10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Studied Architecture
Architecture is a difficult field to navigate through. School, exams, & the profession are all long & difficult processes. Even though it can be difficult, here are 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Studied Architecture to better prepare me for the journey ahead.
(Psst… #10 is the most important!)
1. It's a Long Process
2. It (can) be expensive
3. It's very competitive
4. Practice makes perfect
5. People will be harsh about your designs
6. Time manage or stay late
7. School does not prepare you for practice
8. Pay varies in the profession
9. Every firm is different
10. Architecture is hard. But don't give up
1. It's a Long Process
School
Every school is different depending on its accreditation status. For perspective, I did 5 years for my undergraduate non-accredited degree & 2 years for my accredited masters program. In total that’s 7 years of architecture school. Everyone’s timeline is different!
Experience
To become a licensed architect, 3,740 documented & approved hours are required over the span of 6 areas.
Exams
The Architect Registration Exams are comprised of 6 divisions exams. According to NCARB’s latest report, the average time it takes someone to get their license from the start of school is 13 years. Moral of the story, go at your own pace & don’t compare yourself to others!
2. It (Can) Be Expensive
Can, in this instance, is a word that describes “in the event of”. I did the last two years of my undergraduate studies online because of Covid-19 & did my masters with an online accredited university program so I luckily missed out on a lot of these costs.
Be mindful that in your undergraduate studies, when learning craft, attention to detail, & softwares, that you will be expected to cover a lot of these costs.
The Cost of School
The Cost of Materials
The Cost of Softwares
The Cost of Printing
3. It's Very Competitive
In School
Prior to upper division, school can be extremely competitive because there are typically only a certain number of spots for upper division. Lower division can have about 80 students and transition to only about 30 students for upper division. It’s good to see where your skills are at compared to others, but don’t let it put you down or discourage you; let it motivate you! Focus on building the best version of yourself.
In the Profession
Architecture is an extremely competitive career. With such a specified skill, there is a lot of demand for architects & designers but there’s also a lot of demand in the job market.
4. Practice Makes Perfect
In Architecture school, there are 4 key points you need to remember when it comes to practice makes perfect:
You will be nowhere close to the person you were when you stepped foot into school, you’ll be even better!
Practice your skills. The only way to improve is to constantly brush over your skills & what you do and don’t know.
You will constantly learn!
Never stop growing. You will grow immensely in your career as a student!
5. People Will Be Harsh About Your Designs
In architecture school you will have to come up with many rigorous design proposals that you put tons of effort into. When doing this, remember these key points to make sure you stay separated:
Develop thick skin & don’t take things personal. This is something to learn VERY early on. You will have so many critiques & juries whose sole mission is to try and tear down your creative ideas. To have a thick skin will help you as a designer to hear constructive criticism & develop a strong designer.
Learn to separate yourself from your designs. People are not critiquing you as a person, they are critiquing your design. It’s important to establish a balance between a project you worked extremely hard on & it not defining who you are as a person.
Constructive feedback is the best way to learn. Hearing outside perspectives on your design proposal will lead you to ideas you haven’t thought of, techniques you didn’t think to try, or areas where you can improve. Remember that critiques & juries are meant to push you to be the best version of a designer as you can be.
6. Time Manage or Stay Late
It’s important to prioritize the longevity of your wellbeing, especially in a field as demanding as architecture. Set yourself up for success early so you don’t have to sacrifice later. Trust me, I know all too well what pulling an all nighter the night before a jury feels like. But it’s important not to develop bad habits that will impact the longevity of your ability to be a good designer.
Develop healthy habits that promote a positive balance.
Time management is the key to avoiding all nighters & being overworked.
7. School Does Not Prepare You for Practice
Feeling unprepared, unknowledgeable, and overwhelmed when entering an architecture firm after, or during, architecture school is unfortunately completely normal. 74% of 2021 architecture graduates did not feel confident entering the workplace. Why?
Architecture students only take 1-2 practice based classes in architecture school and typically only at the graduate level. This leaves students unaware of the processes, culture, & hierarchy of architecture firms.
When I entered into the first architecture firm I worked at, I was in for a rude awakening when I realized how unfamiliar I was with the processes of construction documentation. And this is completely normal for students & grad entering the workforce. The design & documentation process in practice is completely different from studio deliverables.
The biggest hurdle, I would say, for students and grads entering into practice is not having knowledge of the softwares used. Architecture schools are prioritizing softwares like Rhino when they should be prioritizing Revit, which is a standardized software in the architecture profession.
In school, students typically follow the standard flow of design: concept, schematic design, & design development. But in practice, there’s construction documentation, bidding & negotiations, & construction administration. Students are left in the lurch about the last 3 processes which makes for a hurdle in the learning curve.
Could this be resolved by including more practice-based classes in architecture schools?
8. Pay Varies in the Profession
Pay is a very sensitive discussion in the architecture profession, I would say, for 2 reasons:
There is a vast difference in pay between architecture firms & therefore no standard within the profession
Pay is variable based on the side of the firm’s projects, the number of firm’s projects, the firm’s typology (education, hospitality, commercial, residential), & the cost of living in your respective location
9. Every Firm is Different
In my professional career, I’ve worked at three top leading architecture firms in my city. With each firm comes different drawing standards, firm culture, firm leadership styles, & numbers of staff. Every firm is different.
My recommendation is to find a firm that’s right for you & embodies your beliefs as a designer.
10. Architecture is Hard. But Don't Give Up
For every 100 students who enroll in architecture, 20 students graduate. Read that again….
Don’t quit because architecture is hard. Don’t quit architecture because of the odds against you.
You will grow as a person & as a designer for persevering & succeeding through school. If I had given up after every setback I wouldn’t be the person or designer I am today.
Prioritize your mindset, support systems, & self-care to elevate your well being!
It will be hard, but quitting & living with regret is also hard. Don’t let fear keep you from achieving your dreams. Failure is a part of the process & with each setback we learn & grow.
I hope these 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Studied Architecture helped! What's something you wish you knew before studying architecture?
