Four years after leaving university, Taylor returned to education at NESCol where his creativity and talent for games design have truly shone.

Originally from a village in the East Midlands, 24-year-old Taylor Roberts first studied forensics at a college in England.

In 2020, he moved to Glasgow to live with his partner. He continued studying science, starting a BSc Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Technology degree at the University of the West of Scotland.

Unfortunately, with the disruption of the pandemic combined with his mental health struggles, things because increasingly difficult and Taylor left the course the following year. He then worked full-time in retail before moving up north to Aberdeen.

Returning to education

At this point, Taylor had been out of education for four years and decided he was ready to study again. He said, “I felt college would be a good way to ease myself back in rather than going straight to university.”

Despite his science background, he was drawn to computing this time.

Taylor had always enjoyed gaming, as well as experimenting with various software. He had also worked semi-professionally on real-world projects – something that impressed lecturers and gave him the confidence to pursue games design.

He explained, “Although I’ve always loved science, I felt that a change of direction was right for me. I chose games design because I grew up playing games and had already explored the subject in my own time.

“The course content sounded exciting, and NESCol felt like a supportive place to re-enter education. The articulation links with universities were also a big factor for me.”

Studying games design

Taylor joined the HND Games Design course in 2024. He continued to build on his experience, making the most of computing facilities and support.

He said, “I’m a very hands-on learner and I much prefer being in a proper classroom or studio rather than learning through Teams or Zoom.

“The College facilities have been great. The computer hardware I’ve used has been powerful and the monitors are excellent. The PlayStation Room has also been an ideal working environment, and I’ve had access to everything I needed for game development.

“The support from lecturers has been one of the biggest positives of my time at NESCol. I struggle at times with imposter syndrome and anxiety, but whenever I raised worries or concerns, my lecturers were reassuring and supportive.”

College highlights

Taylor said, “What I enjoyed most was working on projects both individually and as part of a team. My biggest highlight was probably my final graded unit project in year two where we had to build a game from scratch.

“It gave me the chance to really stretch my legs creatively and technically, and to show what I could do.”

Taylor has thrived throughout his HND, and he was named Go Innovate! Winner at NESCol’s Go Celebrate Awards for two consecutive years.

In 2025, he was part of the winning team of students who collaborated with pupils from Kemnay Academy to create a virtual reality game that teaches users sign language. Taylor was the project’s lead programmer, which also went on to receive a nomination for a Herald Education Award.

This year, Taylor’s talent was recognised once again when his final project, a complex mobile app, earned him an individual Go Innovate! Award.

Next steps

Taylor will continue his studies after the summer, moving on to a Computing and Creative Design degree at RGU.

He said, “I’ve also taken my graded unit submission further and have started to develop it professionally, with the aim of publishing it on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.”

After university, Taylor hopes to work for a major games design studio.

He said, “My dream career is to work for Rockstar North, the studio behind Grand Theft Auto.

“However, I’m also interested in the possibility of becoming a lecturer or teacher in the future. I’ve been inspired by one of my own lecturers, and I’d love to be able to pass that on and help inspire the next generation of game designers, programmers and artists.”

Taylor’s advice

Taylor advice to anyone thinking about coming to college is: “Choose something you genuinely enjoy and can see yourself doing every day.

“If you pick something you’re passionate about, you’ll find it much easier to stay motivated, do well in your coursework and move towards the future you want.”

He added, “I would absolutely recommend studying at NESCol, whether you’re coming straight from school or returning to education like I did. The learning environment is relaxed and supportive, and every member of staff I’ve interacted with has been professional, friendly and encouraging.”

Study games design at NESCol

Taylor’s journey shows that there’s more than one route to success. Whether you’re coming straight from school, changing direction or returning to education, our computing courses will help you build skills and knowledge for the future.

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