School of Architecture – is a long journey and a gruelling process we all know it. Hopefully, many of you will agree, its’s worth it for the knowledge you gain throughout these years. If we talk about learning in the school of Architecture then the list will go long way – from designing spaces to a great building, creative about ideas, spaces, hierarchy, elements, design process, the perspective of view at things, architectural drawings to software’s, and many more; the list of learning goes long way. But more than that Architectural education is not just about learning to design great spaces and all other architectural skills, architecture school also teaches us other life lessons. You will all agree on this that on the last day of architecture school you are not the same person who entered on the first day of school. You have grown and become a more mature person who can solve the problem and can make a way out of the difficult situation of life.
1.Taking Criticism
Almost every student of architecture would have faced a bad critic. It’s always hard to listen to professor criticising your work; it tears you apart and a project you have put a lot of efforts into. Criticism always hits you hard unless you don’t take it personally. Sometimes you just keep on defending your design and in that case, sometimes you are correct and sometimes you would have been blindly defending your work without listening to professors’ feedback. As in architecture school, there is a lot of opportunities for critics and feedbacks, and as time goes you become more mature and try to understand and implement constructive criticism into your work and life.
2.To Think Outside the Box
In Architecture schools, teaches refer “Problem Solving” as “Design thinking”. At School of Architecture, it has been taught from the beginning to look at the problems from many different angles; that it’s not always getting from Point A to Point B. It’s a whole process of information gathering, study the background of it and then make a thoughtful decision to get the solution and to analyse the effect of the move they make. Once you learn what a problem-solving in design is, it will also change your perception towards problems solving approach in life.
3.Time Management (Not really)
This is the skill that almost no one can master in the field of architecture (except very few), we Architects are just awful at Time Management. But Architecture School makes us learn the importance of Good Time Management skill in education and life. In Architecture school due to intense workload, Architecture Students have a great opportunity to expertise this skill by prioritizing tasks and managing time wisely. If one succeeds in having good time management skills, they can manage anything that comes their way in future. Time is of great value, make sure you use wisely.
4.Learning, Reading and Researching
The most important skill is to learn “How to Learn”. For every submission in architecture school, one needs to do a lot of research and reading related to the given topic and learn about it. A skill which allows you to absorb new knowledge is always beneficial. Even when you are graduated, this skill always gives you a nostalgic feel of old study habits.
5.Presentation Skills/ Public Speaking
Architecture School is full of presentation, whether you are giving design jury or trying to make your professor understand your work, or putting your point of view in front of your group in the group work, or defending your design in the final jury. In Architecture almost every second day you need to give a presentation whether in group or individual. Once you master this skill it becomes easier in life to put off your view at any point of a situation if life.
6.Working in a group
The reality of Architecture world is that you need you to work in a team in future, SO school make to practice work in groups in your graduation period only by giving many projects in groups of few students. Even though while doing group work you come across different personality some lazy, some enthusiastic, frustrating, and some never seen up during work. Although it becomes very frustrating sometimes, in that process, you are learning a very valuable skill. If you are a fabulous designer but you can’t work with a team it’s not worth it. Doesn’t matter if you are an architect or not but if you master this skill you are good to go at every stage of life and in any situation of life.
7.Discover what you are capable of
In the School of Architecture, the amount of personal growth that happens is incredible. If you compare the amount of work you would make in the first year and last year it has a vast difference. Once what seems impossible to you, then you are doing the same thing with great effort, everyone is capable of so much more then they think they are. Architecture school tests your limit of doing work.
There are many more such skills, you would have experienced during architecture school. Architecture School is like two sides of the coin: one is rough and hard to survive all this five year and other is a ton of fun; travelling to places, meeting cool architecture peoples, testing your limits, all-night working beside your friends. Studying Architecture will change how you see things around you and how you see your life.
Reference:
http://www.theaspiringarchitect.com/5-tips-for-surviving-architecture-school/
https://youngarchitect.com/10-reasons-why-you-should-study-architecture/
https://www.archdaily.com/871046/the-13-most-important-non-architecture-skills-you-learn-in-architecture-school
