3 things I learned since starting my Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction
While also working full time, during a global pandemic.
I just finished my first quarter in the Human-Computer Interaction program at DePaul University and these are three things I have reflected on since starting grad school in August 2020.
One, time management is key and I had to stay disciplined on my own, especially with online courses.
I only had one scheduled lecture time per week but there are loads of prerecorded videos too. Specifically, my Statistics and Data Analysis course had at least 2 hours of recorded lectures each week, on top of the practice problems, homework, scheduled lecture, and quizzes. On top of that, I was also working full-time as an engineer.
Two, I missed learning so much more than I thought I would.
I didn’t realize how much I missed learning something new until I started my courses. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in engineering, I was really burnt out from school. But after a while of just working, especially since I did not love my job, I felt burnt out again. After a while, every day seems the same, then every week, then every month, and soon every year. Being in classes again has shown me how much I actually miss learning and being in school.
Three, master's courses are so much different than undergraduate courses.
The courses did not feel as demanding as my undergraduate engineering courses. There was more subjective grading, especially in Design Fundamentals and the grading did not seem as difficult. In undergrad, I had to take a lot of courses that were required to complete my degree that I was not necessarily interested in. My master's courses so far seem more applicable and real world.
Final thoughts on what I learned after my first quarter of graduate school.
I am still so happy with my decision to start my master's degree and continue on my journey of becoming a product designer! My planner kept me well organized, I love learning, and I can’t wait for even more exciting upcoming courses.
