What to Expect at Architecture School
Get prepared for university 🎓 with this friendly heads up on what an architecture student must know.
Multitasking
Deadlines
Supplies, Research
Public speaking
Software
Thick skin
Dedication
Group work and solo studies
Find out more 👇
What are the modules?
3 main modules in the architecture curriculum; design, humanities and technology. Each subject has demanding expectations and deadlines (Usually all at the same time).
You will master multitasking and be able to pick up and drop projects when needs must.
Plan your timetable and stick to it. No late nights, grasshopper.
What are the deadlines like?
On the way to being a good architecture student, you need to grasp quickly you will always be working towards a deadline. There are deadlines each term that you need to be prepared for.
Organising yourself is important, make a checklist and get printing done early.
This is a great practice for the end of year deadline season.
Look after your tools
Architecture school is expensive, not talking about tuition fees or even laptops. I’m talking about your humble drawing supplies and books. For example, the token architect Rotring pen will set you back around twenty quid! First-year architecture students need a lot of tools and equipment, Your toolbox will look like a treasury. You get the idea, try only to buy these things once.
Researcher
All your projects in every subject should start with research and reading. You will be expected to know an extensive history of your site or brief. This works in your favour as one way of creating a strong project is by having a historical connection or influence.
Working as a team and solo
During your time at university, most of your modules will be independent studies. However, you will have collaborative projects. Probably 1 or 2 months long working in small groups. Group projects can either run smoothly or there might be a couple of squabbles.
Don’t let the know-it-alls or slackers affect your work. You can always spruce up the group work in your portfolio and present it nicely.
Public speaking
This doesn’t come naturally to most people but is a part of studying architecture. You will gradually get better at presentations. Being prepared and having everything written down does make crits easier. That’s one thing I wish I knew before studying architecture.
Software nerd
You will become a real software alchemist. Mixing and dabbling in a variety of drawing, modelling and presentation software such as Photoshop in order to experiment and create your architecture.
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Thick skin
One essential skill you need to survive architecture is to be able to dust off comments that don’t land well. At architecture school, you are constantly on display and have your work criticised. This is a part of architecture schools’ nature and unavoidable. The way to handle it is to take nothing personally and hear them out it might benefit your project.
Dedication
What every architect should know is architecture school demands everything from you. The common lifestyle of an architecture student is to work all day every day. this is typical studio culture but with good organisation, you should be able to take some time for yourself as it’s important to do so.
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