How students preparing to study emerging technologies can set themselves up for success before their start date.

From a list of universities, you chose Full Sail – a school where your creativity can soar, and where faculty and staff will take your dreams seriously.

And from a list of potential careers paths, you chose one that will require intense dedication and high levels of conceptual and analytical expertise.

We commend you on your choices, and we’re seriously enthusiastic about guiding you along the road to success.

One of our first recommendations for students enrolling to study emerging technologies – including game development, simulation and visualization, and computer science – is that you start preparing now for the math exam that will determine your eligibility for your chosen area of study. Because of the focused nature of the coursework, it’s important that you’re well-versed in certain skills – including pre-calculus, algebra 2, and trigonometry – before you step foot in the classroom.

Prepare for the Math Assessment

To gauge your skills, we suggest taking this practice test. It’s similar to the actual exam in regards to both scope and content, so it’s a good way to predict how well you’ll do on the entrance exam.

Once you have applied, you will receive access to the Matrix learning platform online. There, you will be able to practice for the assessment and view helpful videos that will prepare you in advance of the assessment. This practice must be completed before the assessment is made available in Matrix.

You'll find more resources for brushing up on your math skills here on the Math Assessment FAQ page, including links to videos and Khan Academy courses.

It’s in your best interest to complete this practice test right away. If you score well, you’ll gain a reassuring boost of confidence and can look at the exercise as a helpful refresher before the exam. If you don’t perform as well as you’d like, it’s better to know sooner rather than later, so that you have more time to work on areas that need improvement.

Prepare for Success

And remember, you shouldn’t just be sprucing up your skills in order to pass an exam. You’re also taking your own dreams seriously by giving yourself the best shot to succeed in your degree program and future career.

“Students will face challenging problems that will be solved more easily through critical thinking,” explains Jeremiah Eisenmenger, manager of Full Sail’s Math & Science Department. “Math is a tool for your toolbox, and having the right tool makes the job easier.”

Jeremiah offers a real-life example. “Game mechanics require a well-thought-out and logical set of rules for the interactions of every component of a game,” he says. “The topics addressed in Discrete Mathematics prepare students for this by enabling them to construct a rule set that is consistent and does not contradict itself. It also empowers them to make good design choices using tools like combinatorics and probability to ensure they’ve created outcomes that are numerous and diverse.”

If this all sounds like a piece of cake to you, that’s great! If not, that’s okay too. Either way, it’s important to be realistic (and thorough) when considering your current math knowledge and how much you may need to prepare in order to get up to speed.