ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL | Workload, expectations and how to manage your time so you can do your best work
Your first year of architecture school will be exciting - there's no doubt about that! But it might also be daunting, and even overwhelming at times.
The class structures, workload and expectations are probably very different to what you have experienced before, either at school or in the workplace. In fact, even if you have studied at university before coming to architecture, the expectations and intensity of the studio environment can catch you off guard.
In this post, I'm going to share with you some of the things that might be different at architecture school.
I'll also talk through some ways you can prepare for and manage them - so you can focus on doing your best work!
I'll let you know:
what to expect;
what the workload is like,
how you can manage your time.
Of course, not every architecture school is the same, and not everyone's experience will be the same either. This post is a reflection from my own experience.
What to expect AT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL
I'll start by stating the obvious: architecture school will be different to high school. It's also different to the workplace. It's not even exactly the same as any other university study you might have done previously, or your friends might be doing.
Unlike most university degrees, architecture courses are often fairly prescriptive, but the content itself is quite varied. There will be:
set courses you need to take;
a cohort of other students taking the all same courses at the same time with you;
'studio' design classes, with studio time each week and probably 6-12 week long projects;
courses in theory and design methods, technical, structural and construction aspects, and history.
Each of these courses will have different requirements, and you will be learning, calculating, creating, editing and questioning all at the same time! There will be a lot of learning while you go, of making mistakes and figuring out a better method, and of making decisions under time pressure.
WORKLOAD
There will be lots of work to do. & There will be deadlines.
It's true that architecture school is a lot of work, and you will be working hard, often. Architecture is such a broad and complex subject that the workload needs to be quite dense to get through all the thinking and information in the time available.
But complexity isn't what makes architecture school
a lot of work.
The tricky part is that design work never feels complete. It's not like a calculation where you figure out the correct answer, or an essay where you make the word count and then hit print (I don't condone this method!).
There will always be a way to make it better, a corner to fix, a new, fresh and exciting idea to integrate. You will find yourself compelled to work on it in the middle of the night, or while on holiday. While you are watching a film the key that unlocks your whole project will fall from the sky and hit you in head - and disruptive as it is, you will want to capture it on paper then and there.
On that note - carry a pencil and paper everywhere. Everywhere.
As the due dates get closer, and everyone reaches this level of intensity with their projects, there is a pretty amazing buzz of everyone in the studio working hard.
But it is a misconception that the hours put in = the results or grades you get out. Architecture School isn't about doing the most hours, appearing to work the hardest. It is about finding your voice, having confidence in your capacities, and learning how to learn.
some numbers ON THE HOURS YOU WILL PUT IN
It's tricky to put numbers to the workload, as it will vary for everyone and for every course, but it can be a useful place to start when comparing expectations.
At my University, the course outlines typically suggested that you should spend 150 hours on each course over the semester.
If you are taking 3 courses in one semester, which is fairly standard, this would be 450 hours. Over 12 weeks, this equates to 37.5 hours per week - cunningly the exact same number of hours you would work in a 40 hour week, 9-5 job with a half an hour lunch break each day.
Of course, this is just a guide, and it never quite works out that evenly. But for reference, if your school is from 9-3 or even 8:30 to 3:30pm, that's only 6-7 hours a day, or 30-35 hours a week, and it's completely timetabled by the school, so your 'study' won't have a habit of turning into long lunches or afternoons at the beach like it might at university.
So, How DO YOU managE your time?
Let's start with the obvious again: You have to manage it.
If you don't manage your time, you'll quickly find that the work builds up and you have 3 deadlines in one week with nothing presentable on your table. For most people, it's difficult to produce work that you are super proud of in a short space of time - especially if your classmates have worked hard for the whole amount of time available to you!
Unlike school or the workplace, at architecture school, time management is up to you.
At school your teachers and parents probably supported you in managing your time - even if it felt more like hassling and deadlines to you! School is a structured environment, with set time to work on different subjects, organised repetitions and people check in on you if you are going down the wrong path or not keeping up.
In the workplace, managers and other senior staff often organise your time - suggesting project timelines, enforcing due dates, and scheduling meetings to ensure you are on track and aren't going to let them down.
At architecture school, the only person you are going to let down is yourself. That means that you are responsible for yourself, for your project, and for your time.
3 Ways to manage your time
(ANd avoid doing all-nighters)
1. USE GREAT Tools
The first step towards better managing time your time it to find and use a range of tools. Traditionally a diary and wall planner would be it, but now there are so many more ways to manage time!
Different tools are suitable for different scales, levels, and types of time management. Some will suit how you work, and some won't - so test things out.
2. WORK SMARTER : THINK HOLISTICALLY
Even though your courses are separate, the curriculum considers each course as part of a whole learning basis of becoming an architect. You can take advantage of this by thinking about them holistically, or as a whole. Simply put, cross-pollinate your thinking and learning between courses you are taking - either at the same time, or between years.
Some ways to do this include:
Use your theory research to drive your design explorations;
Include new material knowledge in your designs;
Use your architectural history course to investigate a site you are interested in;
Research a possible design precedent for an essay.
Obviously don't reproduce the content - yes, self-plagiarism is a thing - but allow yourself some overlap so you can go more in-depth and understand a topic from a range of different perspectives.
3. MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF & THE THINGS YOU LOVE
What is the point of managing your time? So you can do your best work, in a timely manner, and get noticed for it. So a big part of managing your time is making sure you are positioned to do your best work. There are two main parts to this:
First, knowing how, where and when you work best.
This can take a while to figure out, but once youLooking after yourself.
For you to do your best work, to be the most creative you can be, the most efficient and the most engaged, you have to be your best version of yourself. This means you need to look after your body, brain, and spirit. You need to protect you ability to be creative!
This can mean making time to have fun, socialise, go out without feeling guilty. To make time for sport or exercise. To eat well. And to allow yourself the downtime to get re-inspired.
WHEN YOU LOVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING...
But the honest truth, from my experience, is that when you fall in love with architecture, those long hours are passion hours. You want to be doing it. It's exhilarating.
And in that case, it's totally fine to work hard, and to work long hours, so long as:
You ensure you still put time into papers you don't enjoy so much, or aren't as good at (yet),
You look after yourself;
and you're managing it - it's not managing you.
