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Academic Confusion
Hi everyone, I’m a community college student at Laurel Ridge in West Virginia, currently in my second semester, and I have some career-related questions about architecture. Architecture has been my passion for as long as I can remember, but I'm confused without a clear guide or someone with experience to help me figure out what steps I should take next. Not many advisors here specialize in architecture, and I’ve been struggling to figure out what skills I need to learn, how to build a portfolio that stands out and secures me a scholarship, and what I should focus on during these two years before I transfer. I’m also unsure about what other career paths exist within or related to architecture that might be more financially viable or accessible for someone like me. This confusion about my future and my financial limitations are making me second-guess whether I should stick with architecture or consider switching to a different major altogether. I would love to hear advice from anyone who has been through something similar or knows how I can navigate this situation. Your insights would mean the world to me. Thank you!
Figure out what made you want to become an architect. I can't stress this enough because you will need to remind yourself more than once.
Make sure whatever courses you take will transfer.
Make sure the program is accredited and that it is a professional degree.
Do not repeat do not make the mistake of thinking that you have to attend an Ivy or other expensive school in order to be successful. If the program is accredited and it is a professional degree it will give you the tools you need. A state school will work just fine.
An academic portfolio is different from an employment portfolio. It is about process not product. Do not make the mistake of doing some house plans in cad.
I have seen a lot of portfolios on Architect over the years and I can only remember 2 of them. One was from someone who had no background in architecture. It had beautiful hand drawings and none of them were of buildings. The other one was from a community college graduate. It was a collection of disparate images of offbeat objects with some architecture related stuff. It was quirky, interesting and had a coherent narrative.
Imo the portfolio needs to tell a story. It needs to show how you approach a problem. Pick something that interests you. Research, take notes, make sketches, investigate it graphically, document the decisions on the sketch. Graphically show your thought process.
Find an artist whose work speaks to you and study their process by studying their oeuvre.
Good luck.
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