In New Design Studio, each member is expected to make at least a day worth of contribution to a studio project as if they are a junior member of a design consultancy. This means that those that are less experienced and less skilled will be using more time. Why? Read on.
A lab at an institute of science and technology like UNIST is essentially a hybrid learning environment where students work on real-life research and design projects and learn essential skills for their next steps. Projects are carefully selected and the director (professor) work with students and coach them to enable maximum learning.
Then there are benefits, such as study credit or stipend, as well as the space, computers and cameras to borrow. Therefore lab projects should be seen as a way to learn skills and up your game, rather than work that pays.
A task that takes 30 minutes for a professor can take few hours for a master's student, and a day or longer for an intern. The secret lies in ... well, many things. You need a meta-understanding to know how to approach the task, the necessary knowledge, and skilled hands.
Students, especially interns, are yet to accumulate experiences to get a full-time job in academia or industry. They often lack required experience in various research methods, necessary skills in graphical tools and project management skills.
How to improve it? Try, sometimes fail, sometimes succeed, and reflect.
One student spends 4 hours working, 2 hours browsing the web and YouTube, and 1 hour for lunch. Another spends 7.5 hours working and 0.5 hours for lunch. After few years, those two will have significantly different level of skills. Note that these two have both spent 8 hours from 9 to 5.
The key is to set a goal. Did not meet the goal? Work more. Making the hours you have worked per day is also quite effective. Did not work enough? Reduce play time. A real-life example: how SPL logged his working hours in 2010: Link.
But you are not alone. If you are unsure how to proceed with a task or project, you can talk to and learn from your peers. You can also get an advice from the prof! Ask and learn, that’s why we are here together!