Hey so my names Alex and I'm currently attending a trade school to get my associates degree in occupational studies majoring in industrial HVAC/refrigeration and have been in school about 8 months now and have 8 more to go my mind has kind of been drifting towords going to a large university to get a bachelors in architecture from Colorado university My mind is also drifting towords mechanical engineering im 20 years old and am prepared for the debt schooling would put me in but the saying " if you love what you do you will never work a day in your life " really gets to me I've loved architectural drafting since high school drafting and CAD classes but always thought it was impossible cause I screwed off in high school so I just stuck to going to a good old trade school which isn't bad in any way I just feel I can turn this associates of occupational studies into a lot more and maybe have my masters degree in something by the time I'm 30 any advice would help and be much appreciated
Non Sequitur
Aug 17, 17 11:58 am
How about you learn to use periods if you want people to read your rambles.
Peripteral Magic
Aug 17, 17 12:49 pm
Hahaha... Jesuschrist, NS... you must be fun at parties! What happened? Did someone steal your lollipop?
By the way, given that you're a fan of periods you might also want to use other punctuation marks (question marks, for instance) that could improve your writing skills considerably. Here goes an example:
How about giving the kid a break?
Non Sequitur
Aug 17, 17 1:05 pm
Plenty fun at parties actually. Thanks for noticing.
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 17, 17 12:52 pm
HVAC is good business. So is mechanical engineering.
Miles Jaffe
Aug 17, 17 2:55 pm
Yeah, Non, WTF? It's not as if being able to communicate like an adult is a requirement for architecture.
Miles Jaffe
Aug 17, 17 2:58 pm
Oh, and Welch, stay away from architecture. Nothing wrong with the trades. In fact if you go talk to construction trades they'll tell you what a bunch of conceited no-nothing assholes architects are.
Non Sequitur
Aug 17, 17 4:29 pm
Cheers Miles
mantaray
Aug 17, 17 3:55 pm
When I was teaching, and I had undergrad students wondering whether to stay in or drop out of architecture school, I always asked them one question:
Do you love buildings?
If the answer is a resounding YES, then go for it. If you look at, and think about, buildings and the built environment wherever you go, then going into architecture might be something you enjoy. If the answer is something like, I like buildings ok but really I like the nuts and bolts of how they work, the I'd consider a building engineering or a construction management route. If the answer is something like, I like buildings ok but I really like playing around with 3D models and software, then arch viz or another graphics (or even game design) path might be better.
I did have a handful of students who stared at me blankly when I asked that question, and those I counseled to find another course of study.
Practicing as an architect involves many different skills and activities, some more fun to some people than others, but the basic root of it all is BUILDINGS (and the built environment). If you have ever been moved, truly moved by a building--have ever actually felt your pulse quicken a bit on seeing a truly beautiful building--if you think you'd enjoy thinking about buildings, in some way shape or form, for the vast majority of your workdays, then you might enjoy being an architect.
Also, re: low high school grades--not sure that matters much. An architectural education is vastly different than whatever high school assesses, and personally I don't think there's a huge amount of correlation btwn how good your high school grades were and how good of an architect you might be. That said, you have to work REALLY hard to both become an architect and once you are an architect--so if you are in ANY way a lazy person, you will not enjoy this profession. Just be honest with yourself about that.
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 17, 17 11:50 pm
Good thoughts.
Le Courvoisier
Aug 17, 17 5:53 pm
Experiment in garages? Code for drop acid and revolutionize the PC industry!
archinine
Aug 17, 17 8:10 pm
Keep in mind you'll get paid more as an HVAC specialist for the first 15 years or so than you would in architecture. Especially if you're union.
Mech engineering will pay better than either and sooner.
Those loans seem easy to handle until you start working, paying taxes, or attempt to financially plan for a family.
I'd suggest to finish off your associates, put it into use in the field and assess there how much you really like buildings, and specifically how interested you are in hvac. All of that experience will be highly pertinent to a future as a mech engineer if you go that route, and you'll still be doing cad and such. You'll also come to loathe CAD, so I wouldn't make a career move based on the desire to draft things in it. Your field experience will give you a leg up later in your career as you move into PM roles, and you'll garner respect on the sites that most engineers and architects don't because you'll actually know what you're talking about having done it. The PM role can be filled by architects or engineers but more often than not (on a macro scale of all PMs) goes to engineers as they are better able to put parts together and their skills are more broadly applicable to non design focused projects e.g. Infrastructure, maintenance, utilitarian buildings, etc.
You'll always have a job as an hvac specialist or as an engineer. As an architect you'll have to hustle even during a boom.
Hey so my names Alex and I'm currently attending a trade school to get my associates degree in occupational studies majoring in industrial HVAC/refrigeration and have been in school about 8 months now and have 8 more to go my mind has kind of been drifting towords going to a large university to get a bachelors in architecture from Colorado university My mind is also drifting towords mechanical engineering im 20 years old and am prepared for the debt schooling would put me in but the saying " if you love what you do you will never work a day in your life " really gets to me I've loved architectural drafting since high school drafting and CAD classes but always thought it was impossible cause I screwed off in high school so I just stuck to going to a good old trade school which isn't bad in any way I just feel I can turn this associates of occupational studies into a lot more and maybe have my masters degree in something by the time I'm 30 any advice would help and be much appreciated
How about you learn to use periods if you want people to read your rambles.
Hahaha... Jesuschrist, NS... you must be fun at parties! What happened? Did someone steal your lollipop?
By the way, given that you're a fan of periods you might also want to use other punctuation marks (question marks, for instance) that could improve your writing skills considerably. Here goes an example:
How about giving the kid a break?
Plenty fun at parties actually. Thanks for noticing.
HVAC is good business. So is mechanical engineering.
Yeah, Non, WTF? It's not as if being able to communicate like an adult is a requirement for architecture.
Oh, and Welch, stay away from architecture. Nothing wrong with the trades. In fact if you go talk to construction trades they'll tell you what a bunch of conceited no-nothing assholes architects are.
Cheers Miles
When I was teaching, and I had undergrad students wondering whether to stay in or drop out of architecture school, I always asked them one question:
Do you love buildings?
If the answer is a resounding YES, then go for it. If you look at, and think about, buildings and the built environment wherever you go, then going into architecture might be something you enjoy. If the answer is something like, I like buildings ok but really I like the nuts and bolts of how they work, the I'd consider a building engineering or a construction management route. If the answer is something like, I like buildings ok but I really like playing around with 3D models and software, then arch viz or another graphics (or even game design) path might be better.
I did have a handful of students who stared at me blankly when I asked that question, and those I counseled to find another course of study.
Practicing as an architect involves many different skills and activities, some more fun to some people than others, but the basic root of it all is BUILDINGS (and the built environment). If you have ever been moved, truly moved by a building--have ever actually felt your pulse quicken a bit on seeing a truly beautiful building--if you think you'd enjoy thinking about buildings, in some way shape or form, for the vast majority of your workdays, then you might enjoy being an architect.
Also, re: low high school grades--not sure that matters much. An architectural education is vastly different than whatever high school assesses, and personally I don't think there's a huge amount of correlation btwn how good your high school grades were and how good of an architect you might be. That said, you have to work REALLY hard to both become an architect and once you are an architect--so if you are in ANY way a lazy person, you will not enjoy this profession. Just be honest with yourself about that.
Good thoughts.
Experiment in garages? Code for drop acid and revolutionize the PC industry!
Keep in mind you'll get paid more as an HVAC specialist for the first 15 years or so than you would in architecture. Especially if you're union.
Mech engineering will pay better than either and sooner.
Those loans seem easy to handle until you start working, paying taxes, or attempt to financially plan for a family.
I'd suggest to finish off your associates, put it into use in the field and assess there how much you really like buildings, and specifically how interested you are in hvac. All of that experience will be highly pertinent to a future as a mech engineer if you go that route, and you'll still be doing cad and such. You'll also come to loathe CAD, so I wouldn't make a career move based on the desire to draft things in it. Your field experience will give you a leg up later in your career as you move into PM roles, and you'll garner respect on the sites that most engineers and architects don't because you'll actually know what you're talking about having done it. The PM role can be filled by architects or engineers but more often than not (on a macro scale of all PMs) goes to engineers as they are better able to put parts together and their skills are more broadly applicable to non design focused projects e.g. Infrastructure, maintenance, utilitarian buildings, etc.
You'll always have a job as an hvac specialist or as an engineer. As an architect you'll have to hustle even during a boom.
Combine and do both! (more or less)
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