🙌 Finally, my FIRST FIRST-author CHI paper! (A study on how a serious game can help us understand and manage our procrastination. Welcome to check the ArXiv version: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.15770)
While this isn’t my first publication, the joy I felt when receiving this acceptance surpassed even that of my very first paper. This work began during my postgraduate years at the College of Design and Innovation (D&I), Tongji University, and was accepted just as I started my first year as a PhD student at HKUST. It’s a huge confidence boost at the beginning of this new chapter in my academic journey.
Back at D&I, I was one of the few who is particularly passionate about HCI research, and my friends used to jokingly call me 花导 (“Mentor Hua”) because they often came to me for discussions or suggestions how to start or move forward their research. I always tried to be helpful—but also cautious. I knew that the way I spoke sometimes sounded overly confident (maybe because too outgoing personality, lol), and I worried that I might unintentionally mislead others. I’d laugh and say, “Don’t take me too seriously. I don’t even have a CHI paper yet!” And they would always reply, “You will. It’s just a matter of time.”
YES! WE MADE IT! ✨
Besides, this paper is also the fulfillment of a promise. During my Master’s, I once told my advisor, Professor Wang Qi: “I will publish a CHI paper for our lab.” It wasn’t easy. This was a side project—constantly delayed as I balanced my thesis workload. But I never gave up and kept pushing forward. And finally, after so many setbacks, the flowers have bloomed. 🌸 On January 17, 2025, the very day I received the CHI’25 acceptance, Professor Wang happened to be visiting HKUST. She still remembered and said, “You really keep all your promises.” I was so moved. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this possible.
To me, this acceptance means my master’s studies journey has come to a nice close. At the same time, this is only the beginning of my academic journey. The road ahead will be long and full of challenges, but I’ll keep walking it, step by step (道阻且长，行之将至). See you all in Yokohama, Japan, at the end of April! ✈️🇯🇵