What does a typical week look like for you?

I'm taking six classes, so it's pretty packed. Monday I pick half the day to do assignments, then go to class around noon. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are pure class days — Tuesday and Wednesday I'm in class for ten hours straight, then go home and work on the next day's assignments. Thursday morning is five hours. And since I usually stay up all night Wednesday finishing Thursday's work, I end up sleeping until two in the afternoon after that — then I just spend the rest of the day on my phone.

Saturday, Sunday depends on how tired I am. I'll fit in some homework and spend the rest of the time doing whatever I want.

You're in your second term now. What has surprised you the most so far?

The projects we do in IXD. The school really does build its curriculum around what's happening in technology right now — so we're working with AI, AI coding, things like that. It all feels very new and kind of exciting.

Is there a design tool you've discovered here that you can't live without?

My favorite tool right now is Figma. It takes the parts I actually need from Illustrator and Photoshop and puts them together in a way that just makes sense. The whole interface is so intuitive .

What do you do to recharge when school gets overwhelming?

I go pretty hard on video games. Or just scroll through my phone for hours for relax. Sometimes I'll go for a walk and get something really good to eat. Nothing fancy, but it really helped me feel like myself again.

What's been the hardest adjustment?

It's been a bit of everything — the new environment, the pace. But the hardest part is probably my English. It's still really difficult to communicate with native speakers or anyone who only speaks English. That's the one thing that affects everything else.

Have you had a moment where you thought "I'm actually getting better"?

Yeah. I've been going through my old portfolio recently, cleaning it up, and I realized — my old work was genuinely bad. But the thing is, back then I couldn't tell. Now I can. That's the progress, I think. My current work isn't necessarily amazing either, but at least I can see what's wrong now. Before, I was blind to it.

Do you have any advice for your past self?

Hmm, my first semester wasn't that long ago, let me think about it. It's really free here, and I mean that in every sense. There's no one holding your hand.

"The ceiling is high, but so is the floor, and it all depends entirely on how much you put in."

I think I needed to hear that earlier, just to manage my own expectations. Don't come in thinking someone will tell you exactly what to do. Come in ready to figure that out yourself.

Keep reading ——— Sabrina - On Process, Patience & Tea