Focusing on Game Design

Hi, everyone! I'm Handong Zhao, a senior majoring in Game Technology at Communication University of China. Currently, I'm working as a game designer at Tencent in Shenzhen. Last year, I had such a wonderful fall semester at Berkeley with our amazing Berkeley Global Access (BGA) community!

I especially enjoyed my conversations with alumni from different cultural backgrounds. I value these insights as much as what I learned in the classroom.

My Time at Berkeley

I took Game Design and Development Decal course to study how to bring a prototype into a complete project with the Berkeley GDD community. I also studied musicianship and sound design with Professor Jon Yu and Professor Eda Er, respectively. These courses helped me build a solid foundation in my field and I gradually clarified my future career path.

I took part in several valuable experiences, such as the 2024 Bay Area Maker Faire and Global Sound Designer Conference. But in my view, the most meaningful part of BGA has been the opportunity to connect with fellow alumni. I especially enjoyed my conversations with alumni from different cultural backgrounds: the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany and more. We exchanged our thoughts on a variety of topics. I value these insights as much as what I learned in the classroom.

U.S. Graduate School Preparation Seminar

Lastly, I highly recommend the Graduate School Preparation Seminar offered by Professor Sally Clapper to future BGA members. If you ask me which part of Berkeley experience remains vividly in my memory, I would definitely mention Professor Clapper's seminar. Those two hours each week in Sutardja Dai Hall, enjoying an engaging lecture with our wonderful BGA community, were something I looked forward to the most.

Honestly, graduate school applications seemed a little bit tricky to me at first because I barely knew where to start or how to prepare properly. But as I followed Professor Clapper's guidance step by step each week, my worries and fears faded away. 

Professor Clapper generously passed on her knowledge and wisdom, helping us not only learn the essentials of graduate application, but also built our confidence. During the seminars, I could take notes and have inspiring discussions with classmates while enjoying fresh figs provided by Professor Clapper. The atmosphere was truly awesome.

So if you join BGA, I highly encourage you to be part of Professor Clapper's seminar to experience it yourself!