First Week on Practicum: The Highlights Reel
What a week. Your first journal entries are in, and the overwhelming theme? You hit the ground running. From client meetings to concept pitches, snack-stuffed office kitchens to unexpected deep dives into Illustrator, your first week in the industry has been a mix of exhilarating, eye-opening, and occasionally exhausting. Here’s a highlight reel of your experiences so far.
Thrown Into the Deep End (In the Best Way)
Forget slow starts—many of you were immediately pulled into live projects. Some got a full design cycle experience within three days: briefing, collaboration, creative development, client feedback, revisions, and final production.
Others were put on big-name brand work straight away—A&W, museum exhibits, even some high-profile RFP decks. No pressure.
There were surprises: the UX designer assigned illustration work, the packaging student suddenly running a marketing strategy, the freelance-averse designer realizing they might actually love the freedom.
And yet, despite the imposter syndrome lurking in the background, you handled it. You proved to yourselves that you know more than you think, and even when you didn’t? You figured it out.
Inside Studio & Agency Life
Some offices greeted you with welcome bags and handwritten signs. Others with crosswords and barista training. One even inducted you into the sacred tradition of “Soup Club.”
Office culture ranged from structured corporate efficiency to laid-back, café-style creativity—some of you even got to work in co-working spaces with other studios, broadening your network instantly.
The remote crowd learned fast that Slack, Notion, and video stand-ups are their lifeline—and that in remote settings, over-communication isn’t annoying, it’s essential.
Big Lessons in the First Five Days
Creative freedom vs. feasibility. You saw firsthand that great ideas don’t just need to be creative—they need to be achievable within time, budget, and client expectations.
Presentation skills matter. Watching how senior designers rationalized their concepts in client meetings was an unexpected masterclass in selling ideas with confidence.
Industry pacing is no joke. Some of you were caught off guard by the intensity of a 9–5 schedule. One student described it as feeling like “two months disguised as a week.”
“I was worried about how well I’d handle the tasks, but I’ve surprised myself with how much I actually know! Imposter syndrome can be loud at times, but so far, I think I’ve been doing quite well—if I do say so myself.”
“At first, presenting my concepts was daunting, but their enthusiasm and thoughtful feedback quickly put me at ease. Their earnestness made me more confident in my ideas and more eager to push my work further.”
“I was surprised by how long some tasks take. I think I’ve gotten faster since the week started, but there’s still plenty to do and it’s already Friday. I don’t want to make mistakes or do a bad job because I rushed, so for now, I’ll keep working and see if I might get faster naturally.”
Surprise Perks & Unexpected Wins
Field trips! Some of you toured multi-million-dollar interior spaces, while others helped photograph restaurant menus, build virtual museum concepts, or attend AI industry meetups.
Early wins. A few of you had your ideas adopted on day one—whether it was a UX suggestion that made it into a final website or an illustration that landed on actual packaging.
Coffee chats & networking. Connecting with past grads, senior designers, and creative directors gave you inside scoops on navigating your practicum (and beyond).
“Bonus: the kitchen and snack bar is loaded with yummy things!”
“We wrapped up the week with a half-day ‘Pickle-Jam Design Challenge’—we wireframed a UI for a Silly Sandwich game, discussed best practices for gaming interfaces, and mashed together our ideas into a Frankenstein wireframe. It was a fun, collaborative way to finish the week.”
“On my first in-person day, it was their inaugural ‘soup club’ day, where everyone in the office rotates bringing a soup to share. They made me feel right at home including me in this activity, as well as taking me out for coffee in the morning.”
Biggest Takeaway?
You’re in it now. The work is real, your contributions matter, and while the learning curve is steep, you’re already making an impact. This is just week one; I can’t wait to see where the next seven take you.
“Experiencing the entire workflow so early on has given me a better understanding of how projects move through each department and has helped me feel more confident in my role.”
“The team has been incredibly patient and supportive, answering all my questions while giving me enough creative freedom to truly enjoy the process.”
“I remind myself that I’m still a student, and this is my first industry job. There is a learning curve that I still need to tackle, which is fine since it’s the whole point of the practicum.”