“Architecture” is a giant umbrella term for a variety of professions that range from being a designer and planner to being the best coffee maker, who can stay up for four nights in a row. Unlike other branches, it focuses on the holistic development of students. I walked into college with the naïve idea that I was just going to learn how to make drawings and buildings. Here are a few important life-lessons that I ended up learning instead.
Learning is never limited to the four walls of our classroom
Architecture colleges focus on the importance of going out in the real world and learning things hands-on. Case studies, surveys, and interviews along with the much-awaited site visits prepare us for the best. We are taught that exploring can never be enough and noticing every minute detail with our eyes wide open is the best source of knowledge we can receive!
There are no “bad ideas”
This is something that is taught to us from the very first year. I cannot emphasize enough on how important it is to take into consideration even the tiniest creative thought without any bias. Exploring new ideas and concepts without being judgmental usually leads to the most unique designs!
“Final Design” files are a myth
There will always be changes to our design, irrespective of the number of times we try to save our file as “FINAL”, out of sheer frustration. The design guides always ensure to pinpoint the tiniest errors so we can keep building on them and explore new possibilities. Hence, we are taught to never get our expectations too high because there is always a scope for improvement!
Juries are mock tests and clients are the real exam
Juries are the highlight of the course and all the brutal grilling received by the jurors prepares us for the difficult clients we have to deal with in the future. In addition to that, Juries are the best way to work on our presentation and soft skills. They also teach us to accept rejection with grace and express our beliefs and thoughts with conviction.
Dealing with difficult teammates
A large chunk of Architecture course work requires students to work in groups. We are not always blessed to be teamed up with the people we know. Hence it teaches us to be patient and compromise where it’s necessary. Understanding people and rising above personal incompatibilities and getting work done efficiently is the whole point of this exercise. This is also the best way to learn about project management.
24- hours will never be enough. Multitask like there’s no tomorrow!
The concept of deadlines being unrealistic and unachievable does not exist in Architecture colleges. We are taught to be insanely optimistic and get things done in the stipulated amount of time by staying up for days with dark circles under our eyes! The constant juggling between various subjects, assignments, group work, renders, drawings, and models surely sounds like a lot of work, but we are taught to very smartly manage things and still have enough time to binge-watch our favorite shows. It stops seeming like a huge problem and we end up mastering the art of multitasking by the end of those five years.
You are a photographer, writer, designer, historian, and even a director. Hence, EXPLORE
Architecture colleges have a wide range of coursework that touches most creative branches, so as to open up an array of career options to the students. We have the privilege of studying history for humanities, writing, researching, designing and shooting documentaries for dissertation, understanding botany for landscape, and above all developing our personality and aesthetics over those five years. Hence an Architecture student knows about most allied career options by the time he or she graduates.
Love what you do, be perseverant and things will fall into place
Architecture is all about loving what you do. Your work is your brain-child and it is extremely important to put your soul into it and ensure it turns out like you imagined it to be. There will be times when work seems impossible and frustration builds up, but it is so important to keep going with the flow and not giving up easily!
Architecture colleges teach us lessons that go beyond textual knowledge and straightforward methods. We don’t just add skills to our Résumé, we add skills to our life and mold ourselves into multi-faceted individuals by the end of the course. Endless conversations in the studio about design and life in general, with friends and guides who eventually become family, teach us more about life than any book. These memories stay with us forever and that is what makes college feel like home.
