Today was the last class of the year for the first-year M.Arches at Columbia with the Architectural Drawing and Representation 2 final review. I was reminded of what I was supposed to learn last semester- that I need to stop looking for answers behind every pencil stroke and let the process lead me into new areas of exploration.

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The actual final moment of the semester is always a little anti-climactic- you are up for days, turning things out left and right, not eating, not sleeping, questioning everything you do, but the actual final event, whether a review or a paper or a test, always passes in an instant.

The studio reviews happened two weeks ago, but after they finished, the other classes still needed to wrap up. This period is a little odd because the huge pressure of studio is lifted even though there are three more grades to worry about.

Despite the confusion, I always end every project full of excitement and anticipation for the next. I am eager to start the next project, but I need to realize that the fall semester is four months away.

To all my 2008 first-year M.Arch classmates: I learned a great deal from you, and I hope you keep up the intensity and progression over the summer into next fall.