i am thinking about trying to finish a b.arch in 4 years instead of 5. is this a good idea? I plan on getting rid as many elective courses i can during the summer along with some of my AP credits and take summer studio courses.
the reason why i'm thinking on doing this is so that I won't need to pay another year of tuition (at an ivy!) so maybe i can save some money for grad..or to relieve some debt
if you want to be an actual architect you need to spend your summers WORKING in architecture firms. start out, if you can, with the summer BEFORE your first year (i'm assuming you haven't started yet...btw, good to plan ahead like you're doing!). at that very first job offer to schlep trash and answer phones...just get your foot in the door of a firm.
if you can spend your summers working and saving $ perhaps you can offset some of the costs of going to that ivy-league school. and when it comes down to finding that first job after you graduate, you will be offered more (money and responsibility) if you can show that you have work experience. and thus, you can pay down quicker those loans you may or may not be planning to get.
and trust me, when i say working i do not mean "summer spent teaching english in japan" or "summer spent working at a ski area in chile" or "summer spent working on my tan as a lifeguard back home in highland park" (IL or TX, take your pick). while these are certainly cool jobs and some people would say, you're in college, have fun...if you want to be an architect get into the shit right away. if you LIKE architecture, these jobs will be much more fun than being a bartender in chiang mai for the summer.
of course, since you're working summers...work someplace cool if you can swing it. you might have the schwag to spend a summer in NY, a summer in SF, a summer in london, a summer in buenos aires, and a summer in stockholm (which is what i would've done if i had planned ahead).
They'll let you graduate in less than 5 years. For my BArch, even in that first year there were architecture courses that were only offered during the normal fall and spring semesters. Might want to double check the course schedules and be pretty dang sure it'll work. My guess is nope.
And I want to spend my summers at a ski area in Chile. Sounds like fun.
I am finishing up my B.arch in four years. I was able to take summer studios to speed the process up. I did this because I spent two years pursueing another degree. After I graduate I'm going to grad school for 2 years so I don't think its really a big deal in my case.
However, I do feel that I shorted myself a bit by rushing through since summer school is much shorter and not as complete. In the end you get out of it what you put into it.
In. And I did not spend my summers in a shitty local arch. firm. Yet amazingly, I do LIKE architecture.......I must be the exception to ochona's 'rules'.
I also feel as though I shorted myself a bit, but I knew I needed to get out of Oregon and onto the next.
college is cushy and fun, even when you're working
but hey, what's wrong with the local arch firm? i dunno. i got a whopping $7 an hour. $2 went to taxes, $2 went to savings, $2 went to beer, and the extra $1 went to beer
wish i'd given that extra $1 over to a mutual fund
It really depends on the school and how they offer courses. Most schools have a system where they spread it out over 5 years where some classes are offered only in the fall or only in the spring because everyone goes through the same process. If your that worried about money you think as to why your going to such an expensive school only wanting to get it over with fast. The bigger the school you could take more summer school, but a smaller one probably won't have the summer classes your looking for. Enjoy school while you can.
i know that cornell offers summer studio courses and there are people who have finished it in 4 years. i don't like to rush things as well but i figured, if i can get it done in 4 years, i can save perhaps 45K, which is way more than the money i'll earn during the summer. also, i think it's maybe only two summers that I'll have to take courses (one, to get rid of electives at ASU and the other, to take a summer studio course at cornell) so I'll probably have extra opportunities to work at a firm..but please correct me if i'm wrong
..and then maybe that extra year i save could be used for graduate school..
i just hope i don't get burned out in 5 years. arch school sounds tough
Apr 10, 06 4:56 pm ·
·
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.
finishing b.arch in 4 years?
i am thinking about trying to finish a b.arch in 4 years instead of 5. is this a good idea? I plan on getting rid as many elective courses i can during the summer along with some of my AP credits and take summer studio courses.
the reason why i'm thinking on doing this is so that I won't need to pay another year of tuition (at an ivy!) so maybe i can save some money for grad..or to relieve some debt
most programs cannot be shortened since studios run on a yearly basis and not semester . . maybe it depends on where you go?
bad idea. Mendes da Rocha did not go to an ivy.
mauvais idee. bad idea.
if you want to be an actual architect you need to spend your summers WORKING in architecture firms. start out, if you can, with the summer BEFORE your first year (i'm assuming you haven't started yet...btw, good to plan ahead like you're doing!). at that very first job offer to schlep trash and answer phones...just get your foot in the door of a firm.
if you can spend your summers working and saving $ perhaps you can offset some of the costs of going to that ivy-league school. and when it comes down to finding that first job after you graduate, you will be offered more (money and responsibility) if you can show that you have work experience. and thus, you can pay down quicker those loans you may or may not be planning to get.
and trust me, when i say working i do not mean "summer spent teaching english in japan" or "summer spent working at a ski area in chile" or "summer spent working on my tan as a lifeguard back home in highland park" (IL or TX, take your pick). while these are certainly cool jobs and some people would say, you're in college, have fun...if you want to be an architect get into the shit right away. if you LIKE architecture, these jobs will be much more fun than being a bartender in chiang mai for the summer.
of course, since you're working summers...work someplace cool if you can swing it. you might have the schwag to spend a summer in NY, a summer in SF, a summer in london, a summer in buenos aires, and a summer in stockholm (which is what i would've done if i had planned ahead).
if u wouldnt have wasted so much time posting and commenting on archinect you could be done by now. get with it...
They'll let you graduate in less than 5 years. For my BArch, even in that first year there were architecture courses that were only offered during the normal fall and spring semesters. Might want to double check the course schedules and be pretty dang sure it'll work. My guess is nope.
And I want to spend my summers at a ski area in Chile. Sounds like fun.
I am finishing up my B.arch in four years. I was able to take summer studios to speed the process up. I did this because I spent two years pursueing another degree. After I graduate I'm going to grad school for 2 years so I don't think its really a big deal in my case.
However, I do feel that I shorted myself a bit by rushing through since summer school is much shorter and not as complete. In the end you get out of it what you put into it.
In. And I did not spend my summers in a shitty local arch. firm. Yet amazingly, I do LIKE architecture.......I must be the exception to ochona's 'rules'.
I also feel as though I shorted myself a bit, but I knew I needed to get out of Oregon and onto the next.
i would definitely say don't rush the b.arch
college is cushy and fun, even when you're working
but hey, what's wrong with the local arch firm? i dunno. i got a whopping $7 an hour. $2 went to taxes, $2 went to savings, $2 went to beer, and the extra $1 went to beer
wish i'd given that extra $1 over to a mutual fund
It really depends on the school and how they offer courses. Most schools have a system where they spread it out over 5 years where some classes are offered only in the fall or only in the spring because everyone goes through the same process. If your that worried about money you think as to why your going to such an expensive school only wanting to get it over with fast. The bigger the school you could take more summer school, but a smaller one probably won't have the summer classes your looking for. Enjoy school while you can.
thanks guys!
i know that cornell offers summer studio courses and there are people who have finished it in 4 years. i don't like to rush things as well but i figured, if i can get it done in 4 years, i can save perhaps 45K, which is way more than the money i'll earn during the summer. also, i think it's maybe only two summers that I'll have to take courses (one, to get rid of electives at ASU and the other, to take a summer studio course at cornell) so I'll probably have extra opportunities to work at a firm..but please correct me if i'm wrong
..and then maybe that extra year i save could be used for graduate school..
i just hope i don't get burned out in 5 years. arch school sounds tough
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.