Keeping Things Exciting

Evidently late night television isn't all bad. If Amer Khan hadn't been tuned in a few years ago and seen an International Academy of Design & Technology - Tampa commercial, he might never have discovered a degree program interesting enough to keep him in school. Now about a year away from finishing his Bachelor's degree in Interactive Media at the Academy, Amer is excited not only about almost having his degree but also that he finally found a program that combines his interests in computer programming and art/design.

Before catching the Academy's commercial, Amer had tried a few other schools. Sitting through classes he wasn't completely excited about, however, boredom would inevitably always get the better of him. When Amer learned about the Academy's Interactive Media program, he got excited. During his two years at the Academy, he has even stayed excited.

"Not only am I enjoying what I'm learning but also the way that I'm learning it. This isn't all about bookwork and taking tests. There is a lot of interaction with instructors and other students," he says. "The environment is very much about asking questions. Instructors are all accessible, but they don't spoon feed you stuff. If you want to learn, you'll learn a lot more here than you would from books."

Amer says he's also learning a lot more about a lot of different things. "I don't feel that my classes are pigeon-holing me into any one kind of specific job or position. I'm learning about everything from programming to design. I've even had instructors with experience freelancing talk about what to make sure and include in contracts. If I wanted to, I could choose to become more proficient in one particular area of the field, but I think I like not limiting myself. But I'm excited to have that choice."