As a follow-up to my previous post on Advice to First-Year B. IT – IMD Students, it is worth noting that the points in that article are equally applicable to second, third, and fourth-year students as well as the first-years. That being said, though, there were some additional points which seemed to apply more to the upper-years, and I was toying at that time with making a second article. Well, here it is.

As per last time, I will solicit contributions from the B. IT community at large via various social networks and good ol’ fashioned email, and those contributions will be indicated clearly in this article. I’ll add them as I get them.

Contributors:
- Chris Joslin, a B. IT – IMD Professor
- Marie Deslauriers, a third-year B. IT – IMD student

First, here is a recap of some of the more important points from the last article which are still very applicable to second-year students (for full text, see the previous article):

Start your assignments/reports/etc. ASAP!

Effort really matters!

Make friends with the professors

Study and plan well for your exams!

Make good use of the computer labs at Carleton.

Prepare adequately for the workload.

Talk to the upper-year students!

Stay physically active during the school year.

Now on to the new points:

1. Time management, time management, time management!

It’s been said before, but it bears repeating ad nauseum– manage your time well! It is said that the first semester of the 2nd year is the hardest semester before 4th year, and this certainly proved true for me and the rest of the people in my year. Be proactive! This semester starts off pretty slowly, but it speeds up like crazy– anticipate this, and make sure you are prepared for the entire semester’s worth of work! Make a schedule, keep a calendar, write a list, whatever you have to do to stay on top of the projects/assignments/exams/etc.! (The second semester is also quite busy, but there’s nothing quite like that first semester… you’ll be used to the pace by the winter semester anyway).

2. Talk to your profs!

The profs (hopefully you know them by now, and vice versa) are open to any kind of feedback, and are very willing to help students out if they need it. If you have two midterm exams scheduled on the same day, and bring it to their attention, one might get moved. A deadline might get extended on an assignment. Some requirements might be relaxed somewhat. Don’t be afraid to ask! If the answer is no, oh well, but if you have a good reason for asking, then good things can happen. The profs are also open to all kinds of general suggestions, comments, conversations, opinions, ideas, etc., just make sure you’re not bothering them when they’re working on something else. Try to stick to their published office hours (or email, etc.) if you need individual help with class-specific things.

3. Do the work yourself.

It might become a little tempting, especially if you’re very busy, to ask someone else to write some code for you (even under the guise of “help” or “enhancement”) or to collaborate with others on an individual project and share core code/designs/etc. However, this practice will only give you short-term gain and long-term pain– firstly, by not doing your own work, you’re not learning anything. Secondly, you’re essentially taking advantage of someone else’s abilities, and passing them off as your own*. And thirdly, you are in danger of being accused of plagiarism, which is an extremely serious offense. Do the work yourself, to the best of your abilities. If you need help from someone, that’s ok, but make sure that they’re not just writing code for you blindly. The profs have a very good sense of where an individual student’s abilities are at by this time, so if your project’s code seems too advanced/simple for you (or if there are two or more very similar projects), there will be suspicion.

*In the case of third-party “additional” code (non-core functions or abilities), or other third-party contributions to a project like stock photography/images, tutorials, etc., make sure you credit the original source in both your source code/project AND in your report/documentation (if you have one), so that there’s no confusion about who made it. Other people working on the same assignment do not count as “third parties”, and so sharing code or designs, even with credit, is not recommended.

4. Be creative, even if you don’t have to be.

In the programming classes, you will often be graded on how your program RUNS (that is, the functionality), and not necessarily on how it LOOKS. That’s fine. But, if you’ve finished the programming part and you have some time, go above and beyond the project requirements, and make it look good too. This definitely makes an impression on the marker! It may not affect your grade on the project, but it will give whoever is marking it a better impression of you and your work, and it might even end up being used as an example for that project in future years. You don’t have to go crazy with the design (save your effort for your design projects), but even a little bit of colour, alignment, and images go a long way. Doing this will give whoever sees your project the impression that you actually cared about the project, and took your time with it.

5. Pay attention in class!

This is a bit of a mashup of some of the points from the previous article, but it is especially important in the upper-years! It includes (but is not limited to): stay awake in class, take notes where applicable, look at the professor when he or she is talking, listen to your fellow classmates’ questions, stay off whatever electronic devices you may have nearby (computer, laptop, phone, music player, etc.), and don’t talk to the people around you. I cannot even begin to tell you how annoying it is when three different people ask the SAME question in a 10-minute time span because the last two didn’t listen to the first person’s original question, or because none of them heard the prof address the topic in his/her lecture in the first place.

It is also very annoying when everyone in front of you in the lecture hall is playing WoW/Facebook games/Flash games/movies/tv show episodes/etc. on their laptops, and you can’t concentrate on what the prof is teaching! I’ve said before that people shouldn’t even bring their laptops to class in the first place if they care about what the prof is saying, and I’ll stand by that. Aside from taking notes, there is no other reason to bring your laptop to class, and even that reason is questionable– digital notes are not any easier to remember than ordinary notes, and the clicking sound in a lecture hall full of keyboards halfway drowns out the professor anyway.  It’s a personal decision whether or not to bring your laptop, but generally, if you want to learn, leave it elsewhere.

Also, paying more attention to your computer than your prof in a computer lab lecture is likely to earn you the dubious honour of being “picked on” for answers by the prof, or else generally singled out in front of the class. It makes you look like a fool, to the entertainment of everyone else, so it’s better to pay attention and not suffer the consequences.

6. Study in groups.

By this time, you should know most of the people in your year. Don’t be afraid to start a study group for a midterm or final– these exams are brutal, and are best studied for in groups, not individually. It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not you’re a “groups” type of person (I’m not, really, myself), studying in groups is extremely beneficial for everyone involved. Make a set of study notes for the group, or make yourself available to test people on lists/key points/vocabulary/etc. Every little bit helps! I’ve found that my best studying actually happens when everyone’s sitting around in the Azrieli Pavilion, waiting for an exam to start (for afternoon/evening exams), and going over their notes in the meantime.

A note of caution about this, though: don’t let people panic you about the exam, and don’t panic others. It’s perfectly natural to get nervous before a big exam, but telling everyone within earshot that “you’re gonna fail, you’re never gonna remember everything, it’s no good, you’re not gonna do well” is bad for everyone’s morale, not just yours. Wish everyone good luck, reassure the nervous people, have a good study session, and believe in yourself– this is the best thing you could do.

7. Make a portfolio website.

This was already mentioned in the previous article, but this is the year that it becomes VERY important– lots of you will be applying for co-op positions starting in January, and you will need to have your portfolio online somewhere for prospective employers to view your work (especially if it’s for a design company). If you can’t afford to sign up with a good webhosting service, get yourself a free blog from Blogspot or WordPress, and use a portfolio theme to showcase your work.  You will also be provided with webspace on the undergraduate server for CSIT, which you could potentially use as well. Keep the site updated throughout the year with your school projects, put the URL on your business cards (if you have them; see next point), and make it a source of pride. Your site should represent you– your personality, your style, your knowledge, and your abilities. It is also not a bad idea to set up a link exchange between your site and your classmates’ sites– this way, everyone’s portfolio gets some exposure, regardless of experience.

8. Consider getting some business cards.

This mostly only applies for those of you who are planning on doing the co-op option for the program, but you will find that there will be multiple “career networking” events which you will be invited to attend throughout the year. These events are a way of introducing yourself to prospective employers, and are a decent way of getting your name out. The thing is, most people you meet will forget your name immediately (if they don’t write it down)! Business cards are a good way of ensuring that your name and contact information stay with the people you meet, at least for a little while, and also can say a lot about your potential talent and job skills. If you are thinking of making some business cards, remember to include the following information: your name, year standing and program (you’re still in school, so make sure this is clear on your card), any specific skills (PHP, Flash, copywriting, logo design?), your email address, portfolio website URL, and maybe your phone number as well.

I would recommend getting your cards done professionally using a service like Moo. They’re very flexible in terms of design, environmentally friendly, and their quality is excellent (but you’ll have to allow two weeks for shipping to Canada). I have had a rather bad experience printing business cards with the Algonquin College print shop before, and would not recommend them again, except that if you need your cards done quickly (within a day or two), you may want to go there instead. Of course, you do not NEED business cards at all, but I found that they were very handy in networking situations both in and out of school.

9. Spend your free time wisely. (*revised)

In your free time (if there is any), you may be interested in participating in speculative design contests or client work, where a large body of designers submit their designs to a potential client, and then only one is chosen as the “winner”, and only the designer who designed that one gets paid/gets the contract. This type of work, “spec work”, has its ups and downs, and both should be considered carefully before you participate in it. Some of the downsides include the potential to have your work ripped off (some clients view contests as a way to get a large amount of free, decent-quality design ideas without having to give credit), a large time commitment, and other negative aspects such as those described on  NO!SPEC. Some of the upsides are described in detail by Chris Joslin, below.

The main questions you should ask yourself before participating in spec work are: ‘what is the main reason I am taking on additional work?’ And ‘do I have enough time to commit to this project?’ If you need portfolio pieces, exposure, or general practice, then spec work might be a good idea for you. But if you are already swamped with schoolwork, taking on additional demands might not be such a wise idea. If you’ve already done several client projects, and don’t feel like you want to do potentially time-consuming project for free, then spec work might not be the best fit for you either. It is a personal choice, and one which should be given much thought.

[Chris Joslin] I agree with your point about spec work, this is a bit of con really. However, general design competitions have a lot of benefit[s:]
1. You might win, which is a big bonus (not for the money, but for the validation – especially the bigger competitions where you are picked out of hundreds by real professionals)
2. you practice your craft
3. you see how you fair against other people and in some cases you get feedback
4. you add to your portfolio. In fact any design work where you don’t get paid is kind of this way; you want to get paid of course, but if you aren’t going to be (and you know it), better these advantages than just sitting around watching the 500th repeat of “Friends”. If you listen to a lot of the big companies, the people actually hiring on proper contracts, they are looking for people with passion, who know their stuff inside and out and have a real talent – people who are ahead of everyone else – and practice makes perfect …
5. a competition gives you deadlines. I find without deadlines most students will meander and keep pushing it back or leaving it completely – which is the problem for your own pet projects: lack of pressure.

[Marie] For people who don’t feel like they stand a chance in these rather professional-looking challenges, there are other alternatives: many forums on the web host various peer-evaluated competitions with more or less tight deadlines (one or two weeks, a month…).

Although there’s no real prize in winning any of these, all the good upsides described by Dr. Joslin really apply there – especially those with the  one week deadline; they really push you to your limits, to create something good in such a short deadline. Plus, these challenges’ themes change each week to give you a chance to practice your skills in many aspects of game design such as character, vehicle or environment concept creation.

I just discovered those a few months ago and find them really helpful; maybe this can be of interest to any BIT student with free time on their hands.

10. Client work: get it in writing.

Here’s a real scenario: A client asked me to do a side-project for him for pay. The project took quite a bit of time, and it was implied that my design would be used. I finished it, and submitted it. I then found out that the client had seen designs from one or more different designers for the same project, picked the one he liked best, and then paid only that designer for their work. The rest of us/I didn’t get paid. (I did eventually indirectly get paid for the project by the person who was heading up the design team I was part of– he was acting as the liason between the client and us, and felt that I should have been paid).

The lesson learned? If you decide to take on client work, make sure that you get it in writing that you will be paid* (and try not to get into situations where you are competing with other designers for the job). It can also pay off to draw up your own contract first, either in place, or in addition to a client contract. Either way, don’t settle for verbal arrangements between you and a client (or you and a liason to a client)– get any payment arrangements in writing. Similarly, get the scope of a project also put into writing at the beginning; this can help to prevent “scope creep” or “feature creep” on your existing payment arrangements. If a client wants additional features or items added to the project which are outside the initial specified scope, you can then charge them accordingly, and this will have been clear from the original contract.

* If you agree to do work pro bono (for free), still get it in writing! Even if there are no payment arrangements to set down, it is still worthwhile to have a paper record of the scope of the project. Also, try not to get suckered into doing pro bono work for a client multiple times– ideally, you should start to get paid after the first free project. Evaluate this on a case-by-case basis though, on your own judgement. If you’re only going to do one free project for a client, make sure they know this, and ideally, set it down in writing on the contract of the initial project.

11. Take care of yourself!

I know, easier said than done, but seriously, this is probably the most important item on this list. Sleep lots. Eat regularly and healthily. Drink water. Stay active. Take breaks. Once the projects start piling up, you’ll be able to generally function A LOT better if you keep an eye on your physical and mental states, and take steps to prevent yourself from breakdowns, meltdowns, exhaustion, hunger, dehydration, headaches, sickness, and out-of-shape-ness. School is stressful, and there’s no avoiding that, so just deal with it as best as you can. Try not to freak out, worry, overly stress, obsess, or fixate on your grades. When working on assignments, take breaks from the computer periodically– if you’re on campus, go to the Tim Hortons in the Unicentre (it’s usually open till 8pm), or failing that, go to the one in Res (open later). Walk or jog around the Azrieli Pavilion. Talk with friends. And always get the maximum amount of sleep possible!

I had several nights during the past school year which were near-all-nighters (I got maybe an hour of sleep at the max), and I was ALWAYS grouchy and miserable the next day, which was really not good for the people around me. Do everyone (including you) a favour and get lots of sleep! If you need to stay up late to work on assignments, try to do this on nights where you do not need to be in class early the next morning (i.e: 8am at Algonquin). I find concentration begins to lapse when one is tired, and of course, you’re much more likely to fall asleep in class anyway if you’re tired to begin with.

12. Pull your weight in group projects.

Make sure that you contribute as much as you can to your group when you’re working on a project. Everyone else in the group is just as busy as you are, so there’s no reason to slack off and let everyone else do the work. Not only is this unfair to them, but you might end up with lower grades on the project because of things like peer evaluations. This especially applies to huge projects like in Design Studio I– your contributions (or lack thereof), will be more noticeable if the project is large.

Also, try and split the tasks and responsibilites evenly. It might sound nice to have the people with skills in design to do the design work, and the programmers do the programming, but in reality, one set of people always ends up doing much more work than the other set, and no one really learns anything new. Step out of your comfort zone a little bit, and volunteer to take on something which you don’t know how to do. Splitting the design and programming evenly also means that everyone always has something to work on, as opposed to just waiting for the programmers/designers to be done their part so that you can work on yours.

Want to contribute to this list? If you’re in the B. IT program described here, you can contact me at tamara [at] silverstreaked.net.