Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
University of Southern California (USC)
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Kansas State University
ROTC and Architecture
Hi Everyone,
There is an old discussion on architecture and military but it has not been updated to date and it doesn't apply for international students.
I'm wrapping up my undergraduate and want to go for grad school. At the time I first started school in the US, ROTC at my school wasn't open for international students. Now it is. Of course there's some limit in training and benefits because we int'l students aren't allowed to join the service. I see it as an advantage because int'l students will get less training (and more time for architecture!).
I would like to join. However, I know architecture school is tough and I've heard ROTC is also tough even the training may be cut down for my case as an int'l student. Has anyone done architecture school and ROTC at the same time? How was/is the experience?
Thank you.
I was in ROTC as an undergrad, though I did not study architecture. You could do both, but this will be a huge commitment on your part. If you aren't eligible to join the service after, what benefit do you expect ROTC to provide? Or another way, what goal do you have that you think ROTC will help you achieve? It's not easy and I don't recall any of my classmates not bound for service actually completing the program.
This.
To the OP: No disrespect to vets of course but what exactly are you trying to achieve pursuing the regimental career concurrently w/ architecture?
Just like students who work, play sports, double major, party excessively etc. while doing architecture ... you'll need to find a balance of time that works for you if you want to pursue both. You'll probably screw something up along the way, but you should learn a lot about yourself and your ability to schedule and manage time. You might fail at something and have to do it again, but it is probably possible for most people if they have set realistic expectations for themselves (ie. you probably won't be the top of your class and have the best projects each semester, but you should be able to pass your classes and graduate).
The difficulty at my school was in scheduling conflicts between studios and extracurricular things. As a TA I had a student that really wanted to play on the football team. He couldn't tell the football coaches that he couldn't make practice on time because he had a studio that conflicted with the practice schedule (he wasn't that good of a player, they had other people that could warm that part of the bench). So he decided he could leave studio early every day to show up for football practice on time. For some reason he didn't think this would offend the professor (... it did), hurt his grade (... it did), or built resentment with his classmates who now wouldn't work on projects with him (... it did).
I was in NROTC & was majoring in Arch @ GA Tek in the '80s. The Navy guys pushed Midshipmen to major in ME, EE, AE,Nuke-E,etc-E. Anything '*-E'. They didn't really know what to do with us Arch, Mgt, Econ or Psych majors, so they just kinda said 'you're wierdos', but generally ignored us. After a couple of quarters, I relented & called myself a Civil Engr major. It was OK..if you like drafting sewerage lines & dreaming about dirt.
After 2 years of being on the 'barely 2.0 gpa shite-list', I cut my losses before they sent me to the Fleet...although, I had more fun sailing around the Bahamas & Ft. Lauderdale on a Frigate during the summers.
Once I left the Navy, I went back to Arch & enjoyed my education much more (if you can possibly enjoy time at GATek). I did find that all those Naval Science classes helped with Arch in a round-a-bout way, as all of my Studio designs consisted of highly compartmentalized floor plans which would definitely assure that none of my buildings would sink if ever hit by an Exocet missile or a Mark 7 torpedo!
Anyway, NROTC & Arch didn't seem to work, but in retrospect, I think I should've stuck it out w/ the Navy. It was pretty kool, but then again, I wanted to fly jets, but didn't have the eye-sight, so that was another reason I got out.
As a supplement to my expereince, I knew 2 other guys who were in Army ROTC. Both really smart guys, but sadly one of them committed suicide. I always felt bad that I didn't spend time trying to get to know him. Anyway, the other guy actually did graduate in Arch & think that he did get his 2LT commission. So...33.333% success rate in my class @ GT.
Dunno if that helped, but FWIW, I'd say stick with it, even if your grades suffer. Whether you are a real 'military-type' or not, there's a lot of benefit (esp financially) to getting Uncle Sam to pay the bills. Further advice would be to get into a field that keeps you outta combat, like Corps of Engrs, Coast Guard, Drone Pilot, Recreational Coordinator, etc. With That Nut (Po(LLU)ts) in the WH, there's bound to be a real Cluster-Flubb that's gonna get a lotta military (& civilians) 'moida-lized'.
Best of Luck to you. Before you know it, you'll have your degree & that nice gold bar on your shoulder (& dealing with some real A-H's & real problems)...be smart, do what my Dad, a Korean War 'vet' did - enlist the day before conflict ends, get the G.I. Bill, then go study at the Univ of Miami for 13 yrs on Uncle Sams dime. Now THAT man was SMART!
"It was OK..if you like drafting sewerage lines & dreaming about dirt."
Ain't quite Calatrava...but I guess it's better than my example :)
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.