Two Questions

[ApertureScience]

1.  Anybody know any recipes that don't require more than ten ingredients and is fairly quick to make?  I hate cooking but I want to contribute around the house...

2.  I want to major in math and computer science, but I'm debating on whether or not to get a PhD or just a Masters Degree (in math; I'm not even sure a double degree is even possible).  I'm not sure I'd be willing to spend another seven+ freaking years on one degree.  Also, my end goal is working for Nintendo (or another popular video game company) as a game designer.

[Eviecorn]

1. Pasta dishes are very easy, quick, and sometimes take only two ingredients (pasta and sauce, lol.)

2. I really can't give you a good answer to this question as I really don't know what kind of degree your dream position would require.  Maybe do some research or talk to a college advisor about it? 

[kaoskat]

I have one! It only uses chicken, poppy seeds, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, margarine/butter, and Ritz crackers! I'll see if I can dig it up for you. It's really yummy! Actually, I can remember most of it just not the baking temp. I'll need to look that part up....

4 large chicken breast, cut into small pieces
2 TBS of poppy seeds
8 oz of sour cream
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 & 1/2 sticks of margarine/butter, melted
1 & 1/2 stacks of Ritz crackers, crushed

Mix the chicken, poppy seeds, sour cream, and soup in a bowl until well mixed. Mix the crackers and margarine/butter in a different bowl until well mixed. Pour the chicken mix into a casserole dish, then cover with the crackers. Bake until it is bubbling.

[Roccoriel]

I can answer your first question and maybe offer a little advice on the second.

For the first, if you look at Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, most of the recipes are short, quick and really good.  Other than that, I have found some quick and easy recipes with short ingredient lists just by searching online for something like "Pasta less than 10 ingredients".  There are loads of websites dedicated to recipes like that.

For the second question, I recommend talking to people in the type of position you want.  Find out if you really need a graduate degree.  In some cases, it can make you over qualified and hinder you.  Finally, as someone who is working on her PhD, it is a great experience and I wouldn't change it for the world, but a lot of people get into grad school and discover that they can't stand it.  It is a decision that you have to make sure you really really want and need before going for it.

[melodys_angel]

Try to come up with a brushetta or salad dish that doesnt have lettuce in it.  Both are simple, fast and big hits around here

As far as your second question goes, im not sure where you would beable tofind the answar to that.  Thats a huge dream--just keep holding onto it <3

[teresat]

1.) I'd love answers to this myself.

2.) In my mind, game designer = software programming so do you plan on taking or have you taken some programming courses? Hubby and I got as far as our Master's degrees. He was originally working towards a PhD in Computer Engineering and we did not want to spend so much time at university so he finished his Master's and got work experience instead. But what works for others may not work for you. Our former neighbor was a PhD in Math and was working for a CAD/CAM company so combining math and computer science worked for him. As @Roccoriel said, ask around. Good luck!


edited typo.

[RavenWolf]

I have a bunch of recipes, Do you mean quick as in quick prep time or cooking time total?

The quickest and easiest recipe I have, thats a big hit, is Beefy Nachos,
Packet of taco seasoning
pound of hamburger (ground turkey works to and is a bit healthier)
Shredded cheese
tomato's or salsa
bag of tortilla chips, doesn't really matter what shape/type  But I usually use round yellow corn

Cook meat according to taco seasoning packet, Put a pile of tortilla chips on a plate add a scoop or two of meat, top with the shredded cheese and microwave until cheese is melted. add tomatos or salsa and your done.

[Kiwi]

For your second question - I would suggest researching your ideal position first (even contact Nintendo's HR department). Work backwards from that. Once you know what you need, site down with an advisor at your school to find out what they offer that matches it.

IF your position is something with programming, you may be better looking at colleges, as they tend to be more hands-on that university.

[ApertureScience]

Thanks so much for the advice, guys!  I'll probably be using some small recipes this weekend since we have family coming down, and as for Nintendo, I'm still stuck on that one.  Human Resources lists way too many numbers and I'm just like, "Which is it?!"  Their website says to take lots of computer classes and look into Digipen (my parents won't let me go until graduate school), but it doesn't say anything about degrees.  So, still stuck on that one.  I'll look around a bit more.

Also, about the recipes, ones that I really want to focus on are vegetarian meals.  I try to avoid messing with meat, but if it's unavoidable, I will do it.

[June]

I can give you recipe for pasta with gorgonzola cheese (the moldy one) if you are not disgusted by it
It takes about 15 mins to prepare.

And as for game designing, I've seen some undergraduate courses in UK like this, so there are probably some in the States too.

[Phekzhen]

2.  I want to major in math and computer science, but I'm debating on whether or not to get a PhD or just a Masters Degree (in math; I'm not even sure a double degree is even possible).  I'm not sure I'd be willing to spend another seven+ freaking years on one degree.  Also, my end goal is working for Nintendo (or another popular video game company) as a game designer.

Good luck with that. NOA (Nintendo of America) really doesn't design the games, their designed in Japan. They're "localized" in America, which requires a knowledge of both American and Japanese cultures.

If you want to get into the game industry, get a game design degree! It's like a computer science/software engineering degree that gives you the correct knowledge on how to write programs that are video games.  Here's ratings of game design programs: http://www.princetonreview.com/game-design.aspx

The #2 graduate school is my college, RIT, and my boyfriend is going to go into the grad game design program after this year, and I have quite a few friends who're taking it. I have a friend who did her undergrad in math and grad in game design, and by the end of her first year in her master's she got hired for Google. So now that she's graduated, she's working a $115k+ job straight out of college.

Whatever you do, STAY AWAY from 2 year or 18 month programs in game design at places like Full Sail or other for-profit schools. They teach you jack, and you're not learning anything worthwhile. I can give you TONS of contacts that have worked/are working in the game industry (such as Zynga, Wooga and High-Rez studios) as well as materials about game design programs.

[ApertureScience]

@sweet_berry:  I would love that recipe!  Sounds delicious already!

@Phekzhen:  Oh, don't worry; I know that the game-making happens in Japan and I plan to learn Japanese too.  It's just something that I might have to do away from college because I can't get credit for it (I have to choose CS or a foreign language; I choose CS right now).  Still, Nintendo of America could use me for translation, glitch fixing and code changing, etc.  My thing is, whatever they want me to do, I want to be able to do it.

Your friend's success is very wonderful and inspiring!  I hope to be that good when I leave college!

[Phekzhen]

What helps RIT's game design undergrads are co-ops. So to get your bachelor's, you have to work for 3 quarters in industry. So this makes people a lot more employable than someone who just has a CS degree from another school.

Also, having companies send recruiters over just to "shop" for interns is pretty great.

[June]

So here it is! Note that measurements are in metric system, so you'll have to convert them since I'm not familiar with imperial system

Ingredients:
400 g of pasta (my favourite type for this meal is farfalloni, or the bow-ties as we call them ). It is usually 100g per person. You can also use gnocchi.
250g of gorgonzola cheese
250ml of cream
a bit of butter
chive*
pepper*

* optional

Preparation:
Cook the pasta (or gnocchi) in salty water (otherwise it won't have much taste). In the meantime prepare the sauce in a (deeper) pan. Put a tablespoon of butter in the pan and heat it up. When it melts add the gorgonzola cheese previously chopped into little cubes. Stir it gently until it becomes an uniform mass. Continue to stir gently while adding the cream.
When the pasta is cooked, rinse it with some cold water, decant it and put it in a bowl. Add the sauce and mix it.
You can add some pepper for richer taste, and offer chopped chive in a small bowl if anyone wants to sprinkle it on the pasta (I recommend both).

The original ratio of cheese an cream is 1:1, but if you want stronger taste you can add more cheese (and vice versa).  If you think it's too dry try with less pasta and more sauce.


And about job in Japan... If your Japanese isn't at native level, your only job option will probably be (assistant) English teacher. But you never know!
Check out some jvloggers for first hand experience of life in Japan. My favourite are The Japan Channel and unrested.

Good luck