Being a design student, it is but natural to be ‘aware’ of your surroundings…there’s so much information relevant to hci and design that sometimes its just too overwhelming! There are just so many interesting things to know, learn and go through, that most times we have to stop somewhere when it comes to exploring the field of design, cuz the constraints of project deadlines are always looming ’round the corner.
I always have this mental conflict as to what to choose between ‘exploring the plethora of resources ‘ and ‘concentrating on the curriculum projects’…
May be the mentors and AIs could guide us as to how to strike a balance among both alluring and both equally important and learning processes. Any suggestions ???
This is a great point Ragasee and one that I continue to partly struggle with
One recommendation is to really just dive into what you find interesting. There’s so much out there, but, luckily, our program is extremely progressive in its approach and coursework. The first few months lay the foundation by exposing students to all of the traditional HCI approaches (particularly in Youn’s class), and then move on to more novel, emerging methods and theories. Each core-HCI class will expose you to radically different ways of thinking. This might help out your case a bit, but really the best thing to do is to try and dive into whatever area(s) you find most interesting without overwhelming yourself.
One of the key things you are doing in graduate school is determining how you learn and what interest you. Yes, you have your academic requirements but you have to satisfy you academic curiosity as well. This means taking time to pursue things that are of import to you. The most important thing to do is to constantly be inquisitive. If this does not come easy for you, that is quite okay. This is a skill that you can develop, to explore different ideas. Talk to other graduate students, faculty, or given just friends that are not even in school. But force yourself at some point to discuss your understanding about what you are learning. I would say the most important thing is to also just sometimes “check out” and have fun.