty-somethings and beyond face that crushing end to freedom known as “back to school time”. Fear not, gamers. I’ve compiled a list of things you can do to enjoy gaming and survive school in harmony. Think of it as a survival guide.
1. Pack your DS with brain-trainers.
So maybe you slacked off on your Spanish lessons over summer vacation. Or you’ve forgotten how to do long division. Don’t worry, since the DS has more edutainment/educational software that you can shake a no. 2 pencil at. From purely educational software like My Word Coach and My Spanish Coach, to the more game-ish antics of Brain Training, and Big Brain Academy, you’ll be much more apt to ace that pop quiz. Just don’t play it when the teacher is looking.
2. Gear up with historically-or-scientifically-themed games.
Who says you can’t learn anything from videogames? Check out some Greek Mythology with the God of War games, play through your favorite theater of World War 2 in any of six dozen WWII shooters, or explore the wonderful world of marine biology with Endless Ocean. Want a more visceral challenge? Pop on some gloves and take on a few surgeries in a Trauma Center game.
3. Get brainy and write an academic paper on an aspect of gaming.
Think the storyline in BioShock qualifies as dystopian literature? Perhaps you’d like to do a detailed analysis on the real-world economic implications of gold farming in MMO’s? Maybe you’re interested in the psychology behind gender expression in videogame characters? All of the above would make amazing thesis topics - and researching something you love is always more fun than spending an hour in the library looking at musty old history books.
4. Learn to make a game.
Here’s the ultimate way to turn your creative aspirations into reality. Left-brained peeps, learn some programming. Right brained kids, check out 3d modeling. Writers can work on creative writing skills for crafting amazing game scenarios and stories.
Good luck, and remember - if all else fails, you can always fall back on the old “the dog ate my homework” line.
Read [Super Smart Games]
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