Walking into the architecture college of your dreams and realising it is unlike other colleges and comes with its unconventional ways of functioning is not an easy pill to swallow. A fresher coming solely with the perception of his/her inclination to art/sketching is usually caught on the hop when bombarded with technicalities, software learning, deadlines and lots of criticism. This journey from high school to architecture school puts to test each of your abilities- from sharpening your pencil the correct way to interacting with people; everything turns into a moment of truth. As horrifying as this may sound, this experience is packed with fun and lots of learning that eventually shapes you into a person who is ready to take upon yourself any challenge coming your way.
Architecture is a way of life, they say!
Out of all the crucial things one learns in architecture college, the most important of them all is time management. More often than not, students find themselves overwhelmed with work and constantly juggling multiple deadlines, but as one progresses through, it helps you accomplish tasks effectively in desired time frames and in no time, you’re a seasoned individual. This is the first time that one is exposed to such a workload that turns nights into working hours and sleep into caffeinated survival. However, the satisfaction at the end of the day after putting in all the efforts is unmatched. Right from day one, they start honing your skills. You will find yourself trying to sharpen your pencil with a cutter rather than a sharpener, setting up your drafting boards, sketching everything you see, carrying measure tape with you everywhere you go and questioning every building you see!
The Realm of Architecture School
What sets apart an architecture school from the rest of the colleges is the freedom it gives you.
You’re set out on your own trying to figure out things, exploring and learning rather than a customary teacher-student interaction. Here, the professors are just fellow learners who will grow with you; peers are criticisers who will give their insight into your projects and help you; and classrooms are anything other than a space confined within walls. Here, major learning takes place during interactions, student meets, site visits and in the library! You definitely will learn more when working with your peers rather than working alone in your niche. The tack boards filled with sketches and works of your classmates will only fuel your desire to work, and the interaction with seniors will help you get through the toughest days in college. All this while, you’ll develop a habit of taking criticism constructively, which comes in handy when you will constantly be targeted by your professors no matter how hard you work. This habit of taking in all the positive comments and carefully squeezing out the essence of negative feedback and putting it into rectification for your good will help you survive through college and life ahead.
It’s not just drawing,it is technical!
In addition to these soft skills, you are also introduced to various technical skills which aid your learning and help you keep up to date with the course. The regular rulers are replaced by triangular scales, parallel bars and T-squares. Hand-drafting is one of the first skills you adapt to. Going through this turmoil only makes you grateful for the drafting software which you learn in the progressing years that makes the laborious job of hand drafting a lot more manageable and simpler. This software, although requiring a lot of effort to get well-versed and adept at it, is a well-established part of it all. Right from the inception of the idea to its execution, these help you curate your projects and express/communicate your ideas. While digital working is appreciated among students, you must remember the importance of hand skills. Model making is one of those skills that tags along till the end. Getting familiar with tools, striving for precision in the model and spending hours on model making is all a part of the journey as it sets the basis for your design in the initial stages while you are still exploring and experimenting.
Overall, architecture schools are nothing but free learning environments exposing you to design and give you the privilege of thinking freely before you go out into the real world and get engulfed by several restrictions. With technical skills paired with soft skills, architecture is not just merely sketching or drawing. It surely is a medley of emotions, learning, failing, growing and, most importantly- never giving up! On tough days one must never forget that the adversities you face in college are sculpting you into someone ready to face the trials and tribulations in the real world one way or the other.
References:
Hewer, D. (1995). Women enjoying a cup of tea. [Photograph]. (Document number 345, London: Food Photography Library).
Admin (2021). What is architecture school like and what to expect, ArchiMash.com. Available at: https://archimash.com/articles/what-is-architecture-school-like/
Anonymous. (n.d.). Person Holding Pen Point On Blueprint. [Photograph].
Anonymous. (2022). Students working in the Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building. [Photograph]. (UM Admission)
Hakanoglu, A.O. (2023). Life of an architecture student: My First week – architizer journal, Journal. Available at: https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/life-of-an-architecture-student-my-first-week/
Tomasso, T. (2014). Three Young Architects Are Having a Meeting at a Table Office Studiyng a Plan and Discussing on a Colour Chart. [Photograph].
