well currently i'm in first year so i'm technically learning but I'll share a few things

you dont' know anyone but the people in your studio
everyone crashes parties after a crit
"why are we studying shoes?! i thought this was architecture!"
the cyle of projects never stops...even on weekends
arch school is really fun
you go to sleep at 4AM every night
you learn how hard it is to appreciate architecture when you're tired.

don't waste your time reading the fountainhead, telling me your interpretation of the fountainhead or anything about the book, but see the movie it's a classic...

i don't care that you like frank - anyone named frank

read books, your magazine collection does not impress me

art, literature, music - don't bore me

make sure you bring your own x-acto blades, i hate sharing

oh, buy your own scales and other shit

be prepared to suck, because you will

if you like your sleep good, means more studio space for me, and more likely than not you'll be transferring at mid-year

no, i will not share my stash - if you know what i mean

your high school gpa means shit in architecture school, if you think because you were valedictorian in high school translates to great architect, then you will be the one i will hire to get my coffee

i hate your idea, so stop asking

The person that owns the Dremel is one popular guy/gal.

Anyone with a car that'll take you to the supply store must be a friend

Don't chew gum while giving presentations

maybe you be interviewing people from your school, rather than gravytraining archinect...

vado, a lot of advice is pretty much universal from college to college.. and who said i'm not still interviewing people from my school?

i am still not sure what i learned in first year, and that was about 18 years ago ( ! ). if i had to say i learned something i guess it was something about process and when to be irrational.

it was very bauhausy and very spacy and fruity and there were no buildings involved at all. still, it continues to affect my thinking even if i can't define what the hell it was that i learned. for better or worse, i still think back to what some of the crazier profs said and suddenly get it. am not sure if it is a good idea to have painters and opera singers teaching design...but it sure as hell was fun.

be VERY careful inking drawings

using knives as a sleepless architect student makes as much sense as putting a dart board in a bar...accidents are bound to happen.

oh, and trace, I forgot about the gum thing during one crit (sleepless days and nights, etc.) and got my ASS handed to me for it. unfortunately, that was THIRD year, not FIRST.

betadine wins the thread.

passion & despair

thanks agfa, i believe that is the first thread win for me.

For me joining APX (Alpha Rho Chi) was a good thing. It offered me the opportunity to do a lot of other things alongside other architecture students.

Memorable events were: Thursday night margarita night, working with fifth years on their thesis as free slave labor, creating thematic parties and developing stage sets for them – Freshman year we spent a week transforming the house into a dragon for Halloween. Another year we transformed the house into the Paris Opera House for a Phantom Party. At USC in the late 80’s we had house decks where we built stationary floats along fraternity row.

There is nothing like building a 20’0” tall paper mashie (sp?) Trojan lancing a UCLA bruin as a conversation starter. Of course football games and going the Rose Bowl were a blast too.

All in all it was a great social outlet. With all of the activities I got to meet a lot of people outside of architecture. Many of those people I still see and value their friendships.

The one thing I learned in first year of Architecture School was to make friends outside of the Architecture program. You are going to university for an education not the classes.