Devlog #6: Learning Reflection

So, what did we do?

Over the course of this semester, we did a lot of different projects. The thing that kind of connected them was how they were almost all team-oriented and focused on the team production cycle in some way. We had a ton of team meetings both amongst ourselves over the internet, as well as in-person with our professor, to discuss our progress and next steps. We had to make a lot of documents like team charters, creative briefs, and GDDs collaboratively. Even the solo projects were team-oriented, like our game pitch presentations. They weren't just about presenting our game idea, they were about appealing to potential teammates, or "investors" rather, to get them on board with our respective projects, and proving that we could reasonably get them done in time for the end of next semester.

So, what did I learn?

I can only really talk about my own experiences here, but I learned a lot more about how to tackle problems collaboratively, and how to plan ahead when it comes to things like finding risks, or scheduling due dates. It also helped me to gain more experience working on projects over a longer period, similar to the Design Practice class from second year. Having team meetings so frequently motivated me to actually dedicate time to working on stuff for the class frequently at regular intervals, which in turn helped me develop skills for time management and prioritization, which had the effect of teaching me more about my own work habits, and how I can schedule myself effectively.

So, what will this mean for next semester?

I can go into next semester with a higher degree of confidence, in both the project we'll be working on as well as my own personal skills that I've been developing. Skills like presenting, scoping, time management, prioritization, scheduling, and risk assessment. The course has allowed me to improve a lot over only a few months. Of course, I'm still very far from perfect, but I know that I'll gain even more experience in the future, so that by the end of next semester I'll be way better than I am now.