don't do it. the degree is expensive-don't waste the time tossing coffee or picking up redlines. borrow if you have to but take the education very seriously. you'll find 1 year is an incredibly short period of time-you'll lbe out before you know it. you'll also find that you can pay off the year incredibly fast if you live frugally.

i don't know if work study is an option for aad students (i think you might be able to work on 'casual' pay if not), but i have found working in the print shop to be a pretty sweet job while in school at columbia. decent wages, you have more say in choosing your hours than you would be likely to have at another job, increased access to facilities, it's obviously close to studio...

tito (the shop manager) is usually looking for a couple of new employees at the beginning of each semester, but this is not usually widely advertised, maybe because of the desirability of the few positions available, they usually get filled through word of mouth. so if you decide to come to columbia and are interested in working at the print shop, my tip is to talk to tito in the shop as soon as you get in the building on the first day.

there are also lots of other work/study type jobs around the architecture school: water-jet/cnc monitor, library, slide library...

oh cool, thanks switters and joed for the suggestions, i might go with the 'casual' pay since we have open house on april 5th, then i hope ill be able to see the print shop on the tour.

don't work....get a loan and take it on the chin like the rest of us did...you only have a couple years to get an education that will last you the rest of your life....why waste time working 10 hours a week for a wage that is not even going to put a dent in your nyc rent....

if your really desperate i would follow the work study suggestion posted, but given all that a great school like columbia has to offer, i would definately sink my 'academic teeth' into the university and get all i can out of if while i was there.....

thank you, im thinking about the workstudy :)

it can be done, i worked part-time (20 hours/week) while enrolled full-time as a grad student. a handful of other students in my class also worked although i'm sure we were a minority.

my advice would be to find a relatively easy job with a clearly defined time commitment that will allow your brain some distraction from studio/homework but will not burden you a minute beyond your 2-4 hour shifts. bonus if you can find a job where you can catch some cat naps or even just space out for a while. also note that CAD is probably one of the worst jobs to have if your tired since it's very easy to fall asleep in front of a computer screen.

silver lining to working is it forces you to put a real premium on your time. everything you produce will need to be of value and incorporated into your project, else you simply won't have time to do it.

I agree with puddles. Having a job helps with time management and prioritization skills.

I worked 20 hours per week in architectural firms throughout undergrad and graduate school and found it to be a valuable experience. It gave me a realistic and grounded perspective in contrast to my peers who did not work.

Some things to think about -

Take into consideration travel distances and times. The previous suggestions to find a job near school are good. It doesn't make sense to travel more than 30 minutes to a job that you'll be at for 4 hours a day. Use your commute to decompress and prepare for the next task.

Remember that school comes first, and be religious about leaving work when you're supposed to. You can put in overtime after you've graduated. However, also uphold your commitment to be at work for the hours you say you will; be reliable.

I am in my second year of grad school and have worked 8-10 hours every week thus far....luckily it is a small operation of just my boss and I and she is very flexible when I have due dates and stuff...

that being said there are definately multiple time when i think to myself "if i could just work on my project right now I would be fine, but because I have to go to work and then work on my project late into the night..get up early...etc. etc...not so good."

Only work if you have to...i have to unfortunately

im taking the AAD (1 yr)3 semesters starting this june. going in april 5th for the open house!

i worked 12 hours a week in the woodshop at an art museum. actually i was almost fired, because i was always half asleep at work. i recommend it though. its good to have that kind of balance in your life and do something constructive outside of school. and who cares if you get fired?

i thought it was impossible to work while doing masters !!..
at least thats what my friends in AA and Bartlett tells me. Don't know about the american universities ...

you can also work as TA in one of the studios or labs. i don't think many students at my uni really applied but htose that did got a job. not great money, but on campus, and teaching experience is never a bad thing...

i also worked part-time for a friend's office doing work when i could. was not overly stressful. doing competitions on top of that however, nearly killed me...;-) but it never affected my grades at school , etc. and the extra work does tend to keep you sharp with the scheduling.

architects are notorious procrastinators so having lots of work to fill the day is a good way to avoid opportunities to let things slip ;-)

yes only american unversity, TA sounds pretty good, i might consider that too , thanks!