School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term. Whether you're a fresh undergraduate student embarking on your first year of architecture school or you're a returning student about to continue another rigorous year of learning, experimenting, and designing — our ongoing Archinect Tips series has you covered!
Between managing your class schedule, making sure you have enough printing credits, and checking that your laptop has the latest rendering software, our latest curated selection of ten helpful tips, resources, and articles below ensures you're ready to face the new school year. Let's get started!
The most common piece of advice I hear for students to follow is understanding time management. There's no doubt this is an important skill that will aid you throughout your years as a student and help you in other aspects of your professional life. Understanding time management, however, also means understanding your own habits, preferences, and tendencies.
There isn't a one-size-fits-all formula that will make someone, especially a student, become "more productive, more organized, and more successful" during school. Whether you're a first-year student reaching an exciting and nerve-wracking time in your academic journey, or a graduate student preparing to expand your own academic pursuits, keep yourself honest and accountable for what you can realistically take on and accomplish. Understanding how to self-manage is an important life skill, especially when you begin working for a firm. As Archinect contributing writer Sean Joyner previously explained, "By definition, everything can't be done 'ASAP.' It's clear that 'chaos creates confusion,' but 'having a structure can create empowerment.'"
If you're someone who needs to keep everything written down in a notebook/calendar, or you prefer logging everything digitally with alarms and notifications, remember these personal organization methods will grow, change, and develop with you. A tip I always tell myself when working is: "Stay committed to the result and flexible in the approach."
Whether it's your studio instructor, a TA, someone from admissions, or your fellow classmate — don't be afraid to ask questions. Clarity is important, but at the same time, everyone learns at a different pace. If you already know you are someone who absorbs information differently and has a different way of grasping things, learn how to be responsible for yourself and your learning needs. This is particularly important for incoming undergraduate students fresh from high school.
No one knows you better than yourself, so don't be afraid to self-advocate. Who knows, you just might be helping someone else in the process.
Understand that developing a sense of awareness for yourself is crucial. There will be instructors who provide you with the steps and tools to succeed — but you also have to be accountable for how you use those tools. No one knows you better than yourself, so don't be afraid to self-advocate. Who knows, you just might be helping someone else in the process.
Regardless of what your motivations are for pursuing an architectural education, you'll be faced with several instructors and potential mentors who will help guide you through your academic journey. However, it's important to remember: "An instructor is there to mentor the student, to help them grow and become a better designer. An instructor isn't a client, or someone's mommy or daddy; they are merely an individual with more experience and knowledge with a responsibility to impart some of that knowledge to a group of students," Sean Joyer explains, adding, "In studio, whether it's a final review or a desk crit, instead of thinking to yourself: 'I hope they like my work,' think, 'I wonder what feedback they will have for me.'"
Be sure to also check out: Archinect's tips for students preparing for thesis reviews and studio critiques and Archinect's Guide to Presentations.
Going to architecture and design school means you will be faced with learning how to organize and actualize different ideas. This also means you'll have to learn how to pivot when an idea is not turning out the way you planned. In any design studio I've been in, one lesson I've learned is understanding how to let go of an idea. Sometimes, you can come up with a brilliant thought, but you don't have the right tools, or it may not be "the right time" to see that plan come to fruition. It's okay to shelf an idea and come back to it. Learning how to understand and embrace the power of iteration when designing and prototyping is an important skill.
Remember to take a step back from your work and look at it from different angles.
When you hyper-fixate on an idea, it could just hinder you from progressing in another area and getting things done. Remember to take a step back from your work and look at it from different angles. Allowing yourself to zoom in and zoom out of your work is key.
The infamous "all-nighter." The belief that needing to pull an all-nighter every step of your architectural career has become a common practice that needs to change. Over the last several years, it's clear that better working conditions for both students AND employees need massive reform. However, this "ideology" that pulling an all-nighter is a "right of passage" students need to make when starting their architecture journeys is outdated and unnecessary.
A previous Archinect Tip explained, that if you're thinking about pulling an all-nighter and putting sleep at the bottom of your to-do list, ask yourself these questions:
Remember, not sleeping for days isn't a badge of honor or something to brag about. There are only so many hours in a day. Understand what works for you and how to manage yourself. When things begin to get overwhelming and hard to handle, take a moment to assess yourself and the things in front of you. Communicate to your instructors and TAs if you need help or a potential extension. Refer to Tips #1, #6, and #8 for reference.
Be sure to check out: My Studio Architecture Instructors Have Implicitly Forced Us To Pull All-Nighters. This Needs to Change
Procrastination. A word that has become synonymous with avoiding something, indecisiveness, doubt, and reluctance, the list goes on. However, don't let this word prevent you from uncovering why you are having a hard time starting something or completing a task. Archinect staff writer Niall Patrick Walsh wrote: "As creative professionals, architects are prone to procrastination [...] In his acclaimed book The War of Art, author Steven Pressfield breaks down the many reasons why procrastination is a prevalent part in the creative process. 'Procrastination is the most common manifestation of [creative resistance] because it’s the easiest to rationalize' [...] For some experts on the topic, procrastination in the creative process is a necessary evil."
Alice Boyes, author of the book Stress-Free Productivity and former clinical psychologist, explained that "lots of forms of problem-solving benefit from an incubation period where you take a pause between when you hear the problem and when you start working on it." According to Boyes, there are three areas that can help "overcome" procrastination:
Be sure to check out: Doing creative work when we are obsessed with checking our phones
Part of attending architecture school is becoming familiar with using various pieces of equipment like a laser cutter, CNC machine, band saws, lathes, grinders, etc. Fabrication shops have amazing pieces of machinery that will help you create models and prototypes. But it's important to remember that these machines are not toys, so don't take them for granted. These are shared by everyone, so don't hog them.
Befriend the fabrication shop manager and staff.
If you're new to learning how to operate this equipment, be sure to pay attention when undergoing your introductory fabrication shop tours. Need a refresher? Ask for help. Befriend the fabrication shop manager and staff. They are there to keep everyone safe and make sure students are making the most out of the equipment. Also, don't be afraid to get dirty and experiment with various materials. And be sure to wear proper safety attire and equipment.
This last note is a given but worth repeating when mid-term reviews and final presentations roll around...try not to operate any of the machinery on zero sleep. Go back to Tips #1 and #5 if you need a refresher.
A phrase that's easier said than done for most, architecture school can often be a den for learning how to ignore your body and its needs, both physically and mentally. Something as simple as remembering to stay hydrated, eating, sleeping, and taking breaks has somehow become easy to disregard. Burnout, work culture, and managing one's well-being are frequent topics discussed on Archinect. No one is "okay" and "100%" all the time. Everyone is going through something, and there will be plenty of hard days that make you doubt your decision to pursue architecture school and a career in it. But know that you have the power to change how you maneuver and navigate through your architecture journey in school. In Sean Joyner's impactful feature "Debunking Architecture's Mythological Work Culture," he dives into the problematic concepts of work culture in architecture and how it starts in architecture school.
In one of his previous features discussing burnout, Joyner writes: "How many stories have we heard of the extreme working conditions in our industry? Starting from school, 'all-nighters' become an inevitable part of our participation as students. It's our ticket to the club [...] We vow to get the work done at all costs. But what costs are those really? Our health, wealth, and happiness? Is it really worth it?"
Do your best to take care of yourself and utilize the resources around you. It's okay to seek help and support.
For many, the answer is no. However, this type of learned behavior can often be difficult to break. "Beyond the rigorousness of architectural academia, discussions among school leaders and administrations have been spearheaded by the push for better and safer working environments for students and faculty alike. From studio culture, jury critiques, and internships, students are finding ways to ask for help and gain resources to navigate architecture school." In the end, the decisions you make are your own. So, do your best to take care of yourself and utilize the resources around you. It's okay to seek help and support.
Besides your core foundational classes, the architecture studio is a magical place that allows you to cultivate your own design perspective and thought process. It's an environment where you'll experiment and understand the importance of iteration. You'll learn to absorb and question things as well as forge lifelong friendships. Being part of a studio is being part of a community. With so much going on, ideas are everywhere if you give yourself a chance to look and pay attention. Be observant and learn from others around you. Be a sponge, absorb what you can, and wring out what you don't need. This can also be applied to taking in constructive criticism.
Be sure to check out: Balancing Studio With Other Classes
Architecture school shouldn't be seen as a place filled with stress and dread. It is true that pursuing an architectural education is a rigorous affair, but it's also a place where you as a person will grow, learn, and be challenged. You will meet different types of people from different walks of life who will impact you in various ways. While architecture school and its demands can be a lot to take in, don't forget that there is a world outside of the studio.
Don't let your education get in the way of your education.
Have lunch with your friends. Join clubs. Find activities outside of your program that can help stimulate different parts of your brain. If you're a student moving away for the first time or are about to live in a city you didn't grow up in — don't miss the opportunity to explore your environment and surroundings. Similar to Tips #4 and #7, undergrad and graduate school is a time when your interests are expanding and deepening. A helpful featured comment in a previous article recommended: "Don't let your education get in the way of your education."
Do you have any tips we might have missed? Comment below and share your suggestions for students in architecture school.
Katherine is an LA-based writer and editor. She was Archinect's former Editorial Manager and Advertising Manager from 2018 – January 2024. During her time at Archinect, she's conducted and written 100+ interviews and specialty features with architects, designers, academics, and industry ...
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