Survival Guide for Architecture Students

You may think that studying architecture is the hardest decision you have ever made in your life. We are not going to tell you that architecture is as tricky as it seems. This episode can be challenging. As an architecture student, you live perhaps the most problematic years of your life trying to complete your undergraduate education. Nevertheless, architecture’s approach to individual creativity and its seminal teaching methods differs from all other departments.

You may be an architecture student who does not know what to do at the Faculty of Architecture. You don’t have to be afraid. If you like this job, you are in the right place for yourself. However, a few tips may come in handy to help you keep up with this more easily.

Everyone Was In The Same Situation With You

Architecture students have difficulties, especially in the first years of their education. Because architecture is a discipline in which approaches different from the conventional memorization methods are applied. There is no single truth here. It’s normal for you to spend your first year as a rookie architecture student trying to figure out what’s going on.

You may feel insecure at times during this time. Everyone around you may think that you are incomplete with the subject. But this is just an illusion. Remember that everyone around you is getting an education on equal terms with you. Moreover, those who teach you today or who are in the upper class than you were once in the same position as you. No one is perfect. Nobody is born with all the information. Don’t be cruel to yourself.

There Are No Perfect Projects

Architecture students realize soon after entering the department that there is no perfect project. The project does not complete itself. For this, you have to decide and finish. Whether abstract or concrete, the design has no end. So sometimes it’s good to know where to stand.

It Is Impossible to Satisfy Everyone

You will often see this sentence in life affirmation articles. However, if you are an architecture student, this sentence’s context is very different for you. Yes, we mean juries! As we mentioned above, there is neither a perfect project nor a jury that passes without negative criticism.

No matter how good your project is, someone will always criticize you. There is still a “could be better” point. These criticisms are not related to the character of the jurors. They are mostly due to the lack of a limit when it comes to design. And their purpose is not to demoralize you but to move you forward.

Having Fun Is Important

Architecture students are one of the most working groups during their university years. However, this should not prevent you from having fun. University is where you make your best memories. So just enjoy it.

There Are Always Some Problems in Group Works

In architecture faculties, working in groups is essential as well as working as an individual. Often you may need to work with two, three, or even more people. These efforts can range from simple one-off presentations to tiring projects that will last a few months.

Whether your group has two or ten people, including you, you can always have problems. Generally, the higher the number, the greater the chaos within the group. After all, it’s best not to worry too much about minor issues.
You may not be good at group work as long as you do your part, your risk of having problems decreases. Other than that, you don’t need to stress yourself too much about working in a large group.

Nothing Is As Bad As You Think

Finally, the only thing we can say is that things are not as bad as they seem to you. We understand that your whole academic life feels shaky when the school gets busy, when you argue with your groupmate, the project is not moving forward when you can’t finish your deadlines. However, as the person involved, it all seems worse than it is to you. You won’t even think about many of them after a short while.

Good luck with the architecture school!

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