Insider's Guide - GAME ACADEMY

Whether you’re already at school, looking to find a new school or even considering moving overseas to study, nothing beats hearing from the students themselves! In this article we speak to Pierre-Louis Blanc and Enzo Bove, both fourth year students, about the ins and outs of studying at Game Academy in Avignon, France.

What's the name of your school?

Enzo: The name of my school is Game Academy.

What's the name of the neighbourhood?

Pierre-Louis: The name of the neighbourhood where my school is located is called Courtine, it is a district in Avignon, France.

Closest train station or public transport option?

Pierre-Louis: The closest train station is the TGV station, which is very close to the school. Otherwise, you can take a bus, bike, or walk to the school.

How long have you been there?

Pierre-Louis: It has been four wonderful years.

Enzo: I've been there for almost four years now. I'm currently in my last year at Game Academy.

Why did you choose to study here?

Pierre-Louis: It is close to where I live, it is a small school, and the teachers are passionate about what they do. So naturally, you want to give the best of yourself into your work.

Enzo: I've always loved playing video games. One day, I asked myself, "How are video games made ?" Then, I searched for schools that would teach me how, and I found Game Academy.

And after almost four years now, was it worth it? Yes, it was! I never saw myself making such progress in the short time we had.

Team project by Enzo Bove and Pierre-Louise and team: Bichoco, BouffonLunatique, Craywax, MathieuMauduit for Rookie Awards 2023

The Scene

The first thing you see when you walk outside your school?

Pierre-Louis: It's a bit of an industrial area, so you see a lot of work buildings, roads, and a bicycle lane with vegetation.

Enzo: The first thing I see when I walk outside the school are our two pet goats, the school's mascots.Their presence brings life at school, and students can see them whenever they want; they can also feed them if they want. We even made a sweatshirt with their face as the logo.

Tell us a bit about the Neighbourhood. What is there to see and do?

Pierre-Louis: You can eat at some restaurants that are close by, but if you want to do more things, you can go to the Center of Avignon. There are many things to do and see especially, the 14th-century Palace - Palais de Papes, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, and its even older 12th-century bridge.

Enzo: We are in the middle of an industrial and commercial zone, so we only have a few things to do for the immediate neighborhood; however, since it's bustling with people, there are many food options.

Should you make the trip to the city centre after school, there are many options to spend quality time in Avignon, like a movie theatre and other theatres and plays to enjoy. The city has a historical feeling with its medieval ramparts.

A mandatory stop for anyone new to your city:

Pierre-Louis: Anyone new to the city can stop anywhere because there is a lot to see, but if you want a peaceful place to enjoy the view and chill, you can go to the Jardin des Doms.

Enzo: The one thing to do first in Avignon is to see Le Pont d'Avignon and Le Palais des Papes. These two are must-sees for history and culture.

Your school is great, but you wouldn't mind a bit less:

Pierre-Louis: I don't know. Everything seems great to me. In four years, I can't find anything that I would change!

Enzo: I wouldn't mind a bit less summer vacation. During all my years in Game Academy, the summer vacation was the thing I disliked the most. Almost three months of vacation create a big distraction. With more time at school, we could learn so much more. But I'm happy with the time we have to learn this much.

The unofficial uniform of your school is:

Pierre-Louis: We have a cool jacket that is like an American jacket. It is in black and white, with the school logo on the front (next to the heart) and another unique design on the back that represents the graphic designers and developers of the school.

A common myth about your school is:

Enzo: In my first year at Game Academy, a student asked for a "Sandwich au Foie Gras." It was so funny cause we all know how expensive Foie Gras is. Plus, the school never mentioned anywhere that they would be serving this kind of sandwich, so it became a myth in the school!

A massive night out for students at your school is likely to be:

Pierre-Louis: In the Center of Avignon, at Place Pie. You can find all the city's most popular bars here; the perfect spot to hang out with other students.

Enzo: The BDE (Student Association) I manage is ultimately responsible for organizing nightouts for students at school. We create events throughout the year in the school to create many memories for the students. So music, quizzes, and teamwork are the keys to a good party at our school. We make every event memorable and different from the one before.

The Superlatives

You won't find a better place to eat than at:

Pierre-Louis: Well, it depends on what you want to eat, but I can give you 3 places. The first one is the Naka (Japanese food). The second one is if you want to eat a good burger, the Miam Miam. The last one is an Indian street food Express Master Tandoori.

Enzo: For the students, the best place is Miam Miam in Avignon. Its owner, Romain, makes the best burgers in town by far. He doesn't use industrial ingredients, and the quality-price ratio is excellent. His menu offers not only meat burgers, but also vegetarian and vegan burgers so everyone can eat there. I strongly recommend this place to every student.

The strangest thing you've ever seen at your school is:

Pierre-Louis: Having little goats as pets. They are so adorable and friendly.

Enzo: This year at school, I saw somebody eat a pizza with Nutella on top; that was definitely the strangest thing I've ever seen in this school.

One thing you'd never change about your school is:

Pierre-Louis: The teachers and the Director. As I said before, they are really passionate about what they do.

Enzo: The atmosphere of the school is something I would never change. We all share the same passion, and it's so beneficial. We can debate and have constructive exchanges. Even if we don't share the same opinions, it's valuable and helps us learn that everyone can't share the same point of view. So, we know to listen to one another and push together to improve.

But one thing you wouldn't mind seeing changed is:

Pierre-Louis: Having a larger workplace. It is already large but needs to be bigger!

Enzo: The price of the school. I think the cost of the school is really low compared to the excellent quality of the teaching our school provides. So if the school upped their price, I wouldn't mind because I would do it all over again.

Someone gives you $1M to pimp out your school. You use it to:

Pierre-Louis: Improve PCs; they are already adequate, but having even better PCs would be incredible and speed up our work.

Enzo: It's a thing I've imagined so much that the ideas are already formed in my mind. First, I will build a third building with apartments for students. It would be ideal for many of us to refrain from using our cars or public transportation as it would spare us a lot of time.

The second thing would be to give every year 10K to the BDE (student association). We could create many more events, like a team-building weekend, and make some giveaways with more fancy prices for our students.

The third thing is to expand the school more naturally, like having a park for lunch and relaxing between breaks.

The fourth thing would be to help students who want to go to another country for their internship.

Sometimes money is the issue, so creating ways to help the students, like partnerships with video game companies abroad, could be significant too.

You can find more of Pierre-Louis' work and reach out to him via his Rookies profile here. And, you can check out Enzo's work and reach out to him here.