I really wanted to write a blog after I saw that we weren't represented. I just learned that a critic from last semester was a blogger for Maryland which was enlightening to see.

My hopes for this blog is to inform those interested about how we approach architecture at Maryland. I find it fascinating to see how other schools learn how to design.

The basic about UMD:

We are a four year school. We start design studio our junior year after two years of completing core requirements. We have an application process for studio our sophomore year that requires a portfolio and a good GPA. That was our first glimpse at the stress architecture induces.

The first two years were good for learning how to acclimate to college. I admire the students who were able to jump into architecture the first day of college because I don't think that I could have done it. I was too distracted by college life, but then I got over it after two years of it. It was also helpful to pursue other interests/classes. A few friends are heavily involved in clubs and other majors that I think would have been difficult to pursue if we didn't have the two year buffer.

The downside is that we only have two years in studio to decide if we want to pursue architecture. Well, if we are applying to grad school, we only have three semesters to decide. Not to mention we only have three semesters worth of work to create a portfolio with which is not as much as other schools.

Grad school seems daunting to most of my friends and I because of how close it is coming for us to decide what we want to focus on. Wait, I'm not getting into that now, I'm sure I'll get back to that topic later.

Let's see, Maryland architecture, its a great program. I'm proud that I go there. I'm especially proud of my class. We're fifty passionate, competitive, socially awkward, over-achieving architecture students that are giving it all we have to learn how to design well. I think I'm lucky when I look around and see such motivated people around me. i think we have a good group.

Well I think that sums up the basics of Maryland. This will hopefully be the most boring entry I write and my future updates will be a little more interesting.