Getting through architecture school is one of the most difficult things I’ve endured. It would have been challenging under any circumstances, but, thanks to a series of bad habits and poor decisions, it was more painful than necessary. Hindsight is 20/20, and if I had a life redo-button (which, by the way, I’m anxiously waiting on Elon Musk to develop), there are certainly some things I’d do differently. I’d like to share some of my missteps with you in the sincere hope you can benefit from my mistakes.
For the first nugget of wisdom, I want to talk about an alternative way you could potentially structure your education. It’s not for everyone, but the advice I provide is exactly what I would do if I could go back and do it all again.
THE TIP: For those of you pursuing a 5 year B.Arch degree, dedicate your full first year to knocking out core classes, exclusively. Don’t jump directly into the architecture program. Yes, I’m advising to willingly spend 6 years getting through a 5 year program.
I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out. For a standard B.Arch program, all your architecture courses and general core requirements are crammed into 10 semesters. I had zero experience in architecture before I began school. If you, too, are starting from scratch, I feel like 10 semesters is not enough time to develop all the skills and absorb all the necessary knowledge even if architecture classes were the only thing on your plate. When, on top of that, you add to the mix the myriad of required core classes, it can be overwhelming. Trust me, when you’re in the zone at 2:00 a.m. working on your final model and presentation boards for studio, the realization that you have to stop to cram for a biology test the next morning can be beyond soul-crushing. Beyond soul-crushing. On countless occasions, in very such circumstances, I fantasized about how wonderful it would be to be fully immersed in architecture without being distracted by other classes. Fucking mitosis.
Yes – This approach means your college career is stretched to 6 years instead of 5. That extra year can feel like an eternity in the moment, but when you’re in your 30s and cruising through the profession, college – including that extra year – will seem like ancient history.
If you adopt this strategy, don’t pussy-foot the first year. Go all in, and go all-in hard. I’d recommend taking 5 classes each semester. At the end of the year, you’ll have knocked out 10 cores before embarking on the Everest-esque ascent to graduation glory. This reduces your work-load for the rest of your college career by one class each semester. That’s huge. Huuuuuge.
Even with this approach, sustained focus is key. If this is your first post-secondary rodeo, there will be countless temptations in innumerable forms that you’ll need to keep under control if this strategy (or any strategy) is to be successful. Dedicating your first year to knocking out 10 core classes is utterly pointless if you end up failing 4 of them because you were saturated with alcohol most of the semester.
Though I genuinely endorse the extra year plan, there are 2 notable caveats:
CAVEAT 1
If you’re an academic superstar with no limit to the volume of information you can absorb in a short period of time, and confidently feel you can get the job done in 5 years, then by all means go for it. I knew a few studs who did this. But if you are a mere mortal like me, I’d highly recommend the 6- year route.
CAVEAT 2
I would not do this if you go to a school where this would be prohibitively expensive. Student loans are the devil, and if you go to a private school or an inordinately expensive public school, just grit your teeth and knock it out in 5 years.
Whatever you end up deciding, best of luck in your journey!