Don't worry, take it as a challenge and do your best. Even out of school, you will be put in new and challenging situations and these are the best opportunities to grow. Don't be afraid to ask questions or feel intimidated, nobody knows everything even on the job, so in school certainly you are there to learn. You can learn as much from your colleagues as your profs so it is a great chance to build long term relationships with your peers who come from diverse backgrounds. Have confidence and don't let bumps along the way get you down, you learn from all experiences. Look forward to your internship terms at Dal cause look at it this way you will catch up in office experience while in school which is the advantage if a coop program. There are plenty of graduates from m arch who don't get their first architectural office experience until after they graduate. It's hard work, but keep at it...

You're young so that us a plus... Take your time and learn, you've got time to grow ahead of you, and your newness can also be your strength: you might look at things with fresh eyes... Keep an open mind! Best of luck!

"Look forward to your internship terms at Dal cause look at it this way you will catch up in office experience while in school which is the advantage if a coop program."

Which is why Dal was one of my favoured picks in the first place.

Thanks bRink, that really helped bring my heart rate down. Particularly given that the way things are going my options are rapidly turning into either this or studying law at UWindsor (sorry, I'm not THAT big a Red Wings fan, haha).

Law at UWindsor is highly renowned. I know many successful graduates who are following humanitarian and corporate paths.

Also, you need not be a Red Wings fan in Windsor. I'm not. Support the Spitfires!

Did you end up committing to the school? They were due yesterday...

I visited the school last week and was told that about half of the people accepted have a degree already and half do not. I wouldn't sweat it too much, I've only done 2 years of university so far; shit, I JUST turned 20.

I am also getting excitedly nervous about the rediculous work-weeks, but they also told me that many students who have families have no problem setting specific work-hours and going home to their families at night. But I was also told that NO ONE gets through the program without pulling at least one all-nighter.

Will be interesting, hope to see you in September!

"Law at UWindsor is highly renowned. I know many successful graduates who are following humanitarian and corporate paths.
Also, you need not be a Red Wings fan in Windsor. I'm not. Support the Spitfires!"

Oh I know, I'm being a little unkind about UofW, particularly since humanitarian law would be my focus if I went that path. It's kinda funny actually, my bachelors was in History and Art History, but AH has been my primary motivation both for applying to law and architecture - I've gotten particularly fascinated with legal struggles between native cultures and museums with respect to repatriating ceremonial objects and human remains. I wonder if there's any market out there for lawyer-architects...

And my point is that I'm already a huge Red Wings fan (I can't support the Spitfires now, I'd be a bandwagoner if I did) but the widespread horror stories I hear about Detroit/Windsor make me think the place would eat me alive.

"Did you end up committing to the school? They were due yesterday..."

I've paid deposits both for Dalhousie and Windsor for the sake of provisionally holding my spots until I can get around to not being completely and utterly indecisive, though I am leaning a bit more towards Dal. I think I've probably driven Susanna up the wall because I was under the impression the deadline was June 1 and was flooding her inbox with panicked e-mails about how I hadn't received a student number yet. Figures that a few days after I got the deposit paid she sent that e-mail extending the deadline.

Hey man, I live in Windsor and go to school in Detroit. If you have any questions I can help you out. Not a scary place to live at all!

Funny enough, a friend of a friend is studying law with a B.Sc in architecture, hoping to be an archi-lawyer as well.

Sure, maybe when I get time I'll fire off an e-mail to you.

Is this friend of a friend studying them simultaneously? That would be a BRUTAL workload, as far as double-majors that would make non-supermen want to jump off a bridge are concerned, that's gotta at least be in the top 3.

Windsor law as I recall is the only school where you can do a joint LLB ( Canadian law degree) and JD (US), is this still true?

I once eyed law school before I landed in Architecture... I think it really depends on your interest but I have no regrets where I am now... I think both can be good, but I think architecture opens more doors towards creative outlets, although we get killed in economic downturns...

Yeah they still do a joint program with Detroit Mercy's law school, though Windsor has recently switched over to JD - most Canadian law schools have. I'm not all that interested in it though, if I go the law route I don't have any immediate intent on practicing in the States so there's not much point, especially with the tuition differences.

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, just wanted to thank those who provided feedback again. I recently decided to go ahead with the architecture program - not an easy decision by any stretch of the imagination but in the long run I think I'd enjoy this more.

Did want to ask though, is there anything particularly useful one can do in terms of preparation for the program? I've been casually reading a few things to try and get into the right mindset, but I'm wondering if there might be anything else that would come in handy?

hi CorbeauNoir I'll see you in September too. I'm with you in the feelings of being intimidated starting the program. Though my fears are coming from a different perspective. I'm scared that I'm to old to be starting a new career. At 35/36 I'm giving up a career that I have worked at for the past 11 years and I have to say I was very good at. Scary to think I will be an over 40 female when I finish the program just to be starting at the bottom of the ladder having to compete with all the young folks. I graduated from University 11 years ago, I don't know if I even remember how to study anymore. But I have to keep thinking that they wouldn't have accepted me if they didn't think I was good enough.

What I'm doing to prepare is similar to you. I'm gathering books from the recommended reading list trying to get my brain to get used to studying again.

See ya in September.