Please introduce yourself.
My name is Troy Hancock, I graduated in December of 2018, and I am a Gameplay Engineer writing code for video games, working in the game engine Unreal Engine and programming language C++. I'm currently working on an unannounced triple-A shooter game title slated to release sometime in the next four years.
Why did you choose to pursue a degree in philosophy?
I chose to pursue a degree in philosophy because I was both extremely passionate about the subject and I didn't want to waste the opportunity I'd been given to learn freely in a university setting. I knew I would never have that chance again, and I wanted to learn exactly what I wanted to learn, rather than just learning stuff to get me a guaranteed job. It also helped me be highly motivated to my own ends, pursuing a degree that was entirely of my own volition and not the result of societal or family pressure.
How do you use your degree in your current field? What skills did you take from Philosophy into the workplace?
I am completely 'self-taught' when it comes to programming and game development. However, the general skills of my philosophy degree are largely the reason I'm good at self-teaching in the first place. Pursuing a degree in philosophy led me to discover philosophy which helped me become the highly driven person I am today. I became especially interested in philosophy I viewed as practical and could directly benefit both me and others around me, hence why I had a focus on moral philosophy in my degree course. I think the measures I put in place in an attempt to implement moral philosophy in my life were largely responsible for the rapid growth I had as a person at that time. Aside from just general self-improvement as a result of philosophy, symbolic logic is immensely beneficial for learning how to code. If you're good at symbolic logic, you probably won't struggle much learning how to code, as programming is largely just boilerplate syntax slapped over base logical rules and their interactions. I think one of the reasons programming came easy to me is the great symbolic logic education I got at GSU under Dr. Ed Cox.
What were some of your favorite classes and topics in Philosophy while studying at GSU?
Independent study (The Critique of Pure Reason - Immanuel Kant) - under professor Eric Wilson. Modern Philosophy (The categorical imperative, Hume, various moral philosophies - Under professor Eric Wilson. Existentialism under Dr. Rand.
It's hard not to list all of them, I truly miss all of my time and all of the classes I took. There wasn't enough time to take all that I wanted to take, and I still fantasize about coming back to get a master's.
Do you have any advice for current or future students who are thinking of majoring in Philosophy?
Give it your all. philosophy is a difficult subject but is highly rewarding. I personally think if you're making a decision to pursue your own freedom of education over practicality in the job market then you should be taking the opportunity of that time to become amazing at learning, listening, and caring deeply about things. A deep care and interest in doing what you're doing with heartfelt intensity will take you further than any piece of paper.
What are some of your other interests or hobbies? What are you reading, watching, and listening to?
Competitive gaming, game development, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, rock climbing, running, and manga/anime. Gaming has always been a focal point of my life, and post-graduation from GSU but before getting my current career I was a semi-professional video game player, playing a game called Super Smash Brothers Melee under the tag "Yort". Now that I'm done with trying to be a pro gamer, I'm pretty into martial arts doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and also have been training for a marathon, which will hopefully happen next year at some point.