Things I Wish I Knew Before Picking Architecture as My Major


   When I got my first iPad, I was always drawn to playing home design games, and I remember spending hours on these apps designing my dream home and building houses. I was drawn to the creativity and the ability to create or design whatever I wanted. I appreciated the freedom to create a design as unconventional as I wanted, and I was aware of this at a young age. I never thought it could be something I could make a career out of. However, now that I'm further into the program, I've realized there's a lot I wish I had known before diving in. If you're considering a career in architecture, here's what I would tell myself now.

I know now that it's not just about designing dream homes or creating perfect cities. But at the same time, there is still a significant creative aspect; architecture is a lot more about being technical and precise. You learn so much more, including building codes, structural systems, environmental design, and sustainability, all of which have their aspects and can often be challenging subjects that require a lot of studying and practice to apply to projects and real life.

Time management would be the two words I would use to tell someone how to survive architecture school, a skill that is not easy to learn but necessary to succeed and pass your classes. Architecture is one of the most time-consuming majors, and studio projects typically require over 30 hours of work on average. Studio alone for me is 4 hours, 3 days a week, and that is something I wasn't prepared for. It's also not unusual to spend 10 hours or more a night on a single model or pull back-to-back all-nighters to complete a project before the deadline. I had to learn discipline very early, as procrastination is one of my weak points and has been a learning curve for me.

Critiques are one of the most, if not the most, stressful days and can be very nerve-racking when you are starting. Critiques are where you learn to backup and defend your work in front of your teacher, classmates, and sometimes guest crits that are specific to the design. Having your work picked apart in front of your peers can feel harsh and personal. However, over time, you learn that feedback is critical for growth; it's how you learn to defend your ideas, think critically, and become a better overall designer. 

Software design is a significant part of what architecture encompasses, from Rhino to Revit and all the software in between. It can be very challenging to learn all the different softwares at once, but they are essential to know. However, they are not easy to understand and can take a lot of practice. Fortunately, there are classes you take in school to help assist your learning, but you have to learn the majority on your own or outside of class. They are also costly and can add up to a lot of money when you are paying for all of them. 

With all this in mind, you can never go into something fully expecting to know what you will get out of it. Architecture has taught me many skills that I will utilize throughout my life, and it has made me a better, well-rounded person, although it is not for everyone. I genuinely think it is worth it if Architecture is your passion. 

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