As an Interaction Design student at ACCD, my experience has gradually become a balance between adapting to the program,
questioning the field, and reflecting on my own future. At first, I thought interaction design would be a good mix of creativity,
technical skills, and practical problem-solving. But after studying here, I have started to feel that the reality matches a lot of what people describe online: the workload is exhausting,
the pace is intense, and the long five-hour classes often feel physically and mentally unsustainable.
In school, I have tried to keep up by completing projects, learning design tools, and building basic technical skills. I spent a lot of time working on research, wireframes, visual presentations, and interactive prototypes,
while also learning some HTML, CSS, and simple JavaScript. At the same time, this process has made me more uncertain about the future of interaction design, especially with the rapid development of AI. The more I study the field,
the more I worry that some parts of the work may become increasingly replaceable, which has made me question whether I want to stay in this industry long term.
When it comes to my personal experience, this semester has also made me rethink what kind of work and learning environment is healthy for me. The pressure, screen time, and constant project deadlines have affected me more than I expected,
and even my eyesight has gotten noticeably worse after just one semester. Instead of feeling more certain about pursuing interaction design as a long-term career, I’ve become more aware of the physical and emotional cost of this path. While I have still learned useful skills,
this experience has also made me reflect seriously on whether this is the direction I want to continue in.
