I've wanted to go into architecture for the longest time. But due to certain problems(one of them being family), I'm currently in a pre-med program in Canada.
The problem is, I can't keep my focus on this bio-crap. I keep thinking about my choice and whether it was the right one or not. I've always felt that it's better to try something and possibly regret the choice than to regret not doing it. Which is why I'm seriously considering to change school for the second time(since there is no architecture program in my current university). This is where I need help. I have no idea what kind of steps i have to take. Is it possible for me to apply to a school of architecture but not as a transfer student? Or is there an another way?
I'd really appreciate some kind of response please, thank you.
Btw, there are two reasons for the "not as a transfer student".
One of them being, I probably don't have the right courses for it(almost certain), and other being that some schools don't ask for portfolio for the non-transfer.
If I had the time, I'd be more than glad to go through the whole portfolio creation like I did in high-school. But time isn't as plenty as it was.
You can do both but be smart about it. Stay in med school please and you could be in better shape than being an broke architect scraping by.
Why dont you become a doctor and with your finances build yourself a new house every 5 years or so. Hire an architect willing to listen to your input to draw the designs you want- its just as fun. The iconic Farnsworth House was commisioned by a doctor.
And besides, as FLW said, "a doctor can bury his mistakes but and architect can only advise his client to plant vines." Your client/ patients dead or alive, you can help more people and cause less pain by becoming a doctor.
I completely understand what you mean, Suture. It's the reason why I was "forced" or pursuaded into my current situation by my family. I do know about the financial part about being an architect. I did a co-op program in high school for architecture firm, and most of them told me to go medical too for similar reasons. But I'd rather be doing something that I enjoy and be broke than be a doctor and hate my job.
Anyway, you said that I can do both. You mean I can apply as a freshman when I'm already enrolled in a program? Also, who's FLW?
SWEET! there's someone on this forum who doesn't know what FLW stands for! Guys, we have a true innocent here, let's not ruin it with the sarcasm... [it's Frank Lloyd Wright, btw, and you don't need to know much more about him than his initials]
yellotrace, if you follow your instinct, your passion, whatever you want to call it, it doesn't matter what kind of money you make. gotta be happy, no matter what your family says. i like to think it's just as distinctive to be an architect as it is to be a doctor, if that's what they're concerned about, and everybody thinks we make money so that doesn't matter either. you're at the point in life where you need to consider what you'll think in your 50's about the decisions you made in your 20's. mom & dad won't be around to bug you, then.
anyway, if you have an undergrad degree you should be able to apply to a 3 year master's program. depending on how much time you have left, stick it out so you at least didn't waste too much time. i just recently did a design charette with a girl who got an undergrad degree in biology, I don't know if it was specifically premed. And I don't know what kind of programs there are in Canada, but I do know that all grad programs love diversity, and if you aren't the typical art-history major, you already have the one-up. I'm sure there are many other people on this site who could give you more info on ways to sell yourself into grad school.
Who knows, you may end up specializing in medical/hospital design. Do an internship in a hospital during your undergrad, get your architecture degree, and you're off making at least a good portion of what the Dr. would have gotten you. in the same time as med school. not everybody follows the same track.
you're a pre-med. finish that then go into a graduate program for product engineering design. use maya. and Catia. and other programs that make the likes of 3dstudio, rhino, and autocad look like a dull crayon.
more hands-on design.
more money.
less elementary school interior bathroom elevations.
Do some more looking at threads on here and you'll find a lot of frustrated people... Architecture may be your passion, but depending on your skills, personality, location and luck... you may or may not be able to find a job which fulfills your aspirations. It's very rare that we get to work on projects which we are truly invested in. So much of architecture is about compromising, and if you see yourself as creative or at all an artist it can be difficult and even degrading.
Yes there are firms of all sizes doing good work, but they are few and far between (my opinion anyway). And beyond the actual quality of work, there are so many more issues - management, compensation, working environment that come into play. These issues exist for all types of jobs and environments, but for architects I think the combination of the small amount of time we get to spend devoted to actual creative work, low compensation and mismanagement at a lot of firms add up to dissatisfaction.
Personally I have to say though I am happy with what I am doing now (worked for 4 years, got licensed, started my own company), I often wonder whether I should have gone into another field, and even think of going back to school for law... Though people say the money isn't important, it is. If you want to raise a family, own a house and take vacations, you need money. My younger brother who just passed the bar is making 3 times what I am working from home, and his salary is considered low - it can be very difficult to be happy with what you have when presented with the alternatives. I am still young and have hope, but it's a tough field to be in these days.
It's increasingly harder for me to make a decision... How hard is it, as an architect, to raise a family, and so on?
I wish I knew whether architecture was my passion or not, and I wish I knew if I had talent or skills and if I had the right personality, location and good luck. But nobody can really be sure of any of the above. It'd be a gamble, I guess.
If I do decide to "gamble", I wish I knew if I had any chips to begin with(chips meaning talent, luck so on).
Don't count on raising a family and supporting a stay at home spouse with the architect's salary. maybe you should stay in med school long enough to find a spouse who is a good doctor so he/she can make the $ for the family.
I echo - don't rely on an architect's salary to support a stay at home spouse and kids. You can do it, but it's a scraping-by, coupon clipping, turning the thermostat real low, reusing your Ziploc baggies, vacationing only by staying with relatives, worrying about bouncing checks at the end of every month kind of existence.
That being said, I absolutely love going to "work" to do my hobby every day! We can all understand your confliction.
And I tend to agree with the "better to regret something you've done than something you didn't do" train of thought, in fact I'm currently in the process pf trading in security for a new adventure that my heart is calling me to do....so despite my contrary post, I guess my advice is to be bold, try to follow your dream. Good luck.
Regarding the time issue... I've already wasted a year of my life in high school..(I was a troubled kid, late bloomer? I hope). Going back as a freshman in architecture would be nice... Actually going back in time would be even better =P since I don't have any money.
I think the best thing right now might be finishing up whatever I have, and try the architecture masters later. i guess that would leave me with more choices.
If I were only a little less foolish in high school...
No shit, I'd have to do more than clip coupons, reuse baggies, etc if I had kids to support. That thermostat would have to be pretty low, like 43 farenheit, and you'd have to learn to make cabbage 30 different ways (at 30 cents a pound or less, its the cheapest food ever!) Am I being pessimisstic? I don't think so.
yellotrace - "Architecture makes a nice hobby" a wise one once said. ok, it was me.... But it means, you can like architecture, investigate it, get some built for you, photograph it, experience it, critique it whatever.
Living cheap isn't an issue for me =)
Having to pay everything myself with whatever I can scavenge, I've learned to eat less and wear less. 2 Meals a day is a luxury for me at the moment. Funny how I still don't lose weight though.
If you don't mind me asking, Strawbeary, why did you get into architecture?
Lets just say that i am a worldly soul and am wise beyond my years.
trust me-you will be a more well rounded architect with a different undergrad degree and like you said, if you choose you can go to a 3 year masters program at a later time. aside from the premed classes, sign up for some arch history and drawing classes. Keep at it and above all have a fun time.
Yellotrace, if your passion is to be an architect, then be one. All of the rest of us are in the profession because it is the only thing that we can see ourselves happily doing, which sounds a lot like what you are going through. Yes, it is frustrating at times having to constantly compromise your artistic talent, but there are many other times that are very rewarding. Recently, something that I designed literally brought a man to tears because it was exactly what he wanted. This was quite moving to me.
With that said, I believe that your next move is contingent on mostly one thing, which is how far you are along in med school. If you’re less than half way through, I’d say make the jump soon. If you’re more than halfway through, do what others have brought up, which is to finish school, then sign on with architecture for your master’s studies.
Being well-rounded is very admirable, and having a medical background will be looked upon favorably whether you complete your schooling or not. Depending on the school, it’s only between 1-1.5 years difference to earn your masters if you have a M.Arch vs. any other degree anyways, so not all your time has been lost.
I think it is far more admirable for one to know him/herself well enough to realize when a change needs to be made. Med school for you will be the “safe†choice – you will likely earn more, cause fewer hardships within your family, but at the same time, you will end up leading a miserable life if what you do isn’t the right fit. If you’re not passionate about the medical field right now, you probably never will be.
/end dissertation.
LOL… sorry to be so long winded, but I hope this helps.
yello, answering your question: I got into architecture because I was always very visually and spatially 'tuned in'. I always wanted to be around buildings and study them. My family toured buildings for fun growing up on and my parents always pointed out the architectural elements. They actually pushed my brother to be an architect and me to be a doctor. Ironically, my brother is a doctor. And frankly I was seeing a lot of thoughtless ugly crap going up around me growing up and thought I could do better. Here we go: I am very creative, a great brainstormer, a great problem solver, a good listener, a quick study, a good communicator and was the top student in art, and in the top 3 consistantly in math and science alike in high school. My favorite school subjects were in order: art, geography, geometry and anthropology. I score high in the spatial portion of those exams for what its worth, I don't care what the Harvard president says about it (referencing the news lately). I grew up on a farm where I was allowed to experiment with the way I did absolutely everything without much influence from other kids, TV etc, and was very inventive and my imagination was encouraged, nurtured and rewarded. Everything just seemed to point towards architecture because those are the things that architecture was to me when I didn't know what it was. I loved architecture school and did pretty well. I think I have a lot of potential, but perhaps not enough perserverence to actually pull this architect thing off. If you read my other posts you will see that I have quite the cynical streak in me. Yello, please don't take what I say in some posts too seriously, I just happen to hate where I am right now and I am just one point of view. Actually, sometimes I love what I do so much I can't sit still and I love architecture and being an architect --- but that's not as interesting to write about. Thanks for asking, that felt good.
Thank you all for great comments. I have a lot of thinking to do now. My lungs are gonna go to waste, if I don't figure out something soon.
Anyway this brings me to my next point...
What are some of the good architecture(masters) schools(location does not matter) with good financial aid and scholarship program. And what can I do to improve my chance at getting more $$. Is part-time job a viable income option for architecture student?
Btw, what did Harvard president say? and where can I find this news? So many new things I'm finding here... I should go to sleep because I have early lecture and lab tommorow morning, but can't stop reading the forum atm..
the harvard president said a few days ago that new studies reveal chicks aren't as good at math and science and spatial things as men. actually i agree, wholly. for the most part, they are. but i don't care cause it doesn't mean anything and the media is trying to make it mean something is all.
I’ll try to be practical here since you’ve all ready gotten a liberal dose of both architects martyr complex and people fantasies about being a doctor. If you want to make money or have an easy life don’t go into medicine. It’s a lot of hard work and lot of difficult expensive training and it’s not as lucrative as it was. You should only do it if you like working on the body like an incredibly complex, fantastic machine and if you want to help people.
That said, you don’t have to have an architecture undergrad degree to go to grad school. You could stick it out and finish and then apply for a masters program or you could shift over into a major that your school does have that would lead in to architecture (art history, critical theory, engineering, cultural geography, ect.). The problem most people have in grad school is that they know too much about architecture and not enough about anything else.
I changed my major from neurobiology to architecture midway through school (just a matter of dropping a form into somebody’s mail box and taking different classes for me) but I kept working as a lab tech and I’ll never regret having some technical skills from that.
Feb 28, 05 1:14 pm ·
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I need help
I've wanted to go into architecture for the longest time. But due to certain problems(one of them being family), I'm currently in a pre-med program in Canada.
The problem is, I can't keep my focus on this bio-crap. I keep thinking about my choice and whether it was the right one or not. I've always felt that it's better to try something and possibly regret the choice than to regret not doing it. Which is why I'm seriously considering to change school for the second time(since there is no architecture program in my current university). This is where I need help. I have no idea what kind of steps i have to take. Is it possible for me to apply to a school of architecture but not as a transfer student? Or is there an another way?
I'd really appreciate some kind of response please, thank you.
Btw, there are two reasons for the "not as a transfer student".
One of them being, I probably don't have the right courses for it(almost certain), and other being that some schools don't ask for portfolio for the non-transfer.
If I had the time, I'd be more than glad to go through the whole portfolio creation like I did in high-school. But time isn't as plenty as it was.
You can do both but be smart about it. Stay in med school please and you could be in better shape than being an broke architect scraping by.
Why dont you become a doctor and with your finances build yourself a new house every 5 years or so. Hire an architect willing to listen to your input to draw the designs you want- its just as fun. The iconic Farnsworth House was commisioned by a doctor.
And besides, as FLW said, "a doctor can bury his mistakes but and architect can only advise his client to plant vines." Your client/ patients dead or alive, you can help more people and cause less pain by becoming a doctor.
Good luck.
I completely understand what you mean, Suture. It's the reason why I was "forced" or pursuaded into my current situation by my family. I do know about the financial part about being an architect. I did a co-op program in high school for architecture firm, and most of them told me to go medical too for similar reasons. But I'd rather be doing something that I enjoy and be broke than be a doctor and hate my job.
Anyway, you said that I can do both. You mean I can apply as a freshman when I'm already enrolled in a program? Also, who's FLW?
SWEET! there's someone on this forum who doesn't know what FLW stands for! Guys, we have a true innocent here, let's not ruin it with the sarcasm... [it's Frank Lloyd Wright, btw, and you don't need to know much more about him than his initials]
yellotrace, if you follow your instinct, your passion, whatever you want to call it, it doesn't matter what kind of money you make. gotta be happy, no matter what your family says. i like to think it's just as distinctive to be an architect as it is to be a doctor, if that's what they're concerned about, and everybody thinks we make money so that doesn't matter either. you're at the point in life where you need to consider what you'll think in your 50's about the decisions you made in your 20's. mom & dad won't be around to bug you, then.
anyway, if you have an undergrad degree you should be able to apply to a 3 year master's program. depending on how much time you have left, stick it out so you at least didn't waste too much time. i just recently did a design charette with a girl who got an undergrad degree in biology, I don't know if it was specifically premed. And I don't know what kind of programs there are in Canada, but I do know that all grad programs love diversity, and if you aren't the typical art-history major, you already have the one-up. I'm sure there are many other people on this site who could give you more info on ways to sell yourself into grad school.
Who knows, you may end up specializing in medical/hospital design. Do an internship in a hospital during your undergrad, get your architecture degree, and you're off making at least a good portion of what the Dr. would have gotten you. in the same time as med school. not everybody follows the same track.
forget architecture.
you're a pre-med. finish that then go into a graduate program for product engineering design. use maya. and Catia. and other programs that make the likes of 3dstudio, rhino, and autocad look like a dull crayon.
more hands-on design.
more money.
less elementary school interior bathroom elevations.
just get the sheepskin become an md marry an architect do what you want. good luck
Why do architects almost always tell the architect-wannabes to go into another field? (Other than the money factor)
Do some more looking at threads on here and you'll find a lot of frustrated people... Architecture may be your passion, but depending on your skills, personality, location and luck... you may or may not be able to find a job which fulfills your aspirations. It's very rare that we get to work on projects which we are truly invested in. So much of architecture is about compromising, and if you see yourself as creative or at all an artist it can be difficult and even degrading.
Yes there are firms of all sizes doing good work, but they are few and far between (my opinion anyway). And beyond the actual quality of work, there are so many more issues - management, compensation, working environment that come into play. These issues exist for all types of jobs and environments, but for architects I think the combination of the small amount of time we get to spend devoted to actual creative work, low compensation and mismanagement at a lot of firms add up to dissatisfaction.
Personally I have to say though I am happy with what I am doing now (worked for 4 years, got licensed, started my own company), I often wonder whether I should have gone into another field, and even think of going back to school for law... Though people say the money isn't important, it is. If you want to raise a family, own a house and take vacations, you need money. My younger brother who just passed the bar is making 3 times what I am working from home, and his salary is considered low - it can be very difficult to be happy with what you have when presented with the alternatives. I am still young and have hope, but it's a tough field to be in these days.
It's increasingly harder for me to make a decision... How hard is it, as an architect, to raise a family, and so on?
I wish I knew whether architecture was my passion or not, and I wish I knew if I had talent or skills and if I had the right personality, location and good luck. But nobody can really be sure of any of the above. It'd be a gamble, I guess.
If I do decide to "gamble", I wish I knew if I had any chips to begin with(chips meaning talent, luck so on).
Don't count on raising a family and supporting a stay at home spouse with the architect's salary. maybe you should stay in med school long enough to find a spouse who is a good doctor so he/she can make the $ for the family.
Wow.. very grim...
I echo - don't rely on an architect's salary to support a stay at home spouse and kids. You can do it, but it's a scraping-by, coupon clipping, turning the thermostat real low, reusing your Ziploc baggies, vacationing only by staying with relatives, worrying about bouncing checks at the end of every month kind of existence.
That being said, I absolutely love going to "work" to do my hobby every day! We can all understand your confliction.
And I tend to agree with the "better to regret something you've done than something you didn't do" train of thought, in fact I'm currently in the process pf trading in security for a new adventure that my heart is calling me to do....so despite my contrary post, I guess my advice is to be bold, try to follow your dream. Good luck.
liberty, i do all of the above and i don't have kids...man i suck, Architecture Sucks...http://archinect.com/tshirts/
Dreams dont pay the rent and my Hummer2 bills.
How about you become a doctor and make sure to be on building committees when your hospital grows? They are always adding on new wings.
Regarding the time issue... I've already wasted a year of my life in high school..(I was a troubled kid, late bloomer? I hope). Going back as a freshman in architecture would be nice... Actually going back in time would be even better =P since I don't have any money.
I think the best thing right now might be finishing up whatever I have, and try the architecture masters later. i guess that would leave me with more choices.
If I were only a little less foolish in high school...
Suture, how long have you been working as an architect? Just wondering.
Btw, Museschild, thank you for enlightening me with the biology degree thing.
No shit, I'd have to do more than clip coupons, reuse baggies, etc if I had kids to support. That thermostat would have to be pretty low, like 43 farenheit, and you'd have to learn to make cabbage 30 different ways (at 30 cents a pound or less, its the cheapest food ever!) Am I being pessimisstic? I don't think so.
yellotrace - "Architecture makes a nice hobby" a wise one once said. ok, it was me.... But it means, you can like architecture, investigate it, get some built for you, photograph it, experience it, critique it whatever.
Living cheap isn't an issue for me =)
Having to pay everything myself with whatever I can scavenge, I've learned to eat less and wear less. 2 Meals a day is a luxury for me at the moment. Funny how I still don't lose weight though.
If you don't mind me asking, Strawbeary, why did you get into architecture?
Yellowtrace,
Lets just say that i am a worldly soul and am wise beyond my years.
trust me-you will be a more well rounded architect with a different undergrad degree and like you said, if you choose you can go to a 3 year masters program at a later time. aside from the premed classes, sign up for some arch history and drawing classes. Keep at it and above all have a fun time.
cheers!
OK, a few words need to be said here.
Yellotrace, if your passion is to be an architect, then be one. All of the rest of us are in the profession because it is the only thing that we can see ourselves happily doing, which sounds a lot like what you are going through. Yes, it is frustrating at times having to constantly compromise your artistic talent, but there are many other times that are very rewarding. Recently, something that I designed literally brought a man to tears because it was exactly what he wanted. This was quite moving to me.
With that said, I believe that your next move is contingent on mostly one thing, which is how far you are along in med school. If you’re less than half way through, I’d say make the jump soon. If you’re more than halfway through, do what others have brought up, which is to finish school, then sign on with architecture for your master’s studies.
Being well-rounded is very admirable, and having a medical background will be looked upon favorably whether you complete your schooling or not. Depending on the school, it’s only between 1-1.5 years difference to earn your masters if you have a M.Arch vs. any other degree anyways, so not all your time has been lost.
I think it is far more admirable for one to know him/herself well enough to realize when a change needs to be made. Med school for you will be the “safe†choice – you will likely earn more, cause fewer hardships within your family, but at the same time, you will end up leading a miserable life if what you do isn’t the right fit. If you’re not passionate about the medical field right now, you probably never will be.
/end dissertation.
LOL… sorry to be so long winded, but I hope this helps.
i wish architecture had a similar credo as , "doctor do no harm."
how many horrible buildings would be held back at SD and never built because they were killing the patient?
yello, answering your question: I got into architecture because I was always very visually and spatially 'tuned in'. I always wanted to be around buildings and study them. My family toured buildings for fun growing up on and my parents always pointed out the architectural elements. They actually pushed my brother to be an architect and me to be a doctor. Ironically, my brother is a doctor. And frankly I was seeing a lot of thoughtless ugly crap going up around me growing up and thought I could do better. Here we go: I am very creative, a great brainstormer, a great problem solver, a good listener, a quick study, a good communicator and was the top student in art, and in the top 3 consistantly in math and science alike in high school. My favorite school subjects were in order: art, geography, geometry and anthropology. I score high in the spatial portion of those exams for what its worth, I don't care what the Harvard president says about it (referencing the news lately). I grew up on a farm where I was allowed to experiment with the way I did absolutely everything without much influence from other kids, TV etc, and was very inventive and my imagination was encouraged, nurtured and rewarded. Everything just seemed to point towards architecture because those are the things that architecture was to me when I didn't know what it was. I loved architecture school and did pretty well. I think I have a lot of potential, but perhaps not enough perserverence to actually pull this architect thing off. If you read my other posts you will see that I have quite the cynical streak in me. Yello, please don't take what I say in some posts too seriously, I just happen to hate where I am right now and I am just one point of view. Actually, sometimes I love what I do so much I can't sit still and I love architecture and being an architect --- but that's not as interesting to write about. Thanks for asking, that felt good.
OY!!! SUCH MIXED FEELINGS!
Thank you all for great comments. I have a lot of thinking to do now. My lungs are gonna go to waste, if I don't figure out something soon.
Anyway this brings me to my next point...
What are some of the good architecture(masters) schools(location does not matter) with good financial aid and scholarship program. And what can I do to improve my chance at getting more $$. Is part-time job a viable income option for architecture student?
Btw, what did Harvard president say? and where can I find this news? So many new things I'm finding here... I should go to sleep because I have early lecture and lab tommorow morning, but can't stop reading the forum atm..
the harvard president said a few days ago that new studies reveal chicks aren't as good at math and science and spatial things as men. actually i agree, wholly. for the most part, they are. but i don't care cause it doesn't mean anything and the media is trying to make it mean something is all.
potatoes are cheaper than cabbage
I’ll try to be practical here since you’ve all ready gotten a liberal dose of both architects martyr complex and people fantasies about being a doctor. If you want to make money or have an easy life don’t go into medicine. It’s a lot of hard work and lot of difficult expensive training and it’s not as lucrative as it was. You should only do it if you like working on the body like an incredibly complex, fantastic machine and if you want to help people.
That said, you don’t have to have an architecture undergrad degree to go to grad school. You could stick it out and finish and then apply for a masters program or you could shift over into a major that your school does have that would lead in to architecture (art history, critical theory, engineering, cultural geography, ect.). The problem most people have in grad school is that they know too much about architecture and not enough about anything else.
I changed my major from neurobiology to architecture midway through school (just a matter of dropping a form into somebody’s mail box and taking different classes for me) but I kept working as a lab tech and I’ll never regret having some technical skills from that.
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