question #1:
It is possible to be studying and studying all day and night. If you can manage your time, you will find plenty of time for socializing and extra curricular activities. During my undergrad, I got high marks for all of my studios. All this while gigging with a band every week, and holding monthly art events. I did have my share of all-nighters, but I kinda looked forward to these as usually good friends and good discussions would occur. I found that school was just part of my lifestyle, part of what I did and who I was. If you have this mindset, then you will find plenty of time to do what you want.

question #2:

from what I have heard . . . and this is just me . . . 5 year programs are going out of style. I realize I have not much evidence to back this up, except some conversations I have had with some college faculty and administrators. The 4+2 track is what I am currently doing. I finished my undergrad in 2002, and now I am continuing onto my 2 yr grad.

I don't know how the two tracks would differ, except that the 5 year track might have a pretty intense 5th year, or maybe not, maybe you write a thesis the second part of the 5th yr. . . some folks in the 5 yr track, can you chime in? I guess my point is that both tracks are similar, with different distribution of the work load.

I like the 4+2 because I have the opportunity to choose a different school for the +2 part. This is cool because you might get a good idea of what you want to specialize in, and then you can seek out a school that focuses in on this.

But I am sure that if you found a good 5 yr program, they might be able to cater to what you want to do. Again, I can only speak fromm the 4+2 track.

good luck!

For the first question, I agree with the previous thread that if you know how to manage your time, you can cruise by with Pareto's principle of doing 20% work to get 80% results. I have seen plenty of examples of this happening and some of them are not bad work given the effort they spend on their projects. I think the worse thing you can do is to do all architecture for 5 years or doing nothing by successfully at all times adhering to the 20-80 principle. Something in between is needed if you want to consider yourself as well-educated.


The answer to your second question follows from the first. I did the 5 years B.Arch and if given the choice again, I probably will not do that but go for a 4 years general degree in the liberal arts. Simply because people change after after a decade or so and sometimes getting a specialized degree so early does not give you a whole lot of options later. 4+2 will give you more options to pursue maybe a Master in Industrial Design, Graphic Design or New Media after you realized that buildings are not the only thing that interest you.

Given how things are going these days, going for a general education first and then specializing later seems to be a better choice to me than putting all your bets in one place.

4+2 is, I have heard, to become the norm for architectural schools in North America. I leave it to you to corroborate this rumor.

The system gives you a chance to not continue with MArch if you find it isn't for you, which seems a good idea. My own uni took it a bit further and required a year of arts/sciences before applying to undergrad architecture school. by the time you get to MArch most students are pretty serious about design or they wouldn't be there; so yes we tended to spend all of our time doing creative-type stuff. Playing music and writing, cooking and so on sort of fit into all of that as a kind of lifestyle thing.

As far as specialising, it usually doesn't work in a straightforward way, depending more on the office you work at rather than the work you did at school. Your thesis topic may affect the work you get, but seems to me the approach to design is more important than the typologies you worked on.

Well everyone answered my first question well but my second still i feel is unanswered completely. Ill try again..

Supposing I already know I want to specialize in Sky scraper design and im going into a 5 year program...does this mean I'll have to take 2 additional years in order to build sky scrapers?? I mean is the 5th year just a waste? Is that for people with broad ideas of what they want to do? What do you do if you already know what you want to design specifically? I mean, i dont want to go to school for another year if i dont have to.

architecture school teaches you how to be a designer not a skyscraper designer or a hospital designer, etc

if you are really interested in skyscrapers maybe you should also pursue a degree in engineering

if you don't realize it now, you probably will...
"What do you do if you already know what you want to design specifically?"

My response would be that it's impossible to know already, before you have even started. I used to think I wanted to design furniture, but architecture school turned that into a secondary fetish. Keep your mind open, and leave room in your "plans" for change.

4 years is non professional. you have to have the +2 to get registered.

5 years (BArch) is professional, no mandatory graduate school.

im about to graduate from a four year arch program and ill do three with my masters or for others in my class 2.in the end it amounts to the same. if you do not want to go grad school then do a 5 year and then you wont have to go...

But yes it is a trend that many school are going to 4, UC for example and other instead of the traditional 5 year.Most people no matter what the degree are going to graduate school. it levels out in the end if you go to grad school for example:

B arch and master's: 5 + 1.5 or 2= 6.5 or 7

BS or BFA in arch and master's 4+2 or 3= 6 or 7

Yes, you will have time for other activites, but arch is just as demanding as if you were studying engineering or biology. So get some no doze and prepare to have sleepless nights.

If you want to major in arch just understand that you will be school for a while...and even after you get out of school you will have to continue to learn to keep up with the new technology in architecture and construction.

So if you dont want to go past 4 years, major in something else.

I'm honestly not trying to give you guys a hard time but i think im just having trouble expressing my question clearly...

Supposing I were to do 5 year program, when i leave school will there be anything i cannot do as apposed to the 6 year program? Will my 5 limit me in anyway that the 6 allows? I think thats more of what I'm asking.

Your 5 year Barch degree will not limit you in terms of getting a job, doing your IDP, practicing architecture, and then building. I would do the 5 year if I were you.

the five year is a professional degree and will allow u to design whatever your little ol heart deires. the 4+2 is i believe a 4 year degree + 2 additional years part time in which u work and go to school and eventually end up with a masters. both of which let u design whatever u want. school does not specialize but gives u a foundation to problem solve. u want skyscrapers...........work for a firm that does them. make sure any degree u get is naab certified. without it u cant get a license.

You need to remember, which ever combination you choose.
1. 5 yr Professional Bach. Arch + 3yr Internship min. then exam
2. 4yr Bach. Fine Arts + 2 yrs Masters in Architecture + 3 yr internship min. then exam.

You still have to do at least 3 years min. interning with an Arch. office, to complete your IDP before you can sit for the exam to become licensed. If what you really want to do is skyscrapers, consider
3. B.S in engineering then Masters in Architecture

Thanks i think that hit the spot! I really dont want to do sky scrapers i just said that as an example though te he.