Sara Quenel

Graduate profile

How does it feel to be graduating?

It’s a little different for me at I’m staying on to study an MProf. I do feel a sense of achievement though. I made a game for my honours project and I’m very proud of it. It’s a VR detective game where you’re investigating a murder. I’m hoping to release it on Steam in the near future.

How challenging is it to develop a VR game?

It’s different as you don’t use the same rules as you would with a non-VR game. It’s more interactive and you can immerse the player into their role more easily than you can on a flat screen. I love VR, and I take every chance that I can to make games in that format.

Why did you decide to study at Abertay?

I’m originally from France and I’d originally been studying Computer Programming there, but I wanted to make games. I looked on the Abertay website and I found the Game Design and Production degree and I thought that it was everything that I wanted to do. I decided to leave my degree in France and just come here!

How did you find studying abroad?

When I arrived in Dundee my English wasn’t very good so I found it a little difficult to understand everyone! The university helped me improve lots of different skills and also gave me the opportunity to be very creative. The lecturers here are great. At some universities and colleges the staff feel distant to the students but that’s not the case at all here.

What advice do you have for other international students?

Don’t be scared! People here won’t judge you if you can’t speak perfect English. Join societies. I had trouble finding friends at first so I joined the Drama Society. It’s like one big family and everyone there is nice. There are also a lot of other international students who are members so they understand what things are like for you.

What’s your long term ambition?

I want to make games that people really like. I don’t have the ambition to work for a large company, I’d love to work for a small company where I can express my ideas and creativity.